On Wed, 2007-09-26 at 21:16 +0100, Timothy Murphy wrote:
> Matthew Saltzman wrote:
>
> >> Incidentally, does anyone understand why there are 2 further copies
> >> of ifcfg-<IF> in /etc/sysconfig/networking/[devices,profiles] ?
> >> Are these actually used?
> >
> > There is a system of hard links (multiple directory entries pointing to
> > the same file--not copies) that allows you to have multiple profiles
> > (e.g., home, work, etc.) where the devices can be configured to have
> > different characteristics (fixed IP address or DHCP, different WEP keys,
> > etc.) When you change profiles, the links are swapped around so the
> > links in /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts point at the right ones for the
> > current profile. It sounds better than it works, IMHO.
>
> I sort of realized that this is the intention of the networking directories.
> Unfortunately it does not seem to work in my case,
> assuming one is meant to use system-config-network to choose the profile.
One is, or one can select it on the kernel boot line in grub (but I
don't recall the parameter format).
Use system-config-network to make copies of the base interfaces, then
edit them. Create a new profile and check your copies as being
activated in that profile. In theory, when you select a profile, the
ifcfg file for the edited copy is linked in.
I haven't seriously tried to make it work in quite a while, though.
>
> > NetworkManager is a better tool for most wireless connections (modulo
> > issues with some older cards and some drivers). It works fine for wired
> > connections too, as long as they DHCP.
>
> Sadly, NM does not work with my WiFi device (Orinoco Classic Gold).
> In any case, I doubt if it is appropriate in this case,
> where I have a desktop server with fixed Access Point.
If you only have one AP then you shouldn't need NM or profiles. If it's
WEP, then simple configuration with system-config-network should work.
If WPA, you'll need to work with wpa_supplicant. NM works with that,
but I don't know much about making it work on its own.
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--
Matthew Saltzman
Clemson University Math Sciences
mjs AT clemson DOT edu
http://www.math.clemson.edu/~mjs
