Linux Mint Forums

I use mint-xfce 5 (which is the best xfce distro IMHO) although i love wicd and it does most of what i need.. but some of the features in network manager 0.7 are just tool cool to ignore .. so am wondering if there is a way i can replace wicd with network manager on mint xfce.

No simple way, you need to compile it and I think you need to remove wicd as well - I would not recommend it

Here is an easy way, though I haven't tried it.
Added these repos. Then update by using the Reload button in Synaptic.
Then install network-manager-applet and network-manager-gnome.

merlwiz79 wrote:Here is an easy way, though I haven't tried it.
Added these repos.

Code: Select all

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/network-manager/ubuntu hardy main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/network-manager/ubuntu hardy main

Then update by using the Reload button in Synaptic.
Then install network-manager-applet and network-manager-gnome.

Here is the question. Do I need to remove Wicd somehow? I don't want that they fight for network interface
Could you please explain this that I will be not in trouble

Alfavictory
I know about this as I have been there. There is a simple solution.

To replace wicd with Network Manager 0.7, do it using Synaptic Package Manager. Remove wicd first.
All wicd dependencies will be cleaned out, this is the safest way to prepare before installing nm, I read somewhere.
Wicd might not work for you if you use a mobile phone network usb modem, whereas nm should work (although nm is quirky and sometimes locks up).

I have also used nm with an Edimax wifi network card. Nm works perfectly showing signal strengths of all nearby wifi, and connection speed is great.

OK so once you have removed wicd you are then stuck with no internet connection and so how do you use Synaptic to fetch the necessary nm packages?
View my posts on Ubuntu Launchpad to see how I wrestled with the problem using a ZTE MF622 modem on 3 network in the UK.
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/61912

Start of that post is trying to find answers, but it gets solved fairly quickly.
Hope this works for you.
Regards
Kevin Dixon

I just installed network manager through synaptic and it removed wicd automatically. Was this unsafe? I haven't had any problem with it.

Mattf

That is an interesting point.

My method was to remove wicd first (from the Synaptic Package Manager) and then install nm.
I used this method as it was stressed as important to do it this way by other people on the internet.

You have installed nm without first removing wicd (I had been advised not to do it that way).
In your case Synaptic reports that wicd is automatically removed when you install nm.

Synaptic reports to me also that wicd is uninstalled.
Well lets dig a bit deeper and do some detective work.

I know that in Synaptic you can track down Installed Files by highlighting a program and then selecting properties from the right click context menu.
So I tried this on my installation.
I looked at the 'Not installed' list in Synaptic.
Found wicd (unchecked and presumably uninstalled).
I then right clicked on wicd and this is the list I found under the Installed Files tab:

/var/log/wicd
/etc
/etc/dbus-1
/etc/dbus-1/system.d
/etc/dbus-1/system.d/wicd.conf
/etc/wicd
/etc/wicd/encryption
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates/eap-tls
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates/wep-shared
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates/eap
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates/leap
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates/active
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates/peap-tkip
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates/wep-passphrase
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates/wpa
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates/wpa-psk
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates/peap
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates/wep-hex
/etc/wicd/encryption/templates/ttls
/etc/acpi
/etc/acpi/suspend.d
/etc/acpi/suspend.d/50-wicd-suspend.sh
/etc/acpi/resume.d
/etc/acpi/resume.d/80-wicd-connect.sh
/etc/xdg
/etc/xdg/autostart
/etc/xdg/autostart/wicd-tray.desktop
/etc/init.d
/etc/init.d/wicd
/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/wicd

I then went and found all these files alive and well.

Probably this 'residue' of files is what the Synaptic and wicd teams consider uninstalled.

I think wicd has simply been switched off and disabled, not completely removed.
You could try doing a comparison between the folders and files present when wicd is installed and when uninstalled.

I would prefer to see the wicd folder completely removed, although I will not do this on my system as it could have unforseen consequences.
The programs were created by someone else and like you I would welcome some reassurance from them that we are doing this correctly.

My Network Manager installation works fine and usually after much research and effort I settle with using what works.

I think that if yours works fine then you are probably no worse off than me from the point of view of 'Is this safe?'

I like to trust the technology (Synaptic) and assume 'Yes it is ok'.
I could be wrong.

It would be nice to have some comments on this from the wicd, nm architects.

Thanks.

Kevin Dixon

I see what you mean, Kevin. I too would like to hear from someone involved in wicd/nm about this, but I am not worried because network manager has worked flawlessly since I installed it. I do still see wicd in my startup items but I have it unchecked. I am thinking that as long as it doesn't start up, the only harm those residual files are doing is taking up a little space on my hard drive. And like you, I wouldn't try to remove them.

I've done it in both directions (wicd>Network Manager and Network Manager>wicd) through Synaptic. Synaptic is smart enough only allow one to be installed at a time and will automatically remove the other. (Maybe it leaves residue behind as mattf says though. I have not looked).

Maybe it used to require a more complicated approach but FWIW this has worked for me in recent versions of several distros that use Synaptic. It was very helpful to me to be able to try out both (and to learn I prefer wicd for my needs).

FWIW, this also works for me. I need nm for the WPA2 Enterprise and VPN features. Synaptic always enables only one or the other. Works flawlessly.

Just tried to replace wicd with nm using synaptic. Complete lockup after log-in now.

don't know why it's affected.

I'm using elyssa xfce on an older hp pavillion 2400. was working great up to this change. I guess I'll reinstall.

apt search network-manager

This address gives you a deb file for nm for jaunty/Gloria

Sawyer
I had a similar problem a while ago.
I used a Live CD of a distro that had Network Manager on it (Xubuntu 8.10 in my case), to access the internet.
Using the Live CD I downloaded the packages that Synaptic had originally 'failed to fetch' by pasting their addresses into the Firefox address bar.
I used a USB Memory Stick to transfer the addresses as text files and then the same Memory Stick to transfer the downloaded packages back to the 'marooned' distro (Mint in this case).
It was a 'sledgehammer to crack a nut'. but worked and I got Network Manager installed.
The process is described at https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/61912
Hope this helps.
Good Luck
Kevin Dixon