Default network configuration during installation, NetworkManager and the /etc/sysconfig/network-script's

[Michael Cutler]

Hello,

I have been testing the FC10 beta and the more recent snapshots. The installation package selection and options available in the text-mode installer are really very important to me. I run through the installer literally hundreds of times over the lifetime of a Fedora release and not always can it be kickstarted.

One of the major changes I noted from FC9 to the latest spin of FC10 is the lack of network configuration during the install. Specifically during a "minimal" install whereby all packages are unticked leaving only the '@core' group installed. NetworkManager isn't included in the '@core' group and the defaults set by /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-ethX prohibit the 'network' service from starting the interfaces in NetworkManager's absence.

e.g. /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0:
DEVICE=eth0
HWADDR=00:1f:d0:88:0a:fd
ONBOOT=no
NM_CONTROLLED=yes
TYPE=Ethernet

Note that NetworkManger has not been installed, yet the ifcfg-eth0 implies that the interface should be NetworkManager controlled. The 'network' services see's "ONBOOT=no" and ignores this interface. So, using a very simple installation-path the system comes up without any network connectivity, the user must manually edit this file changing "ONBOOT=no" to "ONBOOT=yes" and adding the line "BOOTPROTO=dhcp" before restarting the 'network' service.

I raised this as a bug: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=468028

After some feedback, I decided to bring the discussion to this mailing list.

I can understand the push for the use of the NetworkManager, however I totally disagree that default installations should be crippled such that they require manual editing of config files ala NetBSD. The way I see it there are two clear solutions:

(1). Include NetworkManager in the '@core' group, such that every install will include NetworkManager and a minimal install as described above will bring the system up with network connectivity.

(2). Add some logic to the installer, if NetworkManager isnt to be installed, adjust the /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts appropriately such that network connectivity comes up after install. However this could be more problematic that I first thought, how many interfaces do you enable? If I have 4 NIC's, 3 not connected do I need to wait for the 'network' service to give up on the other three NIC's before bringing the system up etc.

In my opinion, Fedora is all about the ease of use, in every way from installation to the day-to-day running be it on a laptop, desktop or server-class machine. I believe that if the network configuration has been removed to simplify the installation procedure, it must be replaced with some 'smarts' to restore some of the ease of use of Fedora.

Regards,
--
Michael Cutler
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:Mcutler