SOLVED: Wicd Network Manager on MATE is unreliable

nobodyuknow · 2021-02-03 17:24:22

I have two Devuan systems, both on SSDs in external enclosures that I run via USB on an HP laptop with Intel 3rd Generation Core processor and 8 GB memory. The first is Cinnamon, which pretty much runs like a Swiss clock. MATE is almost as reliable, but Wicd Network Manager does not always provide a connection. Right now it is showing "Scanning" which it has done for thirty minutes now.

I'm thinking of switching to regular Network Manager. Should I uninstall Wicd Network Manager after installing regular Network Manager? Obviously I would need to change the applications on the right side of the panel to eliminate Wicd Network Manager. Or will both network managers coexist?

P.S. My laptop is old and not 100% anymore -- the USB ports are a constant annoyance -- so it might be that Wicd Network Manager is merely a little more sensitive to the aging hardware.

Last edited by nobodyuknow (2021-02-12 22:53:14)

dice · 2021-02-04 06:44:21

before you try network manager, maybe give connman-gtk a try ?

Just install the network manager or connman-gtk first, then uninstall wicd and reboot.
If you want the applet in systray just click settings in connman-gtk and tick status-icon and launch to tray by default.
Then set autostart for connman-gtk in Startup Applications Preferences

apt install connman-gtk

Not sure about network manager, pretty sure you need the nm-applet.
I think network manager puts the applet in the systray automatically, not sure there.
so to install should be ..

apt install network-manager network-manager-gnome

Last edited by dice (2021-02-04 06:45:38)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2021-02-04 16:15:57

nobodyuknow wrote:

Wicd Network Manager does not always provide a connection. Right now it is showing "Scanning" which it has done for thirty minutes now

Have you checked the logs? Perhaps the problem is fixable.

czeekaj · 2021-02-08 01:30:47

I use that program setnet.sh (I'd be nice if it was in the repos I found it on an Old Iso in Ascii and I transferred it over to BeoWulf)
Thanks to Vincenzo "KatolaZ" Nicosia
Connecting never was easier.
Although it lacks features like Hostname spoofing Channel selection. but it's really good program. Unfortunately the github version seems slightly older the one I have is from 2018. It might of migrated to gitlab or something

Any issues I have usually come from intel Wifi Cards. Not as stable (oddly no other cards drop connection for me) and funny that hostname spoofing is quirky on intel Wifi cards starting a new tty it will change your tty hostname. so yeah Free Wifi cards are a good place to start.

Last edited by czeekaj (2021-02-08 01:41:17)

nobodyuknow · 2021-02-11 22:41:22

@Head_on_a_Stick

syslog does not appear to contain any warnings or failures. Curiously, I left Wicd Network Manager running for many minutes. When I returned to it and clicked in the main area, the list of available WiFi sources suddenly appeared.

If it matters, this laptop has the dreaded Ralink WiFi hardware, which many Linux distributions seem to think is the anti-Christ, along with Broadcom.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2021-02-12 16:00:55

For Ralink perhaps try disabling hardware encryption on the card:

# modprobe -r rt2800pci
# modprobe rt2800pci nohwcrypt=1

If that helps then make it permanent with

# tee /etc/modprobe.d/fix-ralink.conf <<<'options rt2800pci nohwcrypt=1'

The precise module depends on the card though so use lscpi -k and check the kernel driver in use line for the card, if that isn't rt2800pci then use the correct module name instead.

nobodyuknow · 2021-02-12 22:52:56

The WiFi is indeed rt2800pci, but disabling hardware encryption seems a bit much.

I purged Wicd Network Manager and installed regular Network Manager -- all in one Synaptic step, of course -- and things work much better now.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2021-02-12 22:54:22

nobodyuknow wrote:

disabling hardware encryption seems a bit much

It will fall back to software-based encryption, which can be more reliable.

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#1 2021-02-03 17:24:22

SOLVED: Wicd Network Manager on MATE is unreliable

#2 2021-02-04 06:44:21

Re: SOLVED: Wicd Network Manager on MATE is unreliable

#3 2021-02-04 16:15:57

Re: SOLVED: Wicd Network Manager on MATE is unreliable

#4 2021-02-08 01:30:47

Re: SOLVED: Wicd Network Manager on MATE is unreliable

#5 2021-02-11 22:41:22

Re: SOLVED: Wicd Network Manager on MATE is unreliable

#6 2021-02-12 16:00:55

Re: SOLVED: Wicd Network Manager on MATE is unreliable

#7 2021-02-12 22:52:56

Re: SOLVED: Wicd Network Manager on MATE is unreliable

#8 2021-02-12 22:54:22

Re: SOLVED: Wicd Network Manager on MATE is unreliable

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