Bug 394677

Summary: Plasma-nm missing support enabling/disabling/activating bridges
Product: [Applications] systemsettings Reporter: Lukas Sabota <lukas>
Component: kcm_networkmanagementAssignee: Jan Grulich <jgrulich>
Status: RESOLVED INTENTIONAL    
Severity: normal CC: jgrulich
Priority: NOR    
Version First Reported In: unspecified   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Arch Linux   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:
Attachments: screenshot of bridge option in nm-applet

Description Lukas Sabota 2018-05-25 17:04:34 UTC
Created attachment 112870 [details]
screenshot of bridge option in nm-applet

NetworkManager supports "bridge-util" style bridging on Linux.  This can be done through the "nm-applet" GTK connection editor for Network Manager as shown in the attachment.  To get to this state, right click nm-applet, click "edit connections" and click plus sign button.  nm-applet GTK has a "Virtual" group that includes "Bridge".  plasma-nm has groupings for "Hardware based connections", "VPN connections" and "Other", but "Bridge" is not listed in any.

Also: when a bridge device is available in NetworkManager, it is not shown in the plasma-nm network list.  Even if you create a bridge with nm-applet, you have to enable it from the command-line because it is not available to manage in "plasma-nm".
Comment 1 Jan Grulich 2018-05-28 09:53:30 UTC
We support it as well, you just have to go to applet's configuration and enable "Show and configure virtual connections" option. I know it's not easily discoverable, but I don't really want to have it enabled by default.
Comment 2 Lukas Sabota 2018-05-28 15:07:16 UTC
Jan - I do believe you.. but I cannot find for the life of me where the "Show and configure virtual connections" option is.  Maybe I'm just being thick - but I can't find this option for the life of me.

Wouldn't a VPN be considered a "virtual connection" in this regard as well?

And furthermore - if a bridge is preconfigured in NetworkManager(via command-line or some other means) - wouldn't it make sense to have the connection be at least visible in network manager instead of just showing as disconnected?  Maybe that behavior is better suited for a separate bug report - but it is very misleading behavior when you are connected to a NetworkManager bridge connection but plasma-nm doesn't show your connection due to a default setting 

Thanks again for your time/consideration
Comment 3 Lukas Sabota 2018-05-28 15:33:44 UTC
edit: found it - looks like the option isn't in system settings, but it's in "Netowkr Settings - Plasma" config dialog.  You can get to this from right clicking on plasma-nm and selecting "Configure Networks" (just in case someone reading this also can't find it)