Release notes need to tell upgrade users how to add new network-manager widget

Bug #349066 reported by Scott Kitterman
20
This bug affects 2 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
Release Notes for Ubuntu
Fix Released
Undecided
Jonathan Riddell
update-manager (Ubuntu)
Invalid
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

On upgrade to 9.04, Kubuntu is removing the old knetworkmanager and replacing it with plasma-widget-network-manager.

For existing users this widget is not automatically added to the panel. Since the old network control is removed, the release notes need to cover the Kubuntu case of how to find the new widget (it's not in the normal menu either).

Tags: iso-testing
Revision history for this message
Scott Kitterman (kitterman) wrote :

Might be fixable after all ....

Revision history for this message
Steve Langasek (vorlon) wrote :

Documented now at <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/JauntyJackalope/ReleaseNotes#Network management applet must be re-added on Kubuntu upgrade>:

 "When upgrading from Kubuntu 8.10, the new Network Management applet will need to be added to the panel manually. (Bug 349066)

 Click the Plama icon in the bottom right.
 Click Add Widget.
 Double click on Network Management."

Changed in ubuntu-release-notes:
assignee: nobody → jriddell
status: New → Fix Released
assignee: jriddell → jr
Revision history for this message
Jonathan Riddell (jr) wrote :

Closing as won't fix since it's too late and nobody had any good idea for how to do it.

Changed in kubuntu-default-settings (Ubuntu):
status: New → Won't Fix
Revision history for this message
speedyx (speedyx) wrote :

I upgraded from kubuntu intrepid to jaunty with update-notifier-kde.
At reboot no plasma-widget-networkmanager installed.
No way to install it with kubuntu, because no internet connection utility for my 3G usb. Neither KPPP worked.

I had the GNOME DE too and I connected with it to the internet.

Revision history for this message
AaronPeterson (alpeterson) wrote :

This is a deal breaker, Please warn people BEFORE upgrading from 8.10 to 9.04, as this locked me out of my network because I didn't know the wep key to look for help... and I actually looked for a plasmoid instictively.. found it and it didn't work.

Also, we could simply make a separate program that says how to do it, yes it's hackish but it's better than wicd

I had to find a hard jack. and had to install wicd to get it to work.

So when you say won't fix... you say you don't want anybody to use your software...
I hope you mean, need easy way to fix before accepting.

There are creative ways to make this work... I still haven't gotten the plasmoid to work :(

Revision history for this message
AaronPeterson (alpeterson) wrote :

A separate program can be added to give a pop up with step by step instructions, or a web page can be created and opened on the first reboot.. something must be done

Changed in kubuntu-default-settings (Ubuntu):
assignee: nobody → alpeterson
status: Won't Fix → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Steve Langasek (vorlon) wrote :

I'm sorry you ran into this problem when you upgraded, but the release notes exist for documenting exactly this sort of issue and this issue /has/ been documented in the release notes. The update-manager also provides a link to the release notes when presenting you with the option to upgrade. I don't think a separate program here makes much sense. Do you think the language used in update-manager needs to be clarified?

Revision history for this message
AaronPeterson (alpeterson) wrote :

Steve,
You're right, a seporate program might be too much. I believe the update program should warn people to gather their wep keys and other network authentication because it will be lost in the upgrade.

Basically, I think the pop-up note saying :hey, do you want to do a dist-upgrade?.. it should just say that a dist-upgrade is available, and a link to the the release notes, the release notes should say how to start the upgrade, because it implies that the person spent the time to read the important notes.

I believe your release notes are ok.

  I know that something needs to be done to avoid stranding the user.

\ This Kubuntu KDE and network manager are way cool and well done, This is just a severe case of putting a hole infront of the user and removing the guard rail so it's easy for them to make a bridge, but the sign doesn't say where to get the bridge... (there is a small note to the documents that say where the bridge is...)

I knew I could have problems when upgrading, so I had methods to stay online... I'm still going for computing safety.

Revision history for this message
Andreas Scherbaum (ads-launchpad) wrote :

There was even a request for this:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/plasma-widget-network-manager/+bug/350662

Personally i don't want to extract and reimport several dozen networks/keys from knetworkmanager.

Revision history for this message
AaronPeterson (alpeterson) wrote :

It's worse than than just importing them, they are lost in the upgrade.
This new network manager has potential, but perhaps it just needs to be removed from the upgrade, and the old one kept in.

This needs to be done soon.

Seriously, this will result in people stopping using kubuntu because it's unusable after the upgrade. It also keeps asking for kdewallet, and there is no obvious way to do the "system connection" that should be done.

Also, the network manager icon shouldn't completely change how it looks, it makes in not visible (yes it sounds like I'm describing a different bug, but no, it's all the same--- kubuntu looses network conenctivity on upgrade from 8.10 to 9.04)

Revision history for this message
Harald Sitter (apachelogger) wrote :

Why exactly is this affecting kubuntu-default-settings? And why exactly is it assigned to Aaron? And what to do with this bug?

Changed in kubuntu-default-settings (Ubuntu):
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
AaronPeterson (alpeterson) wrote :

Assigned to me because otherwise it would be marked closed even though it isn't fixed. (Network Manager still doesn't work in my kubuntu 9.04, it drops the wifi connection when the screen saver goes OFF... and then it doesn't re-establish the connection until I select the wifi network, and it acts like it totally forgot the wep key... and if I just close the dialog where it asks me to input the settings... it connects!?!

Anyway, network manager is not compatible with the previous version of the network program... In kubuntu 8.10 I got the notification that 9.04 was ready to install.. It should have told me in that same message any steps that I would have to do manually to get it to work. as it was, the upgrade from 8.10 to 9.04 made my computer unusuable (it knocked out my wifi) until I found a place with a wired network. (I was prepaired for breakage... I'm not personally harmed, I know these things happen.. I'm trying things out to report what happens... and then when I report complete severe breakage, I get shrugged off.

... I believe somebody noted that the message that said an upgrade was available was in default-settings -- and that needs to share urgent release notes... It doesn't make much sense to me why it's kubuntu-default-settings...

3 problems, the 8.10 lead us blindly to 9.04
and 9.04 doesn't properly import 8.10 network settings,
9.04 doesn't even come with a network manager

Revision history for this message
Harald Sitter (apachelogger) wrote :

I still don't get it, there is no sensible way on how to automagically add the widget (which is not there in 9.10 anyway), so kubuntu-default-settings is as wrong as it can get (also, at the point where you won't end up with the widget you have a heavily modified plasma setup and probably wont even get new widgets from KDE upgrades without manually adding it.

...

I think you really want the update-manager to _not_ recommend updating or to at least warn the user properly, so I am moving the bug there.

affects: kubuntu-default-settings (Ubuntu) → update-manager (Ubuntu)
Changed in update-manager (Ubuntu):
assignee: AaronPeterson (alpeterson) → nobody
status: Incomplete → New
Revision history for this message
Andreas Scherbaum (ads-launchpad) wrote :

So what is the preferred way in 9.10 to manage wifi-connections with KDE?
The old knetworkmanager is removed, the system-control module isn't working at all.

The upcoming karmic has a good chance to be the second kubuntu edition without useful instructions for beginners, how to manage network connections.

Revision history for this message
Scott Kitterman (kitterman) wrote : Re: [Bug 349066] Re: Release notes need to tell upgrade users how to add new network-manager widget

There is a new systray applet that is working reasonably well for most with
active development to fix bugs in progress.

Revision history for this message
Andreas Scherbaum (ads-launchpad) wrote :

What's the name of the applet or how to start it?
Could it be installed/started during upgrade from earlier versions to make life easier for users?

Revision history for this message
Scott Kitterman (kitterman) wrote :

It's part of the same plasma-widget-networkmanagement package that has the
widget. It's binary name is knetworkmnager. Since it's a systray
application it can be automatically used for upgrades and new installs.

Revision history for this message
Aaron Peterson (myusualnickname) wrote : Re: [Bug 349066] Re: Release notes need to tell upgrade users how to add new network-manager widget

we can however write a deb that can install a systray application...
and we can have that be part of the next release, and all the .deb
doesn't actually have to install something (at least more than one
text file in the system documentation).

Debs can call other programs, if it's just adding a line to the
configuration file then use code from other configuration modifying
debs... like postfix and grub.

On Fri, Sep 11, 2009 at 4:29 PM, Scott Kitterman <email address hidden> wrote:
> It's part of the same plasma-widget-networkmanagement package that has the
> widget.  It's binary name is knetworkmnager.  Since it's a systray
> application it can be automatically used for upgrades and new installs.
>
> --
> Release notes need to tell upgrade users how to add new network-manager widget
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/349066
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

Revision history for this message
Michael Vogt (mvo) wrote :

I just talked to Riddel and he said for karmic this is no longer a issue because its no longer a plasma widget but a normal application started by the autostart mechanism.

Changed in update-manager (Ubuntu):
status: New → Fix Released
Revision history for this message
Jonathan Riddell (jr) wrote :

9.10 goes back to using knetworkmanager so this bug is being closed (infact the opposite of removing the networkmanager plasmoid is now the issue, hopefully fixed in latest kdebase-workspace upload)

tags: added: iso-testing
allen (allenturnel)
Changed in update-manager (Ubuntu):
status: Fix Released → Incomplete
Steve Langasek (vorlon)
Changed in update-manager (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Invalid
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