LinuxQuestions.org - want ubuntu 8.10 to connect to network on BOOT, but still have Network Manager work

Hi,

I have a laptop running kubuntu 8.10. When I turn it on, I want to to connect automatically to my wireless router. So I set up a stanza in /etc/network/interfaces to do this:

Code:

auto lo

iface lo inet loopback



auto wlan0

iface wlan0 inet static

        wireless-essid Airstation

        wireless-mode managed

        wireless-ap 00:18:11:9c:1D:6G

        address 192.156.0.25

        netmask 255.255.255.0

        broadcast 192.156.0.255

        gateway 192.156.0.1

This works fine. However: when I then login to my computer, I want Network Manager to still work, so if I am not at home or not near my router, I can then connect to other available networks.

But Network Manager (knetworkmanager) does not seem to want to manage this connection. Its icon on my panel is a little world, instead of bars like it should be when a network is connected. When I tell it to "Disable Wireless," nothing seems to happen.

I have tried changing my /etc/NetworkManager/nm-system-settings.conf files, to set "managed=true" instead of false under [ifupdown]. This seems to make my stanza in the /etc/network/interfaces files get ignored on boot, though, so my computer won't connect.

How can I have both my automatic connection to a network on boot (via the /etc/network/interfaces entry) and have Network Manager work so I can connect to other networks when not at home?

Alternatively, how can I reset my config files on the fly and restart networking, so Network Manager will work correctly, without having to reboot? It seems like when I try to do this (/etc/init.d/networking restart), it keeps saying my wlan device is busy.

Please help me to solve this, any help appreciated.