I see that iwctl is the standard wifi manager for arch on my latest install.

I historically mostly used wired connection however here and there used wifi and from my previous experience it was wpa_supplicant.

I noticed, and immediately didn't like, that iwctl automatically stores and then autoconnects after your first manual connection.

I much prefer manual control and make a shell script if I so choose. Auto configuration screams of ubuntu/windows. I do not just want it for street cred though. I have more than one internet connection and do not want it auto connecting to ones I don't want.

I have read a bit and see

I could set it for each individual network but can I set that in a the global conf file instead?

Also I just read about roaming and how iwctl will automatically switch to another known network if connection on one is bad. I absolutely don't want that. How can I stop that?

I want to boot up with no wifi on boot and simply instruct via terminal which network I would like to use for that session and/or disconnect to switch to the other as and when, not have the program decide it for me.

So what setting will allow me to regain manual control and am I just better uninstalling it and going back to wpa_supplicant as that seemed to not have all this auto stuff and did what I wanted out the box where you had config files and run the command to start a connection.

I would probably prefer to carry on with iwctl since it is what I began with on this install and already have the networks configured if the fix for iwctl to get it how I want is trivial, mainly the not connecting auto to some other network.

EDIT: I found this for my first issue.

By the way is it a security problem to have the passphrases in clear text? I mean I know generally that passphrases shouldn't be but if some nefarious actor is already able to look into those files hasn't the horse already bolted the barn in that the only way, or most likely, any one would have access would be by getting in via the network, not physical access. So the issue seems moot. I know there is a setting to encrypt them but seems unnecessary given the above?

I think you have answered your own question with AutoConnect=false.

(Or maybe, ifup/ifdown works?)