Network Manager doesn't support "demand" PPP

[Wowbagger]

Binary package hint: network-manager

Use case 1: Dial up networking
User is using dial up networking over a conventional phone line. User wants PPP to use the "demand" setting, where the connection will be dropped after a period of inactivity (freeing the phone line for normal use).
User wants to use Network Manager to support the connection.

Use case 2: CDMA network.
User is using dial up networking over a dedicated CDMA modem. User wants PPP to use the "demand" setting, where the connection will be dropped after a period of inactivity, as maintaining the PPP connection continuously will cause eventual problems with the CDMA modem and network
User wants to use Network Manager to support the connection.

Problem 1: No ability to configure "demand" option within Network Manager.
There is no option to select "demand" mode within Network manager. The User either has to configure this manually in /etc/ppp/options or it is not available to the User.

Steps to reproduce:
1) Create an appropriate PPP connection within Network manager.
2) Edit properties on connection.

Expected results:
Either
a) "demand" is on by default and requires no user action
OR
b) "demand" mode available from the NM configuration properties dialog.

Actual results:
"Demand" not set on connection by default. No ability to set "demand" mode on connection via Network manager.

Problem 2: NM will consider the connection "gone" when PPP terminates the connection.
If the User sets "demand" in /etc/ppp/options, then when PPPD terminates the actual connection (leaving the PPP interface configured) NM will consider the connection "terminated" and will kill PPPD.

Steps to reproduce:
1) Create appropriate connection in NM.
2) Manually configure "demand" in /etc/ppp/options. Set for a reasonable idle time, such as 1 minute.
3) Wait the idle time.

Expected results:
PPP terminates the physical link but leaves the interface configured.
NM takes no especial action (possibly shows connection as "dormant" or "idle").
PPP restarts connection on outbound packet.

Actual results:
PPP terminates the connection but leaves the interface configured.
NM detects termination of the physical connection and terminates PPPD
PPP interface is de-configured. No default route exists for packets. Automatic reconnect cannot happen.

Frequency of occurrence: every time.

This under Ubuntu 8.10

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

so if you configure demand in options and the connection gets terminated, does the ppp process terminate as well?

can you also attach the command line you see while you have a ppp connection by:

 ps -eaf | grep pppd

?

[Wowbagger (ha87psc02)]

As I stated, when PPP drops the connection, Network manager terminates PPPD - PPPD logs that is it being killed by a SIGTERM from the parent process.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

how about the ps line i asked for?

[Wowbagger (ha87psc02)]

1) I don't have the system ready to hand - I would have to remote debug it now, which is kind of hard to do when the item being debugged is the very communications link you are using to do the debugging.

2) I had already confirmed the PPPD was being killed - that there WAS no PPPD anymore. I had done the ps myself, that, among other things, is how I knew that PPPD was being killed.

[Victor Vargas (kamus)]

Since this report have a long time without activity, please could you check (if is possible) in latest version included in Karmic if this issue is still happening? Thanks in advance.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for network-manager (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]