wicd 1.8.0 package

metala · 2026-02-19 00:24:58

Hi all,

tldr;
Source at mentors: https://mentors.debian.net/package/wicd/
Version: 1.8.0~git20260213.19785e9f-1
Binaries/Sources: https://pgit.metala.org/dl/wicd/1.8.0~g … 9785e9f-1/
VCS: https://git.devuan.org/metala/wicd/src/ … 19785e9f-1
GPG KeyID = 3E0561FB254A6F2C289874DBF350FFD9E01E8F4B, keyserver=keys.openpgp.org
wicd_1.8.0~git20260213.19785e9f-1_amd64.changes is signed and contains checksums.

I have been working on packaging wicd for Debian and If it gets sponsored, we will get it as well.
However, I would like it to be well-tested and fixed, before I submit it for unstable and look for sponsors.

If you are keen on helping and you have free time, and maybe a spare computer (it is in experimental, after all), please, check it out and write down your thoughts. Patches are also welcome. You can post comments here, but also over to my dev email or the pkg-wicd-maint@ on Debian. I am reading my email every day and I would try to be active here on the forum the following weeks.

Side note. Most of the work on porting wicd to Python3 was done by the current upstream maintainer lp/~hanaguro. The praise should go to him.

Kind regards,
Marin

Last edited by metala (2026-02-22 22:14:44)

greenjeans · 2026-02-19 00:44:51

Count me in for testing, I should be able to free up a partition or two here in a few days.

Thank you!!! Been missing wicd for a while now.

metala · 2026-02-19 00:58:19

It seems the *.deb are not directly available from the mentors. I am investigating why.

Workaround: https://pgit.metala.org/dl/wicd/1.8.0~g … 9785e9f-1/
VCS: https://git.devuan.org/metala/wicd/src/ … erimental/

From IRC:
> mentors discards the binary, it's only there to review the source package

Last edited by metala (2026-02-19 06:45:00)

fsmithred · 2026-02-19 10:44:49

Installs and works on excalibur. That's a sight for sore eyes. It's like seeing an old friend I'd forgotten about.

As mentioned in IRC, there's an extra entry in the apps menu. Other annoyance is that it disconnects the wired interface when you connect to wireless. I don't remember if the old wicd did that. N-M lets me have both interfaces up at the same time.

metala · 2026-02-19 11:17:05

As far as I remember, that's the original behaviour of wicd, it disconnects the current connection and connects to the other.

I really don't know if we can change the behaviour. If someone starts a bug I could have a local patch in the package, that addresses it, but that's up for discussion.

Wouldn't having multiple connections mess up the routing table?

fsmithred · 2026-02-19 14:35:58

You're right. I just checked a beowulf live-iso and wicd disconnects the active connection before it completes the new connection. That's consistent when going from wired to wireless and from wireless to wired.

I did the test with two routers in the house to see if I could be connected to two different networks. I can't do that with wicd. I can do it with network-manager - I could ping both routers. Maybe I'll make a wishlist bug report for that some time. Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to seeing more test reports from people.

"Try it, you'll like it."

dzz · 2026-02-19 15:48:49

Got a few "test" installs here.. wicd seems to work OK in excalibur. Not freia, it gets as far as 'connecting' 'obtaining ip address' then 'not connected' both in --tray and -curses. Same as root in -curses.

Double checked, of course, the key configs and restarted wicd (and the freia installation) numerous times.

I removed network-manager and installed the debs from chroot. There were some deps to install first (and apt-mark auto?):

python3-daemon
python3-lockfile
python3-dbus
python3-urwid
iw

then an order list to do dpkg -i:

python3-wicd_1.8.0~git20260213.19785e9f-1_all.deb
wicd-daemon_1.8.0~git20260213.19785e9f-1_all.deb
wicd-cli_1.8.0~git20260213.19785e9f-1_all.deb
wicd-curses_1.8.0~git20260213.19785e9f-1_all.deb
wicd-gtk_1.8.0~git20260213.19785e9f-1_all.deb
#meta:
#wicd_1.8.0~git20260213.19785e9f-1_all.deb

Maybe something required is missing in freia? I do have 'no-recommends' configured. Can try again in ceres later..

Last edited by dzz (2026-02-19 15:54:30)

dzz · 2026-02-19 19:20:22

Same result for ceres. However.. I can connect (ceres) to other wireless networks! So my issue must be router configs not wicd itself. I can investigate that later.

Thanks metala! Confirmed working here for excalibur and ceres.

I would still like to know how wicd resource usage (size, deps, ram, cpu) compares to network-manager..

Last edited by dzz (2026-02-19 19:21:46)

fsmithred · 2026-02-19 20:01:04

ps_mem.py shows:

# old thinkpad with 8G ram running daedalus, xfce
7.1 MiB +   1.1 MiB =   8.2 MiB	        NetworkManager
15.4 MiB +   3.2 MiB =  18.6 MiB	nm-applet

# satellite with 8G ram running excalibur, xfce
 17.5 MiB +   1.4 MiB =  18.9 MiB	wicd
 24.9 MiB +   3.7 MiB =  28.6 MiB	wicd-client

# newer old thinkpad with 8G ram running excalibur, lxqt
  8.0 MiB + 814.5 KiB =   8.8 MiB	NetworkManager
 11.1 MiB +   4.3 MiB =  15.5 MiB	nm-tray

metala · 2026-02-19 20:27:48

On my test machine (AMD Athlon 64 X2 TK-57 w/ 512MB, Debian 13.3, XFCE4) NM and wicd run in parallel.

After boot:

$ sudo ./ps_mem.py -p "`pgrep -f -d, 'wicd|NetworkManager|nm-applet'`"
 Private  +   Shared  =  RAM used	Program
 16.0 KiB + 843.5 KiB = 859.5 KiB	wicd-client
984.0 KiB + 513.5 KiB =   1.5 MiB	python3.13
  1.9 MiB + 642.5 KiB =   2.5 MiB	nm-applet
  2.8 MiB + 661.5 KiB =   3.5 MiB	wicd
  4.0 MiB + 762.5 KiB =   4.7 MiB	NetworkManager

After some time:

984.0 KiB + 429.5 KiB =   1.4 MiB	python3.13
  1.3 MiB + 843.5 KiB =   2.1 MiB	wicd-client
  2.0 MiB + 583.5 KiB =   2.5 MiB	nm-applet
  2.8 MiB + 576.5 KiB =   3.3 MiB	wicd
  3.3 MiB + 307.5 KiB =   3.6 MiB	NetworkManager

With Wicd GUI window open and Wifi networks shown:

  1.6 MiB + 815.5 KiB =   2.4 MiB	python3.13
  2.2 MiB + 597.5 KiB =   2.8 MiB	nm-applet
  2.5 MiB + 346.5 KiB =   2.9 MiB	NetworkManager
  5.9 MiB +   1.0 MiB =   6.9 MiB	wicd
 37.3 MiB +   5.9 MiB =  43.2 MiB	wicd-client

Wicd GUI closed (hidden), nm-applet showing Available networks->

  1.6 MiB + 815.5 KiB =   2.4 MiB	python3.13
  2.8 MiB + 346.5 KiB =   3.2 MiB	NetworkManager
  5.9 MiB +   1.0 MiB =   6.9 MiB	wicd
  5.7 MiB +   2.7 MiB =   8.5 MiB	nm-applet
 36.7 MiB +   4.9 MiB =  41.6 MiB	wicd-client

(After a while...) Wicd GUI closed (hidden), nm-applet showing Available networks->

  1.6 MiB + 814.5 KiB =   2.4 MiB	python3.13
  2.8 MiB + 346.5 KiB =   3.2 MiB	NetworkManager
  6.0 MiB +   1.0 MiB =   7.0 MiB	wicd
  5.9 MiB +   2.7 MiB =   8.7 MiB	nm-applet
 36.7 MiB +   4.9 MiB =  41.6 MiB	wicd-client

Running wicd-curses:

  1.5 MiB + 673.5 KiB =   2.2 MiB	python3.13
  2.8 MiB + 337.5 KiB =   3.1 MiB	NetworkManager
  7.1 MiB + 881.5 KiB =   7.9 MiB	wicd
  5.9 MiB +   2.7 MiB =   8.6 MiB	nm-applet
 27.5 MiB +   2.4 MiB =  29.9 MiB	wicd-curses
 34.8 MiB +   4.6 MiB =  39.4 MiB	wicd-client

(30 minutes later...) wicd-curses is running:

  1.5 MiB + 437.5 KiB =   1.9 MiB	python3.13
 44.0 KiB +   2.0 MiB =   2.0 MiB	wicd-client
  2.4 MiB + 905.5 KiB =   3.3 MiB	nm-applet
  4.0 MiB + 201.5 KiB =   4.2 MiB	NetworkManager
  6.0 MiB + 859.5 KiB =   6.8 MiB	wicd
  5.6 MiB +   1.8 MiB =   7.4 MiB	wicd-curses

This might be irrelevant, but it is part of the NM-suite.

400.0 KiB + 115.5 KiB = 515.5 KiB    ModemManager

PS. I don't know how to memory test ephemeral process like wicd-cli.

Last edited by metala (2026-02-20 20:31:39)

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#1 2026-02-19 00:24:58

wicd 1.8.0 package

#2 2026-02-19 00:44:51

Re: wicd 1.8.0 package

#3 2026-02-19 00:58:19

Re: wicd 1.8.0 package

#4 2026-02-19 10:44:49

Re: wicd 1.8.0 package

#5 2026-02-19 11:17:05

Re: wicd 1.8.0 package

#6 2026-02-19 14:35:58

Re: wicd 1.8.0 package

#7 2026-02-19 15:48:49

Re: wicd 1.8.0 package

#8 2026-02-19 19:20:22

Re: wicd 1.8.0 package

#9 2026-02-19 20:01:04

Re: wicd 1.8.0 package

#10 2026-02-19 20:27:48

Re: wicd 1.8.0 package

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