no internet connection with Fedora16

[Timothy Murphy]

Paul W. Frields wrote:

>> > Browse to "about:config" and set "network.manage-offline-status" to
>> > "false".
>> > 
>> > IIRC this happens when you use the network service instead of
>> > NetworkManager.  Firefox queries NetworkManager for the offline
>> > status, and thinks you're offline when it's not in use.  Setting that
>> > option prevents Firefox from doing this.
>> 
>> Thanks v. much for that.
>> 
>> But why does Firefox do this?
>> It shows a surprising lack of common sense.
>> 
>> I put it on a par with NetworkManager's habit of editing /etc/resolv.conf
>> and removing the nameservers mentioned there if it cannot see them.
> 
> Probably because NetworkManager has capabilities for setting static
> wired connections, and for setting hands-off on DNS entries.  The
> Firefox maintainers have chosen to assume that most users are not
> going to mess with the innards of networking scripts, and that letting
> NM manage connections is the most prudent move if you have to make one
> choice for everyone.  People who like to mess with innards will
> undoubtedly figure out how to change configurations.  The number of
> users who would be baffled by delays in browsing when their connection
> drops likely far outnumbers those who would be stymied by Offline Mode
> in this case.

Why not just tell the user the connection has dropped,
if that is the situation?
You seem to be saying that the user is supposed to deduce this
from the fact that Firefox has changed to Offline mode.
That seems crazy to me.
Even IE has more sense than that.




-- 
Timothy Murphy  
e-mail: gayleard /at/ eircom.net
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College Dublin