Just a small announcement that we are releasing a second version of our new networkmanagement applet.
Here is a list with changes in this version:
- plasma-nm is renamed to match the names from the old networkmanagement applet (kded module, applet name etc.)
- visual changes (different icons, improved speed of animations, applet is a little bit smaller)
- improved notifications
- experimental support for ModemManager 1.0 (must be compiled with libmm-qt and libnm-qt from git using master branches)
- ModemManager support is optional
- StrongSwan VPN plugin
And some closed bugs:
- #325783 – plasma-nm doesn’t install icon network-defaultroute, which is need by kde-nm-connection-editor.desktop
- #324016 – plasma crashes when a vpn connection is activated
- #324708 – Crash when launching second user desktop
- #325290 – Cannot add static routes on OpenVPN connections using the latest plasma-nm in Kubuntu Saucy
- #322192 – WPA2 dialog blocks Plasma
We also released a small bugfix release for NetworkManagerQt [2], which is needed for this version of plasma-nm. ModemManagerQt [3] doesn’t have new release and you can use the previously released version. If you want to compile plasma-nm with the new ModemManager 1.0 support (mostly necessary for new distributions like Fedora 20, OpenSuse 12.3, Archlinux etc.), you have to compile NetworkManagerQt [4] and ModemManagerQt [5] from git using master branches.
[1] – http://download.kde.org/unstable/plasma-nm/plasma-nm-0.9.3.1.tar.xz.mirrorlist
[2] – http://download.kde.org/unstable/networkmanager-qt/0.9.0.1/src/libnm-qt-0.9.0.1.tar.xz.mirrorlist
[3] – http://download.kde.org/unstable/modemmanager-qt/0.5.1/src/libmm-qt-0.5.1.tar.xz.mirrorlist
[4] – http://quickgit.kde.org/?p=libnm-qt.git
[5] – http://quickgit.kde.org/?p=libmm-qt.git
Hi, I’d like to ask – why to trash older good design of KDE’s nm-applet?
This new applet seems like something from Windows or Gnome 3. Old Gnome’s nm-applet used to be also quite good designed – it was simple and functional, but in this new KDE’s applet I’m unable to see or sort connections according to related network interface. Will this functionality be added?
If I click on “edit connections”, there are interfaces and their related actual connections – something like this (interface sorting) would be also nice to have in wireless list.
But I still think, that the previous KDE’s applet was more intuitive and had easier accessible features. It would be nice to have that (or similar) look/design, but also less space wasting. Two panels are just better than all-in-one 🙂
I think @MRX have a very good point.
I’m not familiarized with the inner workings of the actual NetworkManager plasmoid/applet but the GUI design is surely both beautiful and useful, why to innovate on something that is already well done?
What I see here is the same problem that plagues the wonderful KDE SC: whenever it reaches an amazing state of maturity, it’s all rewritten from scratch, jeeezz…
OTOH a new approach could always be a great opportunity and plasma-nm is just on its early stages so we need to give it some space and let it grow and flourish.
In any case it’s always good to have choices so please don’t retire the actual applet prematurely before plasma-nm can fit the same boots.
As I state above I’m not running your baby Grulja and frankly don’t plan to do that in the near time, but anyways thanks a lot for your work, may be at some point…
Cheers!
Maybe I have misunderstood something but isn’t the new version necessary for plasma 2, or are the old version also qml?
Do you mean you need Plasma 2 for this version?
The fly-out menu in the new interface lacks a very important visual cue — that you must use your mouse to scroll the upper half to see all network connections. It took me a good three or four minutes to figure that out.
The new system tray icon for VPN connection is very misleading. Now, the icon shows a red circle-slash over the ethernet symbol. This implies that connectivity is broken.
Please return to the yellow lock for VPN connection, and please consider an option to expand the size of the NM flyout so that more detail is shown — preferably, *all* available connections. Having to scroll that list is a tiny bit of useless extra work.
ystem tray icon for VPN
This is already fixed.
Is there a way to switch to the old applet, please? I do not find the new version’s UI usabe yet. However thank you for the hard work, I believe it will get mature soon.
Just install the old one and remove the new one.
Thank you, Grulja. When can I get it, please? Is there a package in repository?
Well, it depends on your distribution, but you can compile it from git [1] (nm09 branch).
[1] – http://quickgit.kde.org/?p=networkmanagement.git
I totally agree with other commentators: the today’s design is beautiful. Why would you ruin it for such a hasty uglish work?