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Launchpad entry: kubuntu-feisty-networking
Packages affected: kde-systemsettings, kdepim, kdenetwork, knetworkmanager
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 is a mobile user. He connects to different wireless networks when traveling. He can use the network-manager tray icon to get a list of wireless network and can easily connect to them using any of the supported security modes (WEP, WPA, RADIUS...). He can use network services in the environment, like network printers, without further configuration.
- Nancy goes to many meetings during the day, switching meeting rooms and plugging/unplugging the network several times. Her mail and chat clients detect network state, and automatically and gracefully disconnect/reconnect when the network state changes.
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)
- Improve mail/chat/IRC clients to gracefully handle network disconnects/reconnects.
SuSE includes patches in OpenSuse 10.1 which include these changes; they need to be reviewed with Upstream and/or for inclusion in Kubuntu
Implementation
Install networkstatus installed by default [done: 1.26ubuntu1]
Install knetworkmanager by default and drop wlassistant from default install and CD. [done: kubuntu-meta 1.24]
Patch knetworkmanager to be compiled with networkstatus support [done: knetworkmanager 0.1-0ubuntu8]
- Incorporate Kmail/Kopete patches to gracefully handle network disconnects/reconnects
KMail: go to offline mode if not connected, no (or less invasive) errors if network is down [done: kdepim 4:3.5.6-0ubuntu3]
Kopete: automatically reconnect, no error if network is unavailable [in progress] - may go through FreezeExceptionProcess
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