[networking-guide] master: System-wide and Private Connection Profiles (37fab27)

[stephenw at fedoraproject.org]

Repository : http://git.fedorahosted.org/cgit/docs/networking-guide.git

On branch  : master

>---------------------------------------------------------------

commit 37fab2779b1768a27def78c3c3098aa81a0b5e8c
Author: Stephen Wadeley <swadeley at redhat.com>
Date:   Mon Jul 14 23:58:20 2014 +0200

    System-wide and Private Connection Profiles
    
    after review by dcbw


>---------------------------------------------------------------

 en-US/Configure_Networking.xml |   28 ++++++++++++++++++++++------
 1 files changed, 22 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/en-US/Configure_Networking.xml b/en-US/Configure_Networking.xml
index 8bebe39..b5c29e0 100644
--- a/en-US/Configure_Networking.xml
+++ b/en-US/Configure_Networking.xml
@@ -170,16 +170,32 @@
       id="sec-System-wide_and_Private_Connection_Profiles">
       <title>System-wide and Private Connection Profiles</title>
       <para>
-        <application>NetworkManager</application> stores all connection profiles. That is, connection profiles for system-wide use (system connections) as well as all user connection profiles. Access to the connection profiles is controlled by permissions which are stored by <application>NetworkManager</application>. See man <filename>nm-settings(5)</filename> for more information on the <option>connection</option> settings <option>permissions</option> property. The permissions correspond to the <command>USERS</command> directive in the <filename>ifcfg</filename> files. If the <command>USERS</command> directive is not present, it means the configuration settings will be used to create a profile available to all users. As an example, the following command in an <filename>ifcfg</filename> file will make the connection available only to the users listed:
+        <application>NetworkManager</application> stores all <firstterm>connection profiles</firstterm>. A profile is a named collection of settings that can be applied to an interface. <application>NetworkManager</application> stores these connection profiles for system-wide use (<firstterm>system connections</firstterm>) as well as all <firstterm>user connection</firstterm> profiles. Access to the connection profiles is controlled by permissions which are stored by <application>NetworkManager</application>. See man <filename>nm-settings(5)</filename> for more information on the <option>connection</option> settings <option>permissions</option> property. The permissions correspond to the <command>USERS</command> directive in the <filename>ifcfg</filename> files. If the <command>USERS</command> directive is not present, the network profile will be available to all users. As an example, the following command in an <filename>ifcfg</filename> file will make the connection availa
 ble only to the users listed:
         <synopsis>USERS="joe bob alice"</synopsis>
        This can also be set using graphical user interface tools. In <application>nm-connection-editor</application> there is the corresponding <guilabel>All users may connect to this network</guilabel> checkbox on the <guilabel>General</guilabel> tab and in the GNOME <application>control-center</application> Network settings Identity window there is the <guilabel>Make available to other users</guilabel> checkbox.
         </para>
         <para>
- <application>NetworkManager</application>'s default policy enables users to create and modify user connections, but requires them to have <systemitem class="username">root</systemitem> privileges to add, modify, or delete system connections. Profiles that should be available at boot time cannot be private because they will not be visible until the user logs in. For example, if user <systemitem class="username">joe</systemitem> creates a connection profile <literal>joe-em2</literal> with the <guilabel>Connect Automatically</guilabel> checkbox selected but the <guilabel>Make available to other users</guilabel> unselected, then the connection will not be available at boot time.</para>
-      <note
-        id="note-Tip-Increase_security_by_making_VPN_connections_user-specific">
-        <para>Because creating a <firstterm>virtual private network</firstterm> (<acronym>VPN</acronym>) involves details considered confidential, it is recommended to configure your personal VPN connections as private. This can be done by unselecting the checkboxes in the graphical user interface tools mentioned above. If you do so, then other non-root users on the system cannot access these connections, or view their settings, in any way.</para>
-      </note>
+ <application>NetworkManager</application>'s default policy is to allow all users to create and modify system-wide connections. Profiles that should be available at boot time cannot be private because they will not be visible until the user logs in. For example, if user <systemitem class="username">joe</systemitem> creates a connection profile <literal>joe-em2</literal> with the <guilabel>Connect Automatically</guilabel> checkbox selected but the <guilabel>Make available to other users</guilabel> unselected, then the connection will not be available at boot time.</para>
+ <para>
+To restrict a connections and networking, there are two options which can be used alone or in combination:
+   <itemizedlist>
+     <listitem>
+       <para>
+         Unselect the <guilabel>Make available to other users</guilabel> box, which changes the connection to be modifiable and usable only by the user doing the changing.
+       </para>
+     </listitem>
+     <listitem>
+       <para>
+         Use the <application>polkit</application> framework to restrict permissions of general network operations on a per-user basis.
+       </para>
+     </listitem>
+   </itemizedlist>
+   The combination of these two options provides fine-grained security and control over networking. See man <filename>polkit(8)</filename> for more information on <application>polkit</application>.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+   Note that VPN connections are <emphasis role="bold">always</emphasis> created as private-per-user, since they are assumed to be more private than a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection.
+ </para>
 
       <procedure>
         <title>Changing a Connection to Be User-specific Instead of System-Wide, or Vice Versa</title>