On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:42:26 +0000, Graham Murray wrote: > >> Why does the app need to know? Browsers normally have an > >> online/offline menu selection and if you try to browse to a site > >> when your network is offline then the browser will generate the > >> appropriate error message.
You're on a train, it goes into a 3G dead zone, your mailer hangs until it times out, meaning you can't even read cached mails until that happens. > >> In any case, these notifications are only > >> really of use on a single-homed non LAN connected system. In that particular example, yes. What's wrong with that? There are plenty of people using laptops on wireless connections. > Which still does not explain why the applications need to know when a > network interface goes down but does not need to know when (for example) > the ADSL connection (via an external router) to the 'outside world' goes > down[1]. Who said it doesn't. Those are two separate situations, and a D-Bus aware system can address one of them. Inability to handle the latter is not a valid criticism of the former. That's like criticising a great footballer for being rubbish at tennis. > As far as both the application and the user are concerned the > effect is exactly the same in both cases - the application is > offline. The symptom is the same but the cause, and treatment, are different. > If it is considered important to inform the application of one, > then it should be equally important to inform the application of the > other. If a network interface goes offline then the user needs to know, > so as to take corrective action, but I do not think that telling the web > browser and mail applications is the correct way of informing the user. So the the network manager has to send a D-Bus message to a notification daemon which then tells the user to put his mailer in offline mode, hoping he can do that before it tries to access the server again? I thought computers were supposed to make life easier for us by automating such mundane tasks. Your suggestion is a little like a washing machine beeping at you to say "I've finished the rinse now, switch me to spin" instead of just doing it. -- Neil Bothwick Real women don't have hot flashes, they have power surges.
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