6 Jul
2016
6 Jul
'16
11:33 a.m.
Gene Heskett wrote:
On Monday 04 July 2016 03:46:38 deloptes wrote:
You have the strangest problems. Amazingly you solve them the "gene" way.
Gene Heskett wrote:
The last time, several years ago, that I tried using dhcp on my lappy,
which is itself an antique, I had 3 problems.
1. NM insisted on using the bcm-4318 radio in the lappy even if it was
powered down by the switch. It totally ignored a radio in a usb dongle
that actually worked where the bcm-4318 never worked for more than 1
minute, even when useing the drivers from xp that came installed to run
it. Rebooting to xp disclosed that this pos radio was junk from the
gitgo.
But, anything that looks or acts like network
manager has been
removed from my system. So any comments I might make about NM should
be taken as the best swag* I can make based on 18 years of running
linux.
NM is useful on notebooks that change locations, interfaces etc. If
one uses a home network with many computers I would advise setting up
proper dhcp and perhaps name server. You don't have to take care of
each machines own files. But this is usually an individual preference.
regards
2. Getting it setup via dhcp with a usb radio dongle,
so I could sit down
while out in the shop, and write gcode for one of the 2 machines out
there worked flawlessly over an ssh -Y machinename connection, until I
wanted to ssh -Y lappy, which is its own name from the house machine.
So the dns lookup which NM should have set up, wasn't there, forcing me
to string a 25' hunk of cat5 plugged into its ethernet port. Adding its
ip address and name to all the hosts files, and fixing all the network
related files to be immutable after edited correctly, and then its just
one of the family.
I never had a problem using dhcp. At home we have a server (many disks) that
has dhcpd and dns server running. This serves the local network. It stays
behind a firewall. The router has wireless access point and is infront of
the firewall. The router has also a dhcpd and nameserver, but when
connecting via wireless I use the vpn (running on the firewall).
Strangely, when NM found it couldn't rewrite those
files, it made no
complaint in any log. And it didn't spin its wheels, burning up the cpu
either.
3. I've left it that way in all subsequent installs. Now I remove NM and
other than making /etc/resolv.conf a real file, its a 10 minute job
after a fresh install to have a working network regardless of which
socket I plug its cat5 cable into. With 2, 8 port switches available,
soon to be 3 as I'll need another in the garage as I bring a bigger
Sheldon 11x36 lathe to life with LinuxCNC. So the end of the cat5 I
strung thru the nether regions of the house to get to the garage, will
eventually have an 8 port switch on the end of it. That cable was 4
days getting run, a right PITA.
I had the issue with the resolv.conf being not a symlink when experimenting,
but I prefer the standard solution, which seems to be working fine.
I takes 1minute to set a new machine up. Just add mac/hostname to dhcp and
hostname/ip to bind and restart both - done. Many physical and virtual
machines reside there. I even use the conf files to remember what is setup
where :)
I think by now in 2016, if the computer has a working
radio, or an
ethernet over cat5 port, that it may be able to be made to work by now
by people willing to do whats needed, but my long term experience with
it has caused me to shoot it on sight. Bug squawks were ignored, or told
to buzz off, and fixed versions were way too long working their way thru
the pipeline to the users install. Several times I pulled the src and
built it here, and it was better but still kept tearing down a working
link and trying to find another, so it would eventually go back to the
working link, which took it a good 2 minutes to do, then 3 minutes later
I'm typing in the dark to /dev/null again. And I still have at least
half my hair by using my lambasted by everybody methods. All I can say
is that I can carry that lappy to anyplace on my local network, plug it
in and boot it up, and the network Just Works(TM). Call me an idiot,
and quite a few have, but simpler is better when it just works 100% of
the time here. I have no reason to take it to mcd's and use their radio
because there I would not have dd-wrt in my router standing guard. Its
very very good at that. Recommended as the network guard dog by Grandpa
Gene.
Cheers, Gene Heskett
I also prefer cat5 because of nfs, but my wife uses heavily the wireless
from here (smart) phone. I think she finds typing with one finger on the
touch screen sexy :)
The great thing of FOSS software is you can fix and customize it the way you
like it. Thumbs up, Gene!
regards