Beyond Linux® From Scratch (systemd edition) - Version 7.10

Chapter 16. Networking Utilities

NetworkManager-1.4.0

Introduction to NetworkManager

NetworkManager is a set of co-operative tools that make networking simple and straightforward. Whether WiFi, wired, 3G, or Bluetooth, NetworkManager allows you to quickly move from one network to another: Once a network has been configured and joined once, it can be detected and re-joined automatically the next time it's available.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS-7.10 platform.

[Note]

Note

Make sure that you disable the systemd-networkd service or configure it not to manage the interfaces you want to manage with NetworkManager.

Package Information

NetworkManager Dependencies

Required

dbus-glib-0.106, libgudev-230, libndp-1.6, libnl-3.2.28, and NSS-3.26

Recommended

dhcpcd-6.11.3 or DHCP-4.3.4 (client only), gobject-introspection-1.48.0, Iptables-1.6.0, libsoup-2.54.1, newt-0.52.19 (for nmtui), Polkit-0.113, Systemd-231, UPower-0.99.4, Vala-0.32.1, and wpa_supplicant-2.5 (built with D-Bus support),

Optional

BlueZ-5.41, GTK-Doc-1.25, Qt-5.7.0 (for examples), ModemManager-1.6.0, PyGObject-3.20.1, Valgrind-3.11.0, libteam, PPP, and RP-PPPoE

User Notes: http://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/NetworkManager

Installation of NetworkManager

If Qt-5.7.0 is installed and the Qt based examples are desired, fix the configure script: 

sed -e '/Qt[CDN]/s/Qt/Qt5/g'       \
    -e 's/moc_location/host_bins/' \
    -i configure

Install NetworkManager by running the following commands: 

CXXFLAGS="-O2 -fPIC"                                        \
./configure --prefix=/usr                                   \
            --sysconfdir=/etc                               \
            --localstatedir=/var                            \
            --with-nmtui                                    \
            --disable-ppp                                   \
            --with-session-tracking=systemd                 \
            --with-systemdsystemunitdir=/lib/systemd/system \
            --docdir=/usr/share/doc/network-manager-1.4.0 &&
make

An already active graphical session with bus address is necessary to run the tests. To test the results, issue: make check.

Now, as the root user: 

make install

Command Explanations

CXXFLAGS="-O2 -fPIC": These compiler options are necessary to build the Qt5 based examples.

--with-nmtui: This parameter enables build of nmtui.

--with-session-tracking=systemd: This switch is used to set systemd-logind as the default program for session tracking.

--with-systemdsystemunitdir=/lib/systemd/system: This switch is used to set the correct installation directory for systemd units.

--disable-ppp: This parameter disables parameteral PPP support in NetworkManager.

--enable-gtk-doc: Use this switch if you have installed GTK-Doc-1.25 and wish to build the API manuals.

--without-iptables: Use this switch if you don't have Iptables installed.

Configuring NetworkManager

Config Files

/etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf

Configuration Information

For NetworkManager to work, at least minimal configuration file must be present. Such file is not installed with make install. Issue following command as the root user to create minimal NetworkManager.conf file: 

cat >> /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf << "EOF"
[main]
plugins=keyfile
EOF

You can add dns=none to suppress changes to /etc/resolv.conf. See man 5 NetworkManager.conf for any additional options.

Systemd Unit

To start the NetworkManager daemon at boot, enable the previously installed systemd unit by running the following command as the root user: 

systemctl enable NetworkManager

NetworkManager also ships a systemd unit called NetworkManager-wait-online.service which can be used to prevent services that require network connectivity from starting until NetworkManager has established the connection. To enable it, run the following command as the root user: 

systemctl enable NetworkManager-wait-online

Contents

Installed Programs: NetworkManager, nmcli, nm-online, and, hardlinked to each other: nmtui, nmtui-connect, nmtui-edit, and nmtui-hostname
Installed Libraries: libnm-glib.so, libnm-glib-vpn.so, libnm.so, libnm-util.so, and modules under /usr/lib/NetworkManager
Installed Directories: /etc/NetworkManager, /usr/include/{libnm,libnm-glib,NetworkManager}, /usr/lib/NetworkManager, /usr/share/doc/NetworkManager-1.4.0, /usr/share/gtk-doc/html/{libnm,libnm-glib,libnm-util,NetworkManager}, and /var/{lib,run}/NetworkManager

Short Descriptions

nmcli

is a command-line tool for controlling NetworkManager and getting its status.

nm-online

is a utility to find out whether you are online.

nmtui

is an interactive ncurses based interface for nmcli.

nmtui-connect

is an interactive ncurses based interface connection to activate/deactivate connections.

nmtui-edit

is an interactive ncurses based interface connection editor.

nmtui-hostname

is an interactive ncurses based interface hostname editor.

NetworkManager

is the network management daemon.

libnm-glib.so

contains functions used by NetworkManager.

libnm-glib-vpn.so

contains functions used by NetworkManager VPN plugins.

libnm-util.so

contains functions used by NetworkManager utils.

Last updated on 2016-08-28 20:08:04 -0700