The identity is actually pre-filled, but it is not displayed because, when asking for passwords, echoing was off.
The echo can be switched on with "-s" option:
nmcli -a -s con up $con

Created attachment 1183369 [details]
[PATCH] cli: display pre-filled values when the value asked for is not a real password

(In reply to Blueowl from comment #2)
> Created attachment 1183369 [details]
> [PATCH] cli: display pre-filled values when the value asked for is not a
> real password

LGTM

Pushed upstream:
master: c9f6309 cli: show pre-filled readline input if it is not a real password (rh #1351272)
nm-1-2: cbc5ffe cli: show pre-filled readline input if it is not a real password (rh #1351272)

this is fixed just partially.
[root@walderon NetworkManager]# nmcli connection add type ethernet ifname eth1 con-name connie 802-1x.identity jdoe 802-1x.eap leap
[root@walderon NetworkManager]# nmcli -a con up connie 
(null)
Network name (connection.id): connie
(null)
Username (802-1x.identity): jdoe
(null)
Password (802-1x.password): 
(null)
Network name (connection.id): connie
(null)
Username (802-1x.identity): jdoe
(null)
Password (802-1x.password): 
(null)
Network name (connection.id): connie
(null)
Username (802-1x.identity): jdoe
(null)
Password (802-1x.password): 
(null)
Network name (connection.id): connie
(null)
Username (802-1x.identity): jdoe
(null)
Password (802-1x.password): 
(null)
Network name (connection.id): connie
(null)
Username (802-1x.identity): jdoe
(null)
Password (802-1x.password): 
Error: Connection activation failed.

this (null) is ugly and whatmore I think connection should have been hidden if provided via cli. back to assigned.

even better after this:
[root@walderon NetworkManager]# nmcli connection up id testeth0
(null)
Warning: password for 'connection.id' not given in 'passwd-file' and nmcli cannot ask without '--ask' option.
Connection successfully activated (D-Bus active path: /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/ActiveConnection/6)

this is normal not 802.1x protected connection

Fix for the "(null)" messages in branch bg/clients-agent-message-rh1351272.

(In reply to Vladimir Benes from comment #7)
> [root@walderon NetworkManager]# nmcli connection up id testeth0
> (null)
> Warning: password for 'connection.id' not given in 'passwd-file' and nmcli
> cannot ask without '--ask' option.
> Connection successfully activated (D-Bus active path:
> /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/ActiveConnection/6)
> 
> this is normal not 802.1x protected connection

Strange, can you paste the output of "nmcli connection show testeth0" ?

bg/clients-agent-message-rh1351272 lgtm

Pushed 2 more commits to bg/clients-agent-message-rh1351272 to fix the issue reported in comment 7:

1e901ab clients: handle secret requests only for current connection
0ce6dd5 clients: fix matching of connection path

1e901ab clients: handle secret requests only for current connection
0ce6dd5 clients: fix matching of connection path

why does this even use g_str_has_prefix() and not nm_streq0()? That's not clear, can you add a code comment as to why that is? (or fix it).



in request_secrets_from_ui(), let's move "gs_free_error GError *error = NULL;" inside the if-block?


Rest lgtm

(In reply to Thomas Haller from comment #13)
> 1e901ab clients: handle secret requests only for current connection
> 0ce6dd5 clients: fix matching of connection path
> 
> why does this even use g_str_has_prefix() and not nm_streq0()? That's not
> clear, can you add a code comment as to why that is? (or fix it).

Because the request_id is created as "${CONNECTION_PATH}/${SETTING}". Added a comment.

> in request_secrets_from_ui(), let's move "gs_free_error GError *error =
> NULL;" inside the if-block?

Ok.

branch bg/clients-agent-message-rh1351272 looks good to me

LGTM

I can see name when connecting with ask option enabled.

Since the problem described in this bug report should be
resolved in a recent advisory, it has been closed with a
resolution of ERRATA.

For information on the advisory, and where to find the updated
files, follow the link below.

If the solution does not work for you, open a new bug report.

https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2581.html