I assume there's a conceptual bug, not to fix in any single package: NetworkManager is basically incompatible with sysV init. This also applies to "sysV powered by upstart". Unless a consistent event-driven model is in place NetworkManager may be fine for the occasional network-hopping Laptop but stays bogus on any centrally-managed corporate network. Just don't use it there yet. For the time being dependencies should be fixed: Install nis or kin -> purge nwm. Even then: The idea behind nwm is to flexibly handle failures or delay of non-essential services. There's no flexibility in handling missing user-maps or other name-service. On my OSX Desktop I regularly get a login prompt refusing my nis credentials since booting the shell overtook setting up the network. Three failures gave me some early coffe and newspaper befor I realized the cause. The only sensible way here would be to tell the user what we're waiting for. Another package to be hacked. For the new era to dawn we have to look into service dependencies from a higher level. Guess here's the limitation of a per-package bug-tracking approach. And I'd agree to favour wrapping over fixing. Shouldn't be autofs's burden what new concepts nwm or upstart make up. g., fil ----- "Paul Smith"