Bug#993819: release-notes: Please document the removal of wicd
On Thu, Sep 09, 2021 at 09:35:05PM +0200, Paul Gevers wrote: > > Warning: `wicd` will no longer be available after the upgrade, so if > > you use it to connect to the internet through wifi, you will be cut > > off. To prevent this, you should change to a connection manager that > > *will* still be available, such as `connman`. If you want a convnient > > graphical interface, without which making connections can be difficult, > > you should install `connman-gtk`. You should do this *before* you > > start the upgrade, or you will have trouble reconnecting if things go > > wrong. > > Isn't NetworkManager the default graphical manager nowadays? Or is there > a link with systemd such that you wouldn't mention it for Devuan? No > judgement intended, just wanting to have the facts straight. Users who have wicd installed have already most likely expressed a preference for something other than NetworkManager. In most installations, installing something like task-gnome-desktop or task-xfce-desktop will pull in NetworkManager by virtue of their Recommemds on network-manager-gnome. I don't know much about connman or connman-gtk, but if it's the current best alternative to NetworkManager, then maybe it makes sense to recommend it as a replacement for wicd. On the other hand, maybe a gentle nudge back toward the "default" set of packages will lead to a better experience in the longer term. Recommending either NetworkManager or connman as alternatives might be a good compromise. noah
Bug#993819: release-notes: Please document the removal of wicd
On Thu, Sep 09, 2021 at 09:35:05PM +0200, Paul Gevers wrote: > Hi Hendrik, > > On 09-09-2021 21:27, Hendrik Boom wrote: > > Here is the text I have included in the current draft upgrade > > instructions for Devuan: > > > > Warning: `wicd` will no longer be available after the upgrade, so if > > you use it to connect to the internet through wifi, you will be cut > > off. To prevent this, you should change to a connection manager that > > *will* still be available, such as `connman`. If you want a convnient > > graphical interface, without which making connections can be difficult, > > you should install `connman-gtk`. You should do this *before* you > > start the upgrade, or you will have trouble reconnecting if things go > > wrong. > > Isn't NetworkManager the default graphical manager nowadays? Or is there > a link with systemd such that you wouldn't mention it for Devuan? No > judgement intended, just wanting to have the facts straight. When I installed devuan a few releases ago it gave me connman. So I knew it worked. And I tested it on chimaera. network-manager is also available on Devuan, so I guess, there's no systemd issue. But I am loathe to recommend something I hadn't tested on chimaera. -- hendrik > > Paul > >
Bug#993819: release-notes: Please document the removal of wicd
Hendrik Boom wrote: > Here is the text I have included in the current draft upgrade > instructions for Devuan: > > Warning: `wicd` will no longer be available after the upgrade, so if > you use it to connect to the internet through wifi, you will be cut > off. To prevent this, you should change to a connection manager that > *will* still be available, such as `connman`. If you want a convnient > graphical interface, without which making connections can be difficult, > you should install `connman-gtk`. You should do this *before* you > start the upgrade, or you will have trouble reconnecting if things go > wrong. Thanks for giving us something to start from! But becoming unavailable for installation doesn't necessarily imply being automatically purged on upgrade. I gather wicd-gtk had Python2 GTK dependencies; is there anything to stop users insisting on hanging on to those on Bullseye? It would certainly be wiser to switch ASAP, but I don't think we can categorically declare that "you will be cut off". Other nitpicks: * At least according to the package description I might in principle have been using wicd to manage a _wired_ connection. * And is there some particular reason for pointing in the direction of connman rather than network-manager? (Don't desktops usually provide GUIs of their own for this sort of thing?) * Meanwhile, you're assuming the context of mobile devices that need to make frequent connections to new networks. The reason I know so little about this sort of software is that "making connections can be difficult" has never been true for my PC - I just need to edit one configuration file each time I move house! A revised version, still short on releasenotes-style markup: The network connection manager `wicd` will no longer be available after the upgrade, so to avoid the danger of losing connectivity users are recommended to switch before the upgrade to an alternative such as `network-manager` or `connman`. (Plenty of room for other recommendations there if needed.) -- JBR with qualifications in linguistics, experience as a Debian sysadmin, and probably no clue about this particular package
Bug#993819: release-notes: Please document the removal of wicd
Hi Hendrik, On 09-09-2021 21:27, Hendrik Boom wrote: > Here is the text I have included in the current draft upgrade > instructions for Devuan: > > Warning: `wicd` will no longer be available after the upgrade, so if > you use it to connect to the internet through wifi, you will be cut > off. To prevent this, you should change to a connection manager that > *will* still be available, such as `connman`. If you want a convnient > graphical interface, without which making connections can be difficult, > you should install `connman-gtk`. You should do this *before* you > start the upgrade, or you will have trouble reconnecting if things go > wrong. Isn't NetworkManager the default graphical manager nowadays? Or is there a link with systemd such that you wouldn't mention it for Devuan? No judgement intended, just wanting to have the facts straight. Paul OpenPGP_signature Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Bug#993819: release-notes: Please document the removal of wicd
On Tue, Sep 07, 2021 at 06:54:05AM +0200, Joost van Baal-Ilić wrote: > Hi, > > On Mon, Sep 06, 2021 at 05:23:45PM -0400, Hendrik Boom wrote: > > On Mon, Sep 06, 2021 at 10:01:10PM +0100, Roger Lynn wrote: > > > Package: release-notes > > > Severity: important > > > > > > Please document the removal of wicd in Bullseye. This seems particularly > > > dangerous if the upgrade is being done over a network connection being > > > managed > > > by wicd as it seems likely that the connection will be lost when wicd is > > > removed (due to dependency problems). It would also be helpful if > > > alternatives > > > could be suggested. > > > > I already did that in the draft upgrade instructions for Devuan, as > > something to be done before anything else. > > > > SHould I send a copy of the paragraph to this list? > > Yes, that would be helpful, and please do Cc 993...@bugs.debian.org . Here is the text I have included in the current draft upgrade instructions for Devuan: Warning: `wicd` will no longer be available after the upgrade, so if you use it to connect to the internet through wifi, you will be cut off. To prevent this, you should change to a connection manager that *will* still be available, such as `connman`. If you want a convnient graphical interface, without which making connections can be difficult, you should install `connman-gtk`. You should do this *before* you start the upgrade, or you will have trouble reconnecting if things go wrong. -- hendrik > > Thanks, Bye, > > Joost >
Bug#993819: release-notes: Please document the removal of wicd
Package: release-notes Severity: important Hi, Please document the removal of wicd in Bullseye. This seems particularly dangerous if the upgrade is being done over a network connection being managed by wicd as it seems likely that the connection will be lost when wicd is removed (due to dependency problems). It would also be helpful if alternatives could be suggested. Thanks, Roger
