Ubuntu 18.04 - NetworkManager menu items in top right menu behaves very strange.

[Antonio Marra]

In a fresh Ubuntu 18.04 desktop install, I've found a very strange behaviour on my Dell XPS 15.
This laptop doesn't have an integrated Ethernet port, so I've to use external USB 3.0 Ethernet adapters.
When I boot Ubuntu with the adapter plugged in, the wired connection section in the top right menu doesn't show the "Via cavo collegato" section (in Italian, sorry... maybe in English it is "Through connected cable") in the correct way, often but not every time...
The menu section title is sometimes " collegato" and expanding the section it doesn't list all the defined Ethernet connection profiles I've on my machine.
To access all profiles and to change it I've to select the "Wired network settings" item in the section and so the system settings window appears and all defined profiles are there (so I can change connection by clicking here).

Another strange behaviour occours with the "VPN" section in the same topright menu.
I have two VPN profiles defined (one of Cisco type, the other is of OpenVPN type). If I select one of this two profiles, VPN connection is established but the switch button in the menu doesn't reflect the state of the connection. To see the correct state of the VPN connection I've to open the "system settings" window, again.

It seems there is some trouble in the topright menu communication with the NetworkManager subsystem.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Luiz Angelo Daros de Luca (luizluca)]

Same here. I'm using lang pt_BR. I upgraded from 17.10.

There is no text in the gnome top menu item which open the wired connections. Translation issues?

The menu does not list any wireless settings/connection as if I had no wireless adapter. I do and it list and works when I use nmcli.

OpenVPN items list correctly. When I click on any connection, it does connect correctly. However, the switch button in gnome menu is never on and there is no visual clue that something happened. Again, nmcli is simply correct.

Maybe it is related to OpenVPN presence?

[Luiz Angelo Daros de Luca (luizluca)]

Some follow-up.

My wifi is disabled by default.

Even being able to connect to an OpenVPN, the menu is not able to disconnect an OpenVPN connection (as it does not know it was up).

As the reporter, I can only see the correct status using gnome setting. There I can enable/disable wifi, list wifi hotspots, connect to them, enable/disable OpenVPN, etc. And there, it also shows the correct visual feedback. The problem is only with the menu.

[Luiz Angelo Daros de Luca (luizluca)]

Since yesterday's update, it is working now.

[Antonio Marra (antmarra)]

I've update all packages this morning, but they don't fix this.
Please note that this behavior doesn't always show (very often but not every time).
I can confirm that when it occours, I can manage wifi, ethernet and VPNs profiles from Gnome Control Center, but not from gnome top menu.

[Colin Law (colin-law)]

I am also seeing very similar effects. The menu doesn't show the wifi connection points at all and sometimes the network icon in the top panel disappears completely. As others have found control via Settings works fine. Ubuntu 18.04 on a Lenovo Lifebook.

[Roland Schwarz (roland-schwarz)]

Same here. I am using a Dell Precision M4800. It seems the status panel does not reflect the true state of the network.

[Roland Schwarz (roland-schwarz)]

Just discovered the following: If I connect via WiFi to my network everything works as expected. But then when I disable automatic connect for wireless, and instead acitvate for a cable connection the auto connect, then after a reboot the above described problem arises.

So it looks to me a cable related problem.

Would be interesting if the other posters run on cable or wireless.