In this article, we will be discussing a common issue faced by Ubuntu 18.04 users – the missing Network Manager Graphical User Interface (GUI). This can be a frustrating problem, as it can make it difficult to manage your network connections. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to resolve this issue.
What is Network Manager GUI?
Network Manager is a dynamic network control and configuration system that aims to keep network devices and connections up and active when they’re available. The Network Manager GUI is a graphical user interface for the Network Manager. It makes it easier to view and manage your network connections.
Why is the Network Manager GUI Missing?
The Network Manager GUI might be missing due to a variety of reasons, such as system updates, accidental deletion, or other system changes. Regardless of the cause, the following steps will guide you on how to fix this issue.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fix Missing Network Manager GUI
Step 1: Install Network Manager and Network Manager GNOME
The first step is to ensure that Network Manager and Network Manager GNOME are installed on your system. Open your terminal and run the following command:
sudo apt-get install network-manager network-manager-gnomeThis command uses the apt-get install command to install the network-manager and network-manager-gnome packages. The sudo command is used to run the command with root privileges.
Step 2: Enable the Application Desktop Item
Next, you need to enable the application desktop item. Run the following command in your terminal:
sed 's/^NotShowIn=/#NotShowIn=/g' /usr/share/applications/nm-connection-editor.desktop > ~/.local/share/applications/nm-connection-editor.desktopThis command uses the sed command, a stream editor for filtering and transforming text. It replaces the NotShowIn= line in the nm-connection-editor.desktop file with #NotShowIn=, effectively commenting out the line and enabling the application desktop item.
Step 3: Set the Applet to Auto-Start
Finally, you need to set the Network Manager applet to auto-start. Run the following command in your terminal:
sed 's/^NotShowIn=/#NotShowIn=/g; s/^NoDisplay=/#NoDisplay=/g' /usr/share/applications/nm-applet.desktop > ~/.config/autostart/nm-applet.desktopThis command also uses the sed command to replace the NotShowIn= and NoDisplay= lines in the nm-applet.desktop file, setting the applet to auto-start.
Accessing the Network Manager GUI
After completing these steps, you should be able to access the Network Manager GUI by clicking on the hamburger menu in the “Settings > Wifi” section and selecting “Known Wifi Networks”. Alternatively, you can use the nm-connection-editor command to access the old school original network manager connection editor.
If you are still unable to see the Wireless connection in the GUI dialog, make sure that the WiFi network is not disabled. You can check this by using the system menu located at the top right of the panel.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed how to fix the missing Network Manager GUI in Ubuntu 18.04. We hope this guide has been helpful. If you have any further questions or issues, feel free to reach out to the Ubuntu community or check out the Ubuntu documentation for more information.
The Network Manager GUI might be missing due to various reasons such as system updates, accidental deletion, or other system changes.
After completing the steps to fix the missing Network Manager GUI, you can access it by clicking on the hamburger menu in the "Settings > Wifi" section and selecting "Known Wifi Networks". Alternatively, you can use the nm-connection-editor command to access the original network manager connection editor.
If you are unable to see the Wireless connection in the GUI dialog, make sure that the WiFi network is not disabled. You can check this by using the system menu located at the top right of the panel.
