Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 450116
[Enhancement Request] NetworkManager should not report the user is offline, unless the user really is offline
Last modified: 2008-07-03 08:50:44 EDT
Description of problem: Since NetworkManager is really intended for Wifi and VPN connections that may only be available sometimes, it should not rely on a managed connection being online to report the user is online. Take for example someone with a VPN connection configured with NetworkManager, and wired connections configured via the classical network interface. Then even if VPN is offline, the user can still be online. Properly, the NetworkManager should attempt to connect the name server, or some other external service to verify the user really is offline. Why you ask would someone want to use NetworkManager for only some connections? 1. NetworkManager is enabled by default in Fedora 9. Many users, even if they aren't using it, are not aware it is reporting bogus offline information unless they disable it. 2. Bugs #450088 , #439103 , and #433968 limit the usefulness of NetworkManager for wired connections. 3. If the user may already have networking setup the way they like it and not want to migrate existing connections to NetworkManager. 4. The user may be using a network device not supported by NetworkManager. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): How reproducible: 100% Steps to Reproduce: 1. Configure eth0 in /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts. 2. Run "ifup eth0". Actual results: NetworkManager will still report it is offline to firefox 3, packagekit, and any other application which checks status with NetworkManager. Expected results: If I can connect to a non-local DNS server, or say the Fedora update mirror list I am online. Additional info:
NM will report that the user is offline if NM does not control the user's primary network device. If you have told NM to ignore the primary network device by marking it as NM_CONTROLLED=no (either through system-config-network or by adding that option to the ifcfg file) then NetworkManager cannot determine the state of that device, precisely because you've told NM to ignore that device. Either let NM control the primary device, or turn NM off with chkconfig.
NM should be able to run without controlling all devices.
I consider this a bug, because NM is reporting false information. But if it makes you feel better, consider it an enhancement request. If you wish I can submit a patch.
If there's a connection metohd that NetworkManager does not support, we add support to NetworkManager to control that connection method. We don't hack around it by adding _partial_ support for noticing that some interface is up and maybe grabbing the IP address or routes off that interface when we can't even control it. It needs to get done the _right_ way, not in a compatibility hack. If NetworkManager is not able to control the primary network interface of the machine, then NM should not be enabled on that machine.