[ubuntu-za] Karmic Network Manager borked

[Chris Schoonbee]

David Robert Lewis (ethnopunk) wrote:
> Chris Schoonbee wrote:
>   
>> David Robert Lewis (ethnopunk) wrote:
>>   
>>     
>>> Well that didn't take very long. It's Wednesday. I installed Karmic on 
>>> Saturday and was only remarking about the ethO in Network Manager being 
>>> confusing to some Windows converts. Now its decided to go on strike. 
>>> Can't gany network information. My setting has literally disappeared, 
>>> and the backup setting which is there, isn't working either. All I see 
>>> is: "Service not managed"
>>>
>>> Have I got to use the terminal to get a link up an running? Any ideas 
>>> how to restore Network Manager to its former glory?
>>>
>>> DRL
>>>
>>>   
>>>     
>>>       
>> Just deleting or moving /etc/network/interfaces to another name should 
>> do the trick.
>> NM works perfectly for me (ethernet, ADSL and 3G) but then I've learnt 
>> not to get in its way by
>> changing the 'interfaces' file myself (either manually or using other 
>> programs like pppoeconf).
>> If NM detects that you've changed the file sufficiently then at some 
>> point it is going to assume that
>> you want to manage things and will back off.  (Service not managed).  
>> Unfortunately this tends to
>> leave things in a broken state.
>>
>>   
>>     
>
> If Ubuntu get things right (from an Apple perspective), then I should be 
> able to delete the  interfaces file, and it will be restored 
> automagically to the defaults. However, I not sure if we there yet. You 
> also say I should rename it, and so it goes, the multiplicity of Linux. 
> I'll back it up and see if I can make head or tale of what is going on. 
> Network Manager should be pppoeconf friendly by now, surely?
>
>
>   
Why I said to rename it is simply because that is the one-step way to 
'delete' the file and make a backup at the same time.  With the file out 
of the way, NM will step back in and hopefully take care of the 
situation. Just try it, reboot and see.  If it does not work, then you 
rename the file back to the original name and you haven't lost anything.

I see that Marius recommended getting a PPA update.  I would be hesitant 
until I have tried the more standard steps.  The default NM in Karmic 
should work fine for most setups, including yours judging by the info 
you have provided.

As far as working with ppoeconf, I think the goal is that NM will make 
use of such programs redundant.  Needing them indicates a bug or 
unimplemented feature in NM.  Handling Bluetooth modems is one example 
of this.