NetworkManager 0.8.1 How-To

Recently, I prepared NetworkManager 0.8.1 packages (many of you seemed to like them, so I updated the available ones also to 0.8.1beta2).

Nevertheless, it seems to be un-intuitive on how to initiate a connection using this new feature, so I’ll try to provide a short step-by-step here on how I did get it to work using my very old Nokia 6300 (yes, that’s actually a pure telephone).

Make sure your bluetooth applet is started (if not, launch bluetooth-applet), open it’s menu

Menu of the bluetooth-applet

and select preferences

Bluetooth Preferences

In case your phone is already listed as paired, I’m afraid you have to remove it (I did not find a way to change options of an already paired device).Otherwise, you can go straight ahead and configure a new device:

Bluetooth Wizard: Configure new device

If your phone has bluetooth enabled, it should show up in the list like:

Select my phone

Next, bluetooth-wizard will present you with a 6 digit combination that you have to enter on your phone keyboard, to confirm that you do want these devices to pair together.

The ‘setup complete’ is only almost true, as it contains the for us most important options:

Private Area Network

For my phone, I have to select PAN, which in the background of the system created a /dev/rfcomm0 device and binds it to NetworkManager (via ModemManager), as can be seen in the list of available connections in Network Manager:

My Phone Network shows up in NetworkManager

When selecting it (I only had success when not wired, you might have more luck) NM initiates a connection and the symbol in the tray area changes to an antenna: and I have a working connection to the internet through the bluetooth adapted of my phone.