KNOW-HOW Wicd Network Manager Spectral-Design, Fotolia
Easy network access with Wicd NETWORKED! Mobile users change networks in rapid succession. Wicd quickly and a package search and easy to set up. The same approach applies to Debian. conveniently manages the corresponding profiles. BY JAN RÄHM Arch Linux users will find pre-built Wicd packages in the Extra and Testing oad warriors and users who use Installing Wicd should not be too chal- repositories. To install the network man- their notebooks in frequently lenging, even for less experienced users. ager, simply issue the pacman ‑Sy wicd Rchanging environments make The tool feels at home in any working command. Slackware fans can download frequent use of their systems’ network GTK+ environment, and most distribu- the program from the Slacky.eu [3] re- managers. Unfortunately, network man- tions provide one out of the agers are not in a software genus that box. Although Wicd won’t typically lends itself to quick and easy be found in every repository, use. Wicd [1] provides an alternative: it is easy to add and install. The lean network manager offers a sim- Ubuntu users will discover ple user interface that gives you every- an additional package direc- thing you need to configure wired and tory for versions “Dapper” wireless networks. through “Hardy.” To bind the The Python-based program acts as a repository, launch the Syn- front end for various scripts. Originally, aptic package manager in Wicd was developed as a replacement the panel below System and for the Ubuntu Network Manager, al- select Settings | Package though support has been extended to sources | Third party soft‑ other distributions. Wicd works well ware | Add; then add the line with alternative interfaces such as XFCE, deb http://apt.wicd.net Ver‑ IceWM, or Fluxbox. Thanks to its small sion extras. Replace Version footprint and frugal resource require- with the appropriate nick- ments, the tool feels at home on older, name – for example, feisty less powerful laptops. At the same time, for Ubuntu 7.04. After up- Wicd supports a wide range of network dating the sources, Wicd Figure 1: After launching, Wicd gives a neat overview of cards [2] and encryption types. should be easy to locate via key information.
64 ISSUE 92 JULY 2008 pository; after downloading can set up a static IP address D@JJ@E> it, use installpkg Wicd‑Ver‑ and enter your choice of sion.tgz to drop the tool onto nameservers. Also, you can your system. Fedora users optionally specify Scripts that C@ELOD8>8Q@E<6 will find an installation Wicd calls before or after es- HOWTO in the Wicd wiki [4]. tablishing the connection. If The Wicd source code pack- you will be using the DNS ages are available from server globally for all your SourceForge [5]. connections, you can do this To load Wicd automatically in Settings in the Wicd tool- when you boot your system, box. Wicd offers further con- add a call to /opt/wicd/tray. figuration options in this py to your auto-start informa- menu, such as the choice of tion. Depending on your sys- driver for the WLAN card or tem, your mileage will vary. profile settings. On Ubuntu, select System | If needed, Wicd will con- Settings | Sessions | New to nect your computer to a add Wicd to the list of startup WLAN that it has identified. programs. Fluxbox users just To do this, click on Connect. need to open ~/.fluxbox/ For encrypted networks, this startup in an editor and add means entering the network the command line, followed key in Advanced settings be- by &, before exec /usr/X11R6/ fore you do so. Wicd remem- bin/fluxbox. bers the password and saves Once you have Wicd run- you the typical, often annoy- INFO [1] Wicd: http://wicd. net [2] Tested hardware: http://wicd. sourceforge. net/ wiki/ doku. php? id=testing [3] Slackware 12.0 package: http://repository. slacky. eu/ slackware‑12. 0/ network/ wicd/ JG<:@8CJ nnn%c`elo$dX^Xq`e\%Zfd&Aljk8jb