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

[Rajeesh K Nambiar]

2008/10/29 David Cantrell <dcantrell at redhat.com>
>
> On Tue, Oct 28, 2008 at 12:48:48PM -0400, Dan Williams wrote:
> > On Tue, 2008-10-28 at 09:38 -0700, Jesse Keating wrote:
> > > On Tue, 2008-10-28 at 11:31 +0000, Michael Cutler wrote:
> > > >
> > > > (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.
> > >
> > > And here we have another fun argument about how 'minimal' should the
> > > minimal install be!  We've chucked yum in @core, might as well chuck
> > > NetworkManager too...
> >
> > Right, but we still don't turn NM on by default with chkconfig.  Which
> > means even if you bring it into @core, your networking still won't work
> > unless you turn NM on post-install manually.
> >
> > The issue here (IIRC) was that Anaconda won't set up an ifcfg file for
> > you if you don't use network to install, because the network
> > configuration screen got removed as it was mostly redundant for installs
> > where NM is active.
> >
> > If you're not installing over the network (and thus there's no network
> > configuration to save out) should the "network config" screen come back?
> > Or should anaconda just activate all devices onboot with DHCP?  The
> > latter sounds like a loss.  If you want stuff set up post-boot without
> > NetworkManager, maybe it's not unreasonable that you have to configure
> > it yourself.  What's the difference if that happens post-install or
> > during install?
>
> This is a good point.  I really don't think it's unreasonable to require any
> of the following:
>
> 1) Users have to use NetworkManager to bring up a network interface.
> 2) Users have to run system-config-network to set up networking.
> 3) Users have to edit ifcfg-DEVICE files by hand.
>
> Over the past several years, we [anaconda team] has been trying to move as
> many system configuration screens out of anaconda as we can.  Only what we
> need to ensure the system either (a) installs correctly or (b) reboots and
> is usable.  We're down to:
>
>   language
>   keyboard
>   root password
>   timezone
>   hostname
>   boot loader (automatic unless you ask to configure it)
>
> There are some other ideas that we could come up with too.  What if firstboot
> asked you how you want to configure your network interface?  As in, exposing
> the s-c-network UI or something from NetworkManager?  Just brainstorming.
> These really just make what's already there more accessible after an initial
> install.
>

I would say firstboot is the best place for network configuration,
ofcourse unless installed via network. I know a lot of people install
Fedora using CD/DVDs and with no initial network connection.

> --
> David Cantrell <dcantrell at redhat.com>
> Red Hat / Honolulu, HI
>
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--
Cheers,
Rajeesh