Getting and Installing NetworkManager

One way to connect to MUN's wireless network is to use the NetworkManager application. Unfortunately, this application and some of its dependencies are not included in the default Ubuntu installation, nor do they appear to be on the Ubuntu Desktop CD.

Here are some ways to install it on your machine.

• If you can, try to connect your machine to the net (using a wired connection at home, for example). If you boot while connected to a DHCP server, Ubuntu should automatically connect you to the net. Once you are connected, use the following commands in a terminal window to install network-manager-gnome:

  $ sudo apt-get update
  $ sudo apt-get install network-manager-gnome
  

• Alternatively, you can temporarily boot another operating system that has been configured to connect to the MUN's wireless network and download the following .deb files (to the filesystem or a USB key, for example):
  • dhcdbd_1.10-0ubuntu11.1_i386.deb
  • libnl1-pre6_1.0~pre5+svn21-2ubuntu2_i386.deb
  • libnm-util0_0.6.2-0ubuntu7_i386.deb
  • network-manager-gnome_0.6.2-0ubuntu7_i386.deb
  • network-manager_0.6.2-0ubuntu7_i386.deb

  (Note that these files are intended for Ubuntu Linux Desktop 6.06.1.)

  Reboot into Ubuntu and install the .deb files on your machine with the command:

  $ sudo dpkg -i "/media/path/to/debs/*.deb"
  

  where "/media/path/to/debs" is the name of the directory or USB key to which you downloaded the files while in the other operating system (e.g. /media/sda1/Documents and settings/username/Desktop). Ubuntu automatically mounts other operating system's file systems and USB keys, by default.

• If you cannot connect your machine to the Internet, then you'll have to acquire the Ubuntu alternate CD which contains the necessary files to install network-manager-gnome. The ISO for the CD is available from the Computer Science Department's ftp server. The ISO image is about 697MB; if you provide a blank CD, the Digital Media Center in the Library should be able to burn a copy for you.

  When you have a copy of the alternate CD ready, insert it into the machine while its running Ubuntu and follow these directions:

  1. After inserting the CD, Ubuntu will access it and request that the package manager be started:

     

     Click Start package manager.

  2. Scroll through the list of packages and find network-manager-gnome:

     

  3. Right-click on network-manager-gnome, and select Mark for Installation from the menu.

     

  4. This will display the required dependencies. Click Mark to have them installed too.

     

  5. Click the Apply button in Synaptic's toolbar to start the installation of the packages.

     

  6. Synaptic will give you one last chance to review the changes that are going to occur to your system. Click the Apply button in the lower right.

     

     After the packages are installed on your system, you can close Synaptic.

     When you log out and log back in, you should be able to see the nm-applet icon in the Notification Area: