knetworkmanager only sees usb gsm modem if it's plugged in before boot

[Cristian Arezzini]

Binary package hint: knetworkmanager

I have two onboard network cards: eth0 (wired) and eth1 (wireless). These always appear in the knetworkmanager app, and I can use them normally.
When I'm on the road I use a USB gsm modem. If I plug it AFTER boot, knetworkmanager doesn't see it, I can't start a connection using the gui. I have to run wvdial in a console.
If instead I plug the usb modem before turning on the computer, then knetworkmanager shows eth0, eth1 AND ppp0. And I can start/stop the connection from there.

It would be nice if the usb modem could be just plugged in at any time, without being forced to run a console to start a connection.

Using knetworkmanager 1:0.7svn864988-0ubuntu1.
Kubuntu II beta constantly updated.

[Cristian Arezzini (macavity80)]

I found a way to have KNetworkManager dynamically recognize my USB modem:
I edited the file
/usr/share/hal/fdi/information/10freedesktop/10-modem.fdi' or su -c 'kwrite /usr/share/hal/fdi/information/10freedesktop/10-modem.fdi
and added this section:

[code]
      <!-- New Device -->
      <match <email address hidden>:usb.vendor_id" int="0x05c6">
        <match <email address hidden>:usb.product_id" int="0x3100">
          <append key="info.capabilities" type="strlist">modem</append>
   <append key="modem.command_sets" type="strlist">IS-707-A</append>
        </match>
      </match>
[/code]

Now KNetworkManager correctly detects the modem when it's plugged in, at any time, and displays it as ttyACM0. But if I click on the connection under it in the KNetworkManager menu, NetworkManager crashes. A dmesg gives this message:

[ 342.801146] NetworkManager[6375]: segfault at 10 ip 0807ea98 sp bfbaf990 error 4 in NetworkManager[8048000+5e000]

Any idea why it crashes so badly?

[Cristian Arezzini (macavity80)]

It works now. I had to re-configure NetworkManager. Now it correctly detects the modem, and I can connect with a single click (or set it to auto-connect).
Who should I notify to have the correct lines added to the 10-modem.fdi file, for everyone else to use?

[Jonathan Thomas (echidnaman)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Kubuntu better. The KDE3 version of KNetworkManager has been discontinued by its original authors. This unfortunately means that there will be no more bugfix releases, and updates in general will be limited to those fixing security flaws.

While we cannot fix your bug, the good news is that the applet has been totally rewritten for KDE4 in the upcoming Kubuntu 9.10 release. There is a good chance that this bug is no longer an issue with the new applet. If you find any similar or new issues with the applet included in Kubuntu 9.10, we would politely ask you to file them as new bugs against the "plasma-widget-networkmanagement" package.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation and understanding.