We had a good time at Camp KDE, Jamaica. We met great people (hackers :)) and we tried to explain importance of KDE for Pardus and importance of Pardus for KDE.. As we said there we are working on our ideas to be useful for upstream too.. Here you are;
Pardus Network Manager Plasmoid:
Now we can use new shiny PolicyKit KDE4 ;) You should watch screencasts [1] [2] .. And always sources are in Pardus repository. Have fun !
Be Here To Love Me by Norah Jones
![[FSF Associate Member]](http://blog.ratonred.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/getbutton.png){kind=small}
#1 by Markus on 13 February, 2009 - 2:15
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Hi. While it’s cool that you write tools that can be used upstream, I wonder why you wrote your own NetworkManager Plasmoid. The biggest difference seems to be that yours is written in Python while the one by Sebas and Will Stephenson is in C++.
Except for minor differences, both Plasmoids even look basically the same: http://vizzzion.org/?blogentry=839
Personally I’d rather see System Settings extended to support touchpad configuration than two almost identical NetworkManager Plasmoids.
#2 by Robert Kaiser on 13 February, 2009 - 3:00
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Is there anything in in the plasmoid to connect to hidden (i.e. non-browsable) wifi networks? That’s one main reason I currently need to stick to the KDE3 networkmanager applet…
#3 by Dread Knight on 13 February, 2009 - 4:09
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Wondering when the network manager will really work in intrepid…. because i can’t use my wireless atm….
and the applet crashes plasma when i try to add it…
#4 by Byte Corrupto on 13 February, 2009 - 5:06
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This plasmoid sucks!
In KDE3, Knetworkmanager was stored in the taskbar, and can be hided with the taskbar options and still works on KDE4. But if the networkmanager is a plasmoid, you have you cant hide it. The same problem goes with the battery power plasmoid.
#5 by Gökmen Göksel on 13 February, 2009 - 8:35
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@Marcus Actually it is not using Gnome Network Manager backend, it uses COMAR Network Manager backend, there is a problem with naming :) On the other hand we have a lot of work on networking for KDE3 based 2008 so we rapidly need to make it usable for 2009 KDE4 too, our Network Manager is profile based and it is hard to make it running with KDE4 NM. Also Python is very important and widely used by Pardus, Python in Pardus.
Finally for making this plasmoid I didnt spend so much time, if we decide to use Gnome NM we will use KDE4 NM, but this plasmoid can be easily modified to use Gnome Network Manager too, it uses a d-bus too and there is a backend file in the code.
@Robert There will be, but not for now.
@Dread It is not using Gnome Network Manager in the background, it uses COMAR (Pardus Configuration Manager) Network Manager and it works great :)
@Byte This is a plasmoid and I guess you should handle it as plasmoid. Plasmoids have different characteristics like using in desktop container or panel container etc. But I didn’t say we don’t have a system tray based NM Applet. Don’t worry we have a lot of options.
#6 by Michael Krog on 13 February, 2009 - 9:15
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WWhile I think we need a better networkmanager and your look really cool, I think the usability lacks.
I can see that ethernet is not connected, but who/what is Bop and Kablo?
It is kind of the same with wireless. The selection needs a seperation from the options.
Another thing I dont really get, but which is general for network managers in Linux, is why ethernet shall “pollute” taskbar dialogs. How often do an ordinary user actually change that? Its is almost always DHCP anyway, whereas wireless is changed a lot more.
Have you tried taking a look at the way its done in Mac OS?
Wireless:
http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/images/wireless/instructions/airport/networkpref.JPG
Ethernet(only via system options):
http://web.mit.edu/swrt/releases/macosx/notes/images/ethernet-3.png
Mobile network:
http://foliovision.com/images/2008/09/huawei-e220-hsdpa-connect.png
#7 by Gökmen Göksel on 13 February, 2009 - 9:33
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Thank you for your detailed comment :) Actually I looked Mac OS before making this but our Network Manager is working on profiles (for now) ; before connecting a network you should create a profile and the profile appears in applet and you may connect. But this things will change in Pardus 2009 and there will be hidden profiles to user; like Mac OS you can connect a network without creating a profile.
Bop and Kablo are my ethernet profiles and I know it needs a lot of GUI work ;) Again thank you for your opinions ;)
#8 by Will Stephenson on 13 February, 2009 - 9:41
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Hi Gökmen, this looks great although at first glance you gave me the shock of my life while eating breakfast.
At first I thought we had a naming conflict but I doubt this will be a problem as COMAR based distros will take yours and fd.o (GNOME) NM distros will take mine, the users should never see both applets or engines.
I’m wondering how this ‘profile based’ approach works differently to the ‘connection based’ approach used in Network Management. It would be cool if we could combine the 2 plasmoids, or make the engines replaceable. At the moment we are not using a Plasma::Engine at all though. It needs to happen so we can support ConnMan and wicd, and possibly COMAR if you want. Is there a feature list of COMAR somewhere so I can figure out if there is enough common ground?
Are COMAR clients stateless (Can you remove the plasmoid and keep your network connection up)?
@Robert In Network Management (the KDE 4 widget for fd.o NM) you can add a connection and enter the ESSID of the hidden network.
@Dread I hope you reported that crash.
@Byte You haven’t realised that these applets just show the popup menu have you? There is an icon that can go on a panel or wherever. The new system tray work should include a tray that can contain plasmoids as well as legacy tray icons and have hiding rules for them.
#9 by iota on 13 February, 2009 - 9:54
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So why didn’t you just make a Solid backend for your COMAR Network Manager? This way the other plasmoid could use it, less duplication of efforts. From the sshots and screencast it’s pretty obvious that you’ve unfortunately reinventing the wheel instead of joining efforts with Will and Sebas.
Sad…
#10 by Gökmen Göksel on 13 February, 2009 - 10:41
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@Will Nice to see you in here :) I’m very happy now ;) Yes, there is a name conflict :) But as you said it is possible to use COMAR or FD NM as backend.
Actually its just based on profiles a mean as I said before to connect a network you must create a profile, but in COMAR 3.0 there will be different approach like NM in FD. You can find model document for Network.Link in here.
The plasmoid is not use engine in anyway for now, it uses COMAR Net.Link with d-bus and works asynchrously. So, COMAR provide Network Connection you can remove plasmoid anytime. I just made engine for future projects, it uses COMAR too.
But if we make KDE4 NM to use COMAR it will be great :) (And it is hard to write something in this small box, I will be gokmen@#kde-devel )
@iota We will make it but for now COMAR is not provide all of FD. NM features. And for making this plasmoid with COMAR is very easy then you think, we have already invited these in 2007 and used them with KDE3 its just a KDE4 way of Pardus Network Manager Applet .. I’m sad if one sad..
#11 by Neil on 13 February, 2009 - 14:09
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Thank you for you’re efforts! This work looks very promising! The Pardus Networkmanager works already great in Pardus 2008.2 ! I’m so looking forward to 2009 with all the KDE4 integration!
Could you please blog more about the plans/progress of the next Pardus releases? It’s IMHO the easiest and best KDE distro right now!
Thanks! Tessekür edderim!
#12 by Will Stephenson on 13 February, 2009 - 14:43
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Oh and another thing, have you written a backend for Solid::Networking so that KDE apps know when they are online when using COMAR? Ping me if you need any info on how to do that.
#13 by Gökmen Göksel on 13 February, 2009 - 15:00
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Yes, I need some information to howto make it :) Actually writing a Comar backend for Solid in our TODO and if we make it now it will be helpful for us.
#14 by Linuxcomics on 13 February, 2009 - 15:04
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I entirely agree with Neil.
In my opinion, Pardus is the best KDE distro I have ever seen and I can’t wait for KDE4 integration in Pardus 2009.
Thanks to all Pardus developpers who do a really great job !
P.S: will the wallpaper in your screenshot be in Pardus 2009 ? I like this super hero style mascot. :-)