DesktopNetworkChanging

Goal: improve the user-experience for network roaming Requires: NetworkManager 0.7

This document reviews applications supposed to honor network manager online/offline state and state changes.

GNOME

Identified bugs summary:

Firefox

  • web pages: show offline page when NetworkManager signals offline; and get webpage from internet when NetworkManager identifies the system as being online

    • Test: disable networking (right click on networkmanager applet) and check that loading a url displays the offline page or a cached page without waiting for a timeout
  • downloads 1: firefox should resume connections previously halted due to a disconnect
    • test: start a long running download; disconnect (right click on applet); check that download is paused; reconnect (right click on applet); check that download is auto resumed.
  • downloads 2: firefox should auto halt and resume if network-manager changes primary route.
    • Test: 1. unplug wire and ensure that you are connected to wireless; 2. start a long running download; 3. plug the wire and ensure that network-manager auto connected to that device; check that primary route is going over wired interface (check default route priority); 4. ensure that firefox is continuing the download

Status

  • https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/323109

    • Reconnect / General: general online/offline state is working as expected; still disabled by default in ffox 3.1 and afterwards.
    • Reconnect / Resume Download: code exists that would allow auto resume on offline/online transition; however its not working:
    • Primary Route Change: Downloads properly need to be re-resumed; current behaviour doesn't recognize this: same bug.

Pidgin

  • auto disconnect/connect when network is downed/upped
    • Test: 1. connect to internet and ensure pidgin is connected; 2. disable networking and check that pidgin instantly disconnects (e.g. not through network timeout); 3. enable networking and check that pidgin instantly tries to connect
  • seemless connection when primary route changes

    • Test: 1. unplug wired; 2. connect to wifi; 3. ensure that pidgin is connected; 4. plug in wired cable; 5. ensure that NetworkManager upped the wired interface and default route is now going through it (check route priority/metric using the route command); 6. ensure that pidgin has properly reconnected and/or network service are still functional (e.g. try to chat with yourself)

Comments:

  • Fixed in HEAD, will release as part of next release (probably 2.5.3, might be 2.6.0).
  • Issues have been reported with NM 0.7 when one of multiple connections disconnects.

Status

  • works as expected

Empathy

  • Similar to pidgin/firefox: ensure it does the right thing for reconnect case as well as changed primary route case.

Status

Evolution

  • Similar to pidgin/firefox: ensure it does the right thing for reconnect case as well as changed primary route case.

Status

  • works as expected
  • Primary Route Change: not tested yet.

Liferea

  • Similar to pidgin/firefox: ensure it does the right thing for reconnect case as well as changed primary route case.

Status

  • liferea doesn't go offline when NM changes to a non-connected state: 321473

Ekiga

  • Similar to pidgin/firefox: ensure it does the right thing for reconnect case as well as changed primary route case.

Status

  • doesn't react on NM state changes 321509

update-manager

Jaunty:

  • auto update only when connected. If update didn't happen for at least X (e.g. once a day, a week etc.); run an update as soon as network-manager signals a change to networking state and the new state is "online".
  • update indexes only when connected. If update didnt happen for at least X (e.g. once a day, a week etc.); run an update as soon as network-manager signals a change to networking state and the new state is "online"

Future:

  • need to consider the network connection in use, you don't want to update your packages list over an expensive 3g internet access for example
  • perhaps not download the indexes if you are connected to 3g

Status

gnome-panel

  • (weather applet)
    • already connected
  • stock ticker

    • seb to log bug upstream (LP: 323113)

  • Clock:
  • ntpdate
    • Runs ntpdate-debian once on each interface up to update the clock.

GVFS

  • automatically unmount network shares when network is lost
  • mostly an upstream
  • Awalton to write patches and send them upstream (1-2 days)

Open Questions

* what should happen when one of multiple connections go down?

DesktopTeam/Specs/Jaunty/DesktopNetworkChanging (last edited 2009-01-30 11:43:22 by p579DEA1E)