Newbie trying to move to linux and experimenting with several distros. Have installs of Mint Mate and Cinnamon and Manjaro KDE.

One major annoyance is wireless logins. I would like a laptop to login autmatically to an available connection when turned on or awoken. KDE makes me re-enter the wireless password. Mate remembers the password but makes me login again and on the business connection at work that requires a username in addition to the SSID and password, it asks for a non-existant certificate for this connection every time despite checking the box that says "ignore this."

Anyone have suggestions of utilities that might solve these?

These are the kind of issues that send people like me back to Windows. Linux needs more devs willing to fix these kind of usability quirks and stop faffing about with the UI.

1) go into network-managers preferences (right-click the tray icon?) and see what you can change
2) install gnome-keyring, an app specifically designed to address issues like this. it will need some setting up.

some people consider these things features (security), not usability quirks.
generally speaking, reading comments like these, i have to stop and meditate a little before i decide whether i answer at all.

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ondoho,

I completely agree with you.

For a person also coming from Windows, I'd say I have to agree with the OP's use of the term "usability quirks". The "problem" is understandably an additional layer of protection to the wireless connection, however, being asked for the password over and over again is such a pain esp. if you are on a "familiar" network, day in and day out.

I agree with you, too. The first two people simply reacted automatically to someone "having the courage" to criticise some very criticizable aspects of Linux Mint. That's not security, as ondoho puts it. He hasn't even taken one single second to consider the problem. This is pure annoyance and it makes no sense whatsoever. Windows or Mac OS or even other linux distro are not less secure simply because they remember AP passwords. It would be moronic to think so. Moreover, Windows doesn't even store the Wi-Fi passwords (as OS X does). It only stores the hashes.

So yes, it's only commonsensical to agree with the OP.

To be honest, I wouldn't really recommend linux as desktop, unless you really like it. It's not easy and you have to make do with lots of drawbacks, to be honest. Although there are a lot of other pretty cool things that you can do with it (you can heavily customize it - but it also depends on the distro), but if you're looking for something that works without any fuss (mostly), then go with Mac or Windows. Of course, Windows is also rather idiotic oftentimes, and Microsoft's policy is not easy to embrace, especially given Windows 10. Nonetheless, Linux desktop still has quite a lot of catching up to do. You'd be much better off if you learnt linux for servers. It rules most of the internet, and the cloud is almost entirely linux

OP here.

First off, my criticism of needless UI changes is not aimed only at linux. It first hit with Unity but was repeated by Win 8 and now Firefox with Australis. Unity and early Gnome 3 drove many to Mint, Win 8 and 10 have kept many hanging on desperately to Win 7, and FF has pushed some to Pale Moon. Especially for those of us both older and by now long time computer users, we have developed habits and we don't want constant change unless there's a real need. And thank heaven linux is all about choice and alternatives.

Second, I still have a copy of Caldera Linux somewhere that I *bought*. I've installed linux well over a dozen times over many years, but except for one single purpose computer for a year or so, never really used it, and never as my primary computer. Despite for many reasons wanting to switch to linux. I am exactly the kind of motivated, more than casual user that linux should be attracting, but I never made the switch. Why? I already spend too much time on a computer, getting things done, and I don't have unlimited time. So as the roadblocks mount up, I run out of time and patience.

I know all about the security levels in linux, but if I've managed to survive for decades in the security nightmare that is Windows, give me credit for knowing the difference between necessary security and needless annoyance. And having a couple of easy to use linux distros would be a good thing. More market share would be good for the entire linux world: better drivers, more devs. There's no danger, given the multiplicity of linux distros and the free and open core of it, that there would not remain many other choices available for those wanting a different approach.

I know that some of the code is written by paid devs working for major corps and the rest is written by volunteers on their own time. I just wish that more were interested in fixing the bugs rather than yet another theme, unglamourous though it may be.

i already suspected that my subsequent remark would become the de-facto topic of this thread.

but my previous post also contains some "real info".

Whatever you do you somehow end up being the main character. This is really encouraging and beautiful, in spite of any truthfulness.