Getting a wireless network to work on Linux has always been a joke, but it seems there is some hope: Enter NetworkManager.

I haven’t tried it, but this applet seems like it brings wireless networking for Linux into the present - just like every modern operating system!

From their site:

Networking on Linux right now is painful for the mobile desktop user, especially in comparison to other operating systems. A laptop user should never need to use the command line or configuration files to manage their network; it should “Just Work” as automatically as possible and intrude as little as possible into the user’s workflow. NetworkManager attempts to make networking invisible. When moving into areas you’ve been before, NetworkManager automatically connects to the last network the user chose to connect to. Likewise, when back at the desk, NetworkManager will switch to the faster, more reliable wired network connection.

Looks a step in the right direction!

Other Options

There was a story on Digg earlier claiming another applet makes wireless networking better then on Windows - although, from what I can see in the pictures, I must say that the KWirelessNetwork applet doesn’t look any better then XP’s Wireless Zero Configuration utility! It may be an improvement for Linux, but I think NetworkManager looks better . . .

I’ve very interested to see how well these applets work, have any of you tried them? Let me know about your experiences!