🌐 Network Backend Support
Ashell supports multiple network management backends. The backend is selected automatically at startup. NetworkManager is tried first, and if it is unavailable ashell falls back to IWD. No configuration is required.
NetworkManager
NetworkManager is the primary and most fully-featured backend. It provides complete networking support including wired connections, Wi-Fi, VPN, and more. This is the recommended backend for most users. ashell requires NetworkManager 1.16 or newer.
IWD
IWD (iNet Wireless Daemon) is a lightweight Wi-Fi-focused backend. It is used as a fallback when NetworkManager is not available. Since IWD only manages wireless connections, several features that depend on NetworkManager are unavailable.
Temporary connections
When joining an open (password-free) Wi-Fi network, ashell asks whether you want to connect only this time. Choosing that option activates the network without writing a profile to disk, so the connection disappears again once you disconnect. This is useful for one-off use of public hotspots. The option is not offered for an open network you have already saved, since ashell reuses the saved profile.
Temporary connections are only supported by NetworkManager, which activates the
profile with persist = "volatile". Under IWD the toggle is hidden - joining any
network writes an entry to /var/lib/iwd, and removing it again requires
KnownNetwork lifecycle handling that is not yet implemented.
Feature matrix
| Feature | NetworkManager | IWD |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi scan & connect | ✅ | ✅ |
| Wi-Fi enable/disable | ✅ | ✅ |
| Signal strength | ✅ | ✅ |
| Ethernet detection | ✅ | ❌ |
| VPN management | ✅ | ❌ |
| Temporary connections | ✅ | ❌ |
| Airplane mode | ✅ | ✅ |
| Connectivity state | ✅ | ✅ |
| Share Wi-Fi (QR code) | ✅ | ❌ |
A ❌ means the backend does not support that feature; the corresponding UI element is hidden or unavailable when running under that backend.
Notes
- Ethernet detection - IWD is a wireless-only daemon and has no knowledge of wired connections.
- VPN management - VPN support (including WireGuard) requires NetworkManager. The VPN toggle and sub-menu are hidden when running under IWD.
- Temporary connections - When joining an open network, the "connect only this time" option is shown only under NetworkManager. Under IWD the option is hidden and any connection is saved to disk.
- Share Wi-Fi - The QR code needs the saved passphrase, which NetworkManager hands out over D-Bus. IWD keeps passphrases in root-only files and has no D-Bus call to read them, so the share button is hidden under IWD. See Share Wi-Fi.