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(Proposal) Add "network-manager-config-connectivity-debian" to the list of preinstalled packages
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Description

User story: I am an everyday user connecting to "free wifi". When I connect to a free wifi network, I want to be taken to the portal login page, so that I don't have to remember the URL myself.

Suggested solution: Add "network-manager-config-connectivity-debian" to the list of preinstalled packages. Once installed, the GNOME desktop presents the login page for a captive portal (if one exists) with no action required of the user.

Notes:

  • This is a proposal, still under discussion.
  • Some browsers (PureBrowser, Firefox) have a feature that performs the same function, but that solution isn't suitable for non-browsing scenarios or browsers with strictly-HTTPS configurations.
  • Having the shell perform this task (not the browser) follows a similar UX interaction found on mobile platforms.
  • From the package notes: "No user data is transmitted in the connectivity checks, but merely contacting the Debian connectivity check servers reveals that the user is running a Debian(-based) operating system with NetworkManager."

Event Timeline

d3vid created this task.Jun 29 2018, 12:37
d3vid added a comment.Jul 25 2018, 04:02

Pings the URL http://network-test.debian.org/nm to test connectivity. Would https://www.debian.org/something be a better target? This would be protected from tampering, and indistinguishable from any other Debian website address.

d3vid added a comment.Jul 25 2018, 04:02

Still to do: check if the ping URL is configurable (and log an issue if it isn't)

jonas.smedegaard triaged this task as Normal priority.