Karl Larsen wrote: >> As I have said many times, if NetworkManager works, it is fine; >> but if it does not work you are up the swanny. >> >> What is needed in my view is a simple program, or just a recipe, >> which tells you exactly where WiFi is failing, if it is failing. >> >> The difference between Linux and Windows is that in Linux >> you can tell the user exactly what is going on. >> Linux is not, or should not be, a black box. >> >> The trouble with a supposed universal system like the one outlined >> in the link above >> is that in the end you are forced to say, >> "You must have one of the following devices". >> >> What if someone has a laptop with built-in WiFi >> using a card not on the given list? >> Do you just say, "Bad luck, mate"? > Tim, that is what the Manual is about. If you can't make it work, do > things step by step and see what is bad. Then fix it. As for > NetworkManager it is a work IN progress. Right now it works just fine > for me. I recommend using it. I'm not sure if you are giving me advice, or telling me how you think your manual would help. I have 7 different WiFi devices, including PCI, USB and PCMCIA cards. All are working perfectly. However, NetworkManager does not work with 3 of them. It is never going to work eg with the Orinoco classic PCMCIA card, because (as I have said several times) NM assumes that a card will scan in a certain way, and this card does not scan in that way. This is not necessary for WiFi to work. However, that is not my main argument with NetworkManager. My main argument is that if WiFi is not working, NM just confuses the issue, since you first have to work out what NM is doing, what entries it has written in what files, etc. You say your system works for you. There is nothing surprising about that, as WiFi works without any problem at all in perhaps 80% of cases. The question is what the best procedure is in the remaining 20% of the cases where there is a problem. Unfortunately, I don't think your manual is going to help in the majority of these cases. Certainly your first step, to determine your WiFi device, is sensible, though I imagine most people would know that anyway, eg from their computer manual. -- Timothy Murphy e-mail (<80k only): tim /at/ birdsnest.maths.tcd.ie tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366 s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
