In this guide, we will demonstrate how to toggle Airplane Mode on and off in Ubuntu using the terminal. This is a useful skill for those who prefer to use command-line interfaces or for those who may need to manage Ubuntu machines remotely.
To turn Airplane Mode on or off in Ubuntu using the terminal, you can use the nmcli command. To turn Airplane Mode on, use the command nmcli r all off. To turn it off, use the command nmcli r all on. Additionally, you can use the rfkill command to block or unblock specific wireless devices, but it may not toggle Airplane Mode in the network settings.
What is Airplane Mode?
Airplane Mode is a setting available in many electronic devices, including computers and smartphones, which disables all wireless communication. This includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular signals. The mode is named so because it is often used when flying in an airplane where wireless signals can interfere with aircraft communications.
Using the Terminal in Ubuntu
Ubuntu, like other Linux distributions, comes with a built-in terminal (also known as a shell) that allows you to execute commands. You can open the terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for ‘Terminal’ in the application launcher.
Turning Airplane Mode On and Off
In Ubuntu, we can use the nmcli command to control NetworkManager, which manages network connections and can toggle Airplane Mode.
Turning Airplane Mode On
To turn Airplane Mode on, use the following command:
nmcli r all offHere, nmcli is the command-line client for NetworkManager. The r (or radio) option allows controlling the status of all radio devices. The all off command turns off all radio devices, effectively enabling Airplane Mode.
Turning Airplane Mode Off
To turn Airplane Mode off, use the following command:
nmcli r all onThis command turns on all radio devices, disabling Airplane Mode.
Using rfkill for Specific Wireless Devices
If you want to block or unblock specific wireless devices, you can use the rfkill command. However, this method may not toggle Airplane Mode in the network settings.
Blocking Wi-Fi
To disable Wi-Fi, use the following command:
sudo rfkill block wifiThe sudo command is used to execute the command with root privileges. The block option disables the specified device, in this case, wifi.
Unblocking Wi-Fi
To enable Wi-Fi, use the following command:
sudo rfkill unblock wifiThe unblock option enables the specified device.
Conclusion
In this guide, we learned how to turn Airplane Mode on and off in Ubuntu using the terminal. We used the nmcli command to control all wireless devices and the rfkill command to control specific devices. Remember to check the man pages (man nmcli or man rfkill) or the Ubuntu documentation for more information about these commands.
Airplane Mode in Ubuntu, as in other devices, is designed to disable all wireless communication, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular signals. It is often used in situations where wireless signals can interfere with aircraft communications, such as when flying on an airplane.
To open the terminal in Ubuntu, you can press Ctrl+Alt+T on your keyboard, or you can search for ‘Terminal’ in the application launcher.
To turn Airplane Mode on in Ubuntu using the terminal, you can use the nmcli command with the following syntax: nmcli r all off. This command will disable all radio devices, effectively enabling Airplane Mode.
To turn Airplane Mode off in Ubuntu using the terminal, you can use the nmcli command with the following syntax: nmcli r all on. This command will enable all radio devices, disabling Airplane Mode.
Yes, you can use the rfkill command to block or unblock specific wireless devices. For example, to block Wi-Fi, you can use the command sudo rfkill block wifi. To unblock Wi-Fi, you can use the command sudo rfkill unblock wifi. Note that this method may not toggle Airplane Mode in the network settings.
You can check the man pages for nmcli and rfkill by using the man command followed by the respective command name (e.g., man nmcli or man rfkill). Additionally, you can refer to the Ubuntu documentation for more detailed information on these commands and their usage.
