[colug-432] Ubuntu as a router?

[Larry Howell]

richard hornsby wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 10:33 PM, Steve Roggenkamp <roggenkamps at acm.org> wrote:
>> It's not a stupid question.  I've had the same problem running Debian Lenny
>> on a netbook.  I'm not sure I've completely fixed, but here goes.
>>
>> I think the problem is that Linux is trying to chase Microsoft Windows -
>> just plug the network cable in and you're good to go.  So you have some
>> software developer's idea of how you're network should be configured,
>> assuming you plug into a home router/switch that includes a DHCP server.
>>  Unfortunately, there seem to be a few gotcha's if you're trying to
>> configure a good statically addressed networking system.
> 
> Honestly, the main reason I like Ubuntu as a distro is because of apt
> - an element distinctly lacking in Windows.  I got tired of fighting
> with rhupdate (or whatever it was called) being a pita about
> dependencies.  With a network-enabled package manager, I can just call
> upon a tool to get most of the stuff I need without having to hunt it
> down.
> 
> I'm not even running a GUI on this box, just using the console, if
> that is what you mean by "chas[ing] Microsoft Windows".
> 
>> First disable avahi.  It just messes things up, big time in my experience.
> 
> Yep, it is doing some really weird things, like creating an interface
> 'eth1:avahi' and seemed to be somehow related to the dhcp nonsense.
> 
>> Next, do a 'man resolvconf' and RTFM.  It used to be that you could edit one
>> file, /etc/resolv.conf, to set up you DNS resolver framework.  Now it's a
>> whole friggen framework with multiple directories under the /etc/resolvconf
>> directory.  The various files is this directory tree overwrite the changes
>> you make to /etc/resolv.conf, as if the daemon knows better than you what
>> you need!
> 
> Yeah, I saw that I wasn't supposed to change /etc/resolv.conf (I tried
> anyways - and no surprise my changes kept getting blown away), but
> you're right it has turned into a mess.  Annoying as hell.  As an
> aside, even OS X has gone this (stupid) direction:
> 
> piper:~ rhornsby$ head /etc/resolv.conf
> # Mac OS X Notice
> #
> # This file is not used by the host name and address resolution
> # or the DNS query routing mechanisms used by most processes on
> # this Mac OS X system.
> #
> # This file is automatically generated.
> 
> argh.
> 
>> Finally, blow away Ubuntu and install (Free|Net|Open)BSD that hasn't been
>> chasing the Microsoft BS.  Unfortunately, it's a bit of a change from Linux
>> in terms of system administration, but at least it doesn't try to think too
>> much for you in this area.  Yet.
> 
> I'm way more familiar with Linux as a general OS than I am with the
> BSD family.  Like I said, while it has been a while, I've done this
> very successfully before - with other distros.  At its core, Linux is
> just Linux when you strip away the avahi, network-manager, etc stuff.
> I'll take your suggestion under advisement.  I might even pull a drive
> out of mothballs and give *BSD a shot.
> 
> -rj
> 

If you want to stay with Linux and keep apt, I'd suggest going to Debian 
Lenny server (no GUI desktop).  Debian server doesn't have Network 
Manager that overwrites your *.conf files.  IMO the Ubuntu developers 
have attempted to "idiot enable" the recent releases, and have created 
challenges for a knowledgeable user to configure his system, so I only 
use it on my notebook which I often use to show Linux to Windows users. 
  I use Debian on my 4 other desktops and 3 servers.

Another possibility for your Ubuntu system would be to "apt-get purge 
network-manager" to completely remove Network Manager (and related 
helpers), its config files, and give you control of the network related 
*.conf files again.  The downside is that it may be reinstalled on an 
update.  I've not actually tried to remove N-M, so YMMV.

Larry