NM applet should inform the user that additional packages are required for VPN

[Dave Morley]

RELEASE: Intrepid
CD/DVD VARIANT: 32bit Ubuntu Desktop cd
ISO BUILD: 20080930.4

SYMPTOMS: When trying to setup a VPN connection there is nothing to tell me I need extra packages installed to add a connection.

CAUSE: Unknown

STEPS TO REPRODUCE:
1/ In Ubuntu click on n-m-applet
2/ Hover mouse over VPN Connection
3/ Click on Configure VPN
4/ Network Connections opens with the VPN tag atop
5/ All buttons are greyed out with no explanation as to why or how to remedy this.

[Kjell Braden (afflux)]

Confirmed in network-manager-gnome 0.7~~svn20080907t033843-0ubuntu2. I guess this should be fairly easy to fix.

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Thanks for reporting this bug and any supporting documentation. Since this bug has enough information provided for a developer to begin work, I'm going to mark it as confirmed and let them handle it from here.

This bug is reproducible in Jaunty 9.04 with all updates as of 2009-02-19. "Add" is greyed out making the use of Network Manager applet for VPN impossible.

Thanks for taking the time to make Ubuntu better!

[Martin Mai (mrkanister-deactivatedaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

I think there was another bug filed about this issue, suggesting that network-manager should depend on "network-manager-vpnc" which provides support for VPN.

[Maarten Bosmans (mkbosmans)]

Depending on network-manager-vpnc isn't a complete solution. I came across the bug when trying to set up a PPTP tunnel. For this you would need the network-manager-pptp package. It would probably be better to list all the packages that provide a NM vpn, so that the user could decide for themselves which one they need.

[Craig Hansen (craig-hansen)]

OpenVPN is another of the VPN packages. Suggest that the empty grey window display the packages one might want to install create a VPN connection.

[Antonio Litterio (antonio-litterio-gmail)]

I've noticed this inconsistency also with 10.04.
I agree Dave Morley's think, because in the Network Panel I've got the 'configuration way' "VPN Connection->Configure VPN" but then I cannot configure it and I don't know why.
I think can help the user adding something like "Movie Player adding plug-in".

Regards
Antonio

[Mathieu Trudel-Lapierre (cyphermox)]

Setting to wishlist: this is something that could be implemented if someone was able to present a plan upstream for:

 - designing a way to present that other plugins could be installed *from the VPN tab*, possibly using PackageKit or Software Center, and/or;
 - display a similar link for installing further plugins from the "Add" button.