Hi everyone. I don't like WICD, I want Network-Manager but I don't know how to install it... I downloaded the git repo for network-manager and network-manager-applet, but I don't know how to make it compile, I can't run the apt build-dep network-manager command because it tells me I need systemd... Any ideas?? Google seems to turn up very little info.

I can't install xfce4-power-manager either!??! OMG... I guess I'm going back to Debian... You guys really would really attract a bigger user base if you actually had common software like network-manager or xfce4-power-manager.. You can't just leave us without normal software that every other distro has.. I guess I have to wait for MX-Linux 17 to have a stable beta release, this is really disappointing :(

Can't even select shutdown or reboot on the logout list with LXDE desktop environment... another deal-breaker, this distro doesn't work with other desktop environments... Perhaps you guys should start looking at Devuan & how they do things.. Devuan is far more robust, what a shame.. MX Linux is way better than AntiX too, not sure why AntiX is still a thing.. May as well just give up on AntiX & focus on MX Linux. Really not enough software on AntiX.

Wicd works just fine for me and hate most of the others I have used. Centi, which is in Antix seems upside down and backwards to me. Just my thoughts.

Enjoy MX Linux!

BTW If you care to actually help:

1. lxde - what exactly did you install and how i.e. apt-get install lxde? or some other way?

2. network manager in Debian needs systemd components that we WILL NOT USE. So if you know a way to install it (on Debian or devuan) without ANY systemd parts, please let us know.

3. The useful part of your rant - re xfce4-power-manager. Now fixed, will hit the repos soon.

Shay wrote: Wicd works just fine for me and hate most of the others I have used. Centi, which is in Antix seems upside down and backwards to me. Just my thoughts.

I haven't used WICD since the early days of antiX.  I find ceni to be more efficient and less resource hungry.  While ceni suits my needs perhaps it may not be for everyone.
I have MX-16 installed as my second distro of choice but the first thing I do after installing is get rid of network-manager and install ceni.  The second thing I do is stop everything that is running in XFCE including the power manager.  I just don't need these things for my purposes.

kking94 wrote: Can't even select shutdown or reboot on the logout list with LXDE desktop environment... another deal-breaker, this distro doesn't work with other desktop environments... Perhaps you guys should start looking at Devuan & how they do things.. Devuan is far more robust, what a shame.. MX Linux is way better than AntiX too, not sure why AntiX is still a thing.. May as well just give up on AntiX & focus on MX Linux. Really not enough software on AntiX.

Sheesh!  Don't go away mad.  Just go away.

This thread is proof, if proof were needed, of how systemd is crippling Linux, & the unix philosophy that it was built on. :(

But, of course, some people still expect Linux to work like MSWindows, & a lot of distros pander to these people. ;)

fatmac wrote: This thread is proof, if proof were needed, of how systemd is crippling Linux, & the unix philosophy that it was built on. :(

But, of course, some people still expect Linux to work like MSWindows, & a lot of distros pander to these people. ;)

Here here. That's exactly what has been complained about in several blogs and articles. Systemd is a crippler. And lots of people believe that Windoze is the Bomb. But then if you have only tasted water, beer tastes funny.

afab4 wrote:

Shay wrote: Wicd works just fine for me and hate most of the others I have used. Centi, which is in Antix seems upside down and backwards to me. Just my thoughts.

I haven't used WICD since the early days of antiX.  I find ceni to be more efficient and less resource hungry.  While ceni suits my needs perhaps it may not be for everyone.
I have MX-16 installed as my second distro of choice but the first thing I do after installing is get rid of network-manager and install ceni.  The second thing I do is stop everything that is running in XFCE including the power manager.  I just don't need these things for my purposes.

This note really typifies who we are and what we do differently than larger distributions.  Though antiX can be used on all kinds of different systems, it's really intended primarily for people who have aging hardware and they want something that will run reasonably well on that older hardware.

The other thing that the typical antiX users do is experiment, and that's why we now have four different kinds of software: 1. MX Linux replaces MEPIS, which is no longer being built.  AntiX originally started as an approved alternative to MEPIS and grew from there.  When MEPIS ceased development, MX stepped in - based on antiX with an easy to use Xfce desktop environment.  2. antiX has three variations, the original, which is now known as antiX Full, it's a complete distribution that includes several lightweight window managers and many configuration tools to select additional software, antiX Base, which provides enough bootable software to login and install the software you want to use, and antiX Core, which provides a system kernel and just enough utilities to allow you to build your own system.

Wicd and ceni are reasonable networking tools, but they may not be familiar to everyone who uses a computer.  With MX we have a reasonably easy system to install and manage that a relative novice can learn.  The antiX versions are not quite ideal for a novice unless it's an individual who is willing to read and learn, but none of our distributions, in my opinion, are created for the large masses, they are created with those seeking a decidedly different experience with solid and reliable software, but not necessarily software that is"plug and play" ready in all situations.

These excellent tools are best suited to very interested hobbyists, and we have an excellent community with many people interested in digging and learning.  Many were NOT experts when they started, but most have been able to read and ask intelligent questions, and several people with this kind of background have become core contributors to this effort, and I applaud this approach.

Just had a epiphany/ eureka moment today.

Bad Password in Wicd translates to > Get off your ass and go reset your router you friggin idiot!

This article suggests replacing network-manager with wicd in order to improve wifi performance:
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://itsfoss.com/speed-up-slow-wifi-connection-ubuntu/"
linktext was:"Speed Up Slow WiFi Connection In Ubuntu Linux"
====================================
.

BitJam wrote: This article suggests replacing network-manager with wicd in order to improve wifi performance:
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://itsfoss.com/speed-up-slow-wifi-connection-ubuntu/"
linktext was:"Speed Up Slow WiFi Connection In Ubuntu Linux"
====================================
.

Interesting article.  If a distribution comes equipped with network-manager, I'll use it, but I've had very good results for many years using ceni or wicd, either in the GUI form (wicd-gtk) or the command form (wicd-cli).  There are also client-server interfaces available when you use wicd-gtk, so wicd is a very flexible interface.  Ceni is less complex and it's a command interface only (unless someone out there has written a GUI wrapper for it that I've not seen).  The only less than ideal thing (for beginners) with ceni and wicd is that I've not seen any implementations that will configure the network interfaces for you.  With some of the fancy GUI interfaces available with some distributions, at installation and configuration time, they appear to scan for available network interfaces and automatically configure them.  Most of us don't need that kind of help, but it's handy for those who know nothing at all about the names of their network devices (eth0, wlan0, etc.).

BitJam wrote: This article suggests replacing network-manager with wicd in order to improve wifi performance:
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://itsfoss.com/speed-up-slow-wifi-connection-ubuntu/"
linktext was:"Speed Up Slow WiFi Connection In Ubuntu Linux"
====================================
.

that's funny.  Of all my videos, I only did like 2 Xubuntu videos, and number 10 on the most watched list:.....Replacing Networking Manager with WiCD on Xubuntu. (6k+ views)

what might also be telling is that number 4 on the all time list is antiX 13 - Configuring your wireless.  (14k+ views) .  One of the items that people still message me about is that sometimes wicd doesn't have their interface defined in the wicd preferences.  and not just from antix users.

By the way, the ArchWiki (always a good source of information) has some useful information about wicd.  If interested, you can read more at 
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wicd#GTK.2B_client"
linktext was:"https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wicd#GTK.2B_client"
====================================
 

As far as ceni, it's more difficult to find well documented information.

========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://www.linux.org/threads/ceni.11246/"
linktext was:"https://www.linux.org/threads/ceni.11246/"
====================================
shows it in action.

I do believe that ceni was once included in a distribution called sidux.  If I'm not mistaken, Harold Hope created the program and later went in other directions.  From what I can recall, ceni is included if you acquire a tool called smxi, but it's been so long since I've grabbed it myself; it's been included in our distributions so I've forgotten the specifics.  (It's not easy to search for, especially on a company provided service where many download sites are blocked).  

Also, I'm wondering about iw. Does anyone ever use iw (perhaps in a script) to configure and establish network connections?  I'm wondering if any developers have used this tool as the basis for their current networking tools?

I haven't developed software in quite a while, and I haven't been keeping up with the latest developments, but I happened to see a few notes on iw as I was researching wireless network interfaces this morning, and I was wondering if it's worth looking into building a modern networking tool that can scan and locate network interfaces, configure them, and provide a tool for beginning users?  It might be a lot of work to build and maintain, just thinking about it.