On graphical login, Network Manager window gets in the way

[Christopher Barrington-Leigh]

New in 13.04, on a laptop with wifi (in addition to being wired), when the login gui comes up on boot-up, I can no longer simply type in my password to log in.

This is because a wifi authentication window pops up, asking for a password for my wifi connection. Worse, it does not let me get the focus back to the log in screen or anywhere else: I have to explicitly click "cancel ".

After I log in, the wifi password is not needed, since the Manager has stored it and connects automatically, using its stored password.

It may be nice to be able to access the network before logging in, but that option should not interrupt my log-in process, and certainly not block it!

Moreover, given that my machine is also connected to wired ethernet (by DHCP, no password), it is hardly a high priority to get wifi going.

This problem exists on both of my laptops (very different hardware).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: network-manager 0.9.8.0-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-13.23-generic 3.8.3
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-13-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Mar 21 13:47:50 2013
IfupdownConfig:
 # interfaces(5) file used by ifup(8) and ifdown(8)
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-03-18 (2 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Alpha amd64 (20130318)
IpRoute:
 default via 132.206.112.1 dev eth0 proto static
 132.206.112.0/26 dev eth0 proto kernel scope link src 132.206.112.10 metric 1
 142.157.168.0/23 dev wlan0 proto kernel scope link src 142.157.168.8 metric 9
 169.254.0.0/16 dev eth0 scope link metric 1000
MarkForUpload: True
NetworkManager.state:
 [main]
 NetworkingEnabled=true
 WirelessEnabled=true
 WWANEnabled=true
 WimaxEnabled=true
SourcePackage: network-manager
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
mtime.conffile..etc.NetworkManager.NetworkManager.conf: 2013-03-19T18:52:07.457464
nmcli-con:
 NAME UUID TYPE TIMESTAMP TIMESTAMP-REAL AUTOCONNECT READONLY DBUS-PATH
 IHSP 3985ff88-5770-4938-8133-23b8ded92641 802-3-ethernet 1363888105 Thu 21 Mar 2013 01:48:25 PM EDT yes no /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Settings/2
 DHCP aec2f3e7-cdaa-46ff-b51d-401084613817 802-3-ethernet 0 never no no /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Settings/1
 wpa.mcgill.ca 4ce783b2-6946-417e-ac7c-eb6984d01f15 802-11-wireless 1363888105 Thu 21 Mar 2013 01:48:25 PM EDT yes no /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Settings/0
nmcli-dev:
 DEVICE TYPE STATE DBUS-PATH
 wlan0 802-11-wireless connected /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/1
 eth0 802-3-ethernet connected /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/0
nmcli-nm:
 RUNNING VERSION STATE NET-ENABLED WIFI-HARDWARE WIFI WWAN-HARDWARE WWAN
 running 0.9.8.0 connected enabled enabled enabled enabled disabled

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Dionysius (dionysius)]

How can I contribute to fix this issue? Tell me what logs I should provide. I also have it and it's really annoying :(

[Alex (alexbixel)]

Same issue BUT it only affects one network. The network uses WPA2-Enterprise security, which may be related - however it only asks for the password, not the two certificates I also need to login.

[data (data)]

I see the same behavior as #4.

[biomathman (bes-shapon)]

Confirmed here too. New install of 13.04 on new Galago Ultra-Pro by System 76. Very annoying bug. Seems to happen on all password protected networks - if I click cancel it cycles through to the next network (unless I log in really fast in between).

[Chen Yu (chenyu-nus)]

This is an annoying problem since I installed Ubuntu..
The bug is still not even assigned after all this changes

[Kevin Childress (kevinochildress)]

Bug is still present in 13.10. This bug keeps me from upgrading from 12.04 LTS

[krackersk (krackersk)]

I'm on 13.10 and it happens to me. Only on the wpa-enterprise security wifi I connect to. I'm not using a certificate for this wifi either. Other networks are fine.

[Margaret Myrick (margaretmyrick)]

this happens to me as well. I just did a clean install of Ubuntu 13.04 after reformatting Linux Mint partition. I am trying to connect to wpa-2. I didn't have issues connecting with Mint and same machine/wireless setup.

[cako (goldencako)]

Exactly the same issue, only on WPA2 Enterprise.

[gurqn (gurqn)]

Also occurs on cisco leap with trusty. No problem so far on KDE.

[Scott Wallace (wallacsc)]

I am on 14.04 (trusty) and this affects me with LEAP and WPA/WPA2 personal. I am not using certificates. Connects fine once I cancel the NM window and login to the system.

[Ed Guenter (edgue)]

I see this on 14.04, too.
Very annoying. Especially when it becomes clear, that this bug is known for months.

[Adolfo Jayme Barrientos (fitojb)]

I've found a couple of workarounds:

1) Navigate to the /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections folder (as superuser)
2) Open the file that is named after the wi-fi network your computer tries to autoconnect at startup
3) Use a text editor to remove a line called "password-mode=1" (or something like that)
4) Your file should look like this: http://askubuntu.com/a/354986

or

1) When the computer is booting, turn off the physical network switch. Turn in back on after you log in.

or

1) Try wicd instead of the buggy NetworkManager.

[Wong Yong Jie (yjwong)]

The issue seems to be that NetworkManager stores the connection credentials within the keyring, which is not available at the Unity greeter. Once logged in, the keyring is available to NetworkManager and hence nm-applet will not ask for credentials again.

I have found another workaround for the problem:

1) Log in to the desktop.
2) Click the NetworkManager applet.
3) Select "Edit Connections..."
4) Click on the connection you use.
5) Click "Edit...".
6) Click the "General" tab.
7) Uncheck the "All users may connect to this network" box.

This converts the connection to a user connection rather than a system connection, and hence prevents NetworkManager from discovering it at the greeter.

[web_knows (rivanor)]

I'm also facing this issue on a newly installed 14.04 LTS. It happens with LEAP connections, but it does not with WPA2 Personal connections.

[sebalinux (sebalinux)]

I'm facing this bug also on my Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS

[Phil Hord (phil-phord)]

I think it's important for the developer to consider some aspects of this bug separately.

1. Wifi auth window pops up and steals focus before user is logged in.
    It is frustrating to begin typing my password and to have my keyboard focus
    swiped away so my hidden password is now hopelessly split across two different
    windows.

2. Wifi auth window _keeps_ focus from the Ubuntu login window until it is dismissed.

I think the first one is an annoying bug, but it might be easy to dismiss as "medium". But the second one is sometimes serious or critical.

Consider that the login prompt appears on the display where the mouse appears. On a multi-monitor setup, this is critical because some monitors may not be usable yet. If I can't see my login screen, I have learned that I can just move my mouse so it is on the primary display and the login prompt will appear. But the WiFi password window does not have this logic. When it steals focus from the login prompt, I can move the mouse all I want, and the login prompt will appear or disappear from my primary display. But until I cancel the wifi popup window, I cannot type my password to login. If the wifi popup appeared on some unusable monitor, I cannot see the window to dismiss it.

In my case my 2nd monitor is in portrait orientation so my display properties have it rotated. But this rotation does not take effect until after I log in. So when I get the popup window, my mouse on the 2nd display is rotated 90 degrees and the popup is quite difficult to dismiss.

I can imagine this is a serious accessibility issue for users who have other challenges seeing their display or using a mouse or keyboard as efficiently as you do.

Please fix this. It has been with us for so long.

[Siraj Rauff (sirajrauff)]

I'm experiencing this bug as well on 14.10 with a WPA2 Enterprise connection. After login it will connect properly.
The solution in #16 does not work for me as it simply doesn't connect even after login.

[Ongun Arısev (ongunarisev)]

This bug affects me on Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS 64-bit with a network having the following properties: WPA & WPA2 Enterprise security, PEAP authentication and MSCHAPv2 inner authentication with account credentials. I do not have a CA certificate it always bugged the Network Manager at first I was not even able to connect to the network, only after recent updates I can manage to do so. Apart from that the solution proposed in #16 does not work since when I try to change the settings I am asked to provide a CA certificate and when I click ignore the settings are not saved.

[Luca Ciavatta (cialu)]

Same issue on Ubuntu 15.04 with a wifi network having a WPA & WPA2 personal security.
I have tried many things: remove the connection e add again, remove the password keyring and add again, make connection not for all users and more, but no one is the solution.

[gregreen (gregreen)]

This bug still exists in Ubuntu 15.10.

[Bryce Nesbitt (bryce2)]

Still relevant in 16.04 LTS.