KubuntuFeistyNetworking

Revision 5 as of 2006-11-10 06:39:23

Clear message

Please check the status of this specification in Launchpad before editing it. If it is Approved, contact the Assignee or another knowledgeable person before making changes.

Summary

Kubuntu is lacking static configuration for WPA networks (knetworkconf), better handling of network availability by key applications (kopete, kmail...) and have to reduce some duplication (knetworkmanager, wlassistant).

Rationale

Good networking support is critical, particularly for mobile people.

Use cases

  • John needs to connect to different wireless networks when traveling and needs to support various security modes (WEP, WPA, RADIUS...).
  • Nancy would like that Kopete does not complain if network is disconnected and should reconnect automatically when network is available again.

Scope

Reconsider Kubuntu network configuration applications after inclusion of network-manager and avahi in default Feisty install. Make key applications network aware.

Design

  • Switch to knetworkmanager as default application for wire/wireless network management (see NetworkRoaming)

  • Remove configuration options for Zeroconf networking to ensure just-works experience (see ZeroConfNetworking)

  • Improve mail/chat/IRC clients to gracefully handle network disconnects/reconnects.

Implementation

  • Install knetworkmanager by default and drop wlassistant from default install and CD.

  • Remove "Zeroconf Service Discovery" from System settings as it is not needed anymore (avahi should just work).
  • Incorporate Kmail/Kopete/Konversation patches to gracefully handle network disconnects/reconnects
    • Kopete/Konversation: automatically reconnect, no error if network is unavailable
    • KMail: go to offline mode if not connected, no (or less invasive) errors if network is down
    • SuSE includes some patches and they should be evaluated for inclusion in Kubuntu

Unresolved issues

  • Static IP configuration with WPA: knetworkconf does only WEP - user will need to edit config files if WPA is needed with static IP config. Guidance network configuration module would be nice replacement for knetworkconf, but it would require quite some work to implement

CategorySpec