Automate network configurations with dispatcher scripts
Dispatcher
© Lead Image © Hannu Viitanen, 123RF.com
Use dispatcher scripts to mount a different network drive depending on the location or automatically start a VPN connection without lifting a finger.
Yesterday at a conference, today at a downtown office, tomorrow at a home office, the next day at an Internet cafe: Working life is no longer limited to a single desk. For many employees, a reliable Internet connection is all that is needed for a productive work day.
Although working from the road sounds simple, life on a laptop is often full of pitfalls and complications. On your home LAN, you will want to mount the file shares from your NAS, and on the open WiFi network of a cafe, you need a firewall to block all access. In the secure office, services that run locally are allowed to broadcast.
These different network-access use cases require continual adjustments. If a computer only connects to the network via a single wired Ethernet port, you can still mount a network drive via /etc/fstab, or you will want to use autofs if the desired server is not always connected to the network. But to start and stop services automatically depending on the situation, or to have certain configurations created automatically, you need an intelligent network manager.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Yet Another Linux Kernel Vulnerability Discovered
Affecting millions of systems, a kernel flaw discovered by Qualys could allow users to gain root privileges.
-
Ubuntu 26.10 to Include Ubuntu Certified Hardware Check
If you've ever wondered if your laptop or PC is officially certified to run Ubuntu, that curiosity will soon be met.
-
Substantial Update to IPFire Now Available
The lastest version of IPFire features a fundamental change to how the system handles DNS.
-
Gnome Working on Test Center App to Make Testing Easier
It's now possible to test experimental features on the Gnome desktop without worrying that you'll break things.
-
New Vulnerability Discovered in Linux Kernel
Hiding out for nearly 15 years, the Ghostlock vulnerability allows a standard logged-in user to gain root privileges.
-
New Linux Flaw Lets Attackers Escape VMs
A 16-year-old vulnerability allows an attacker to escape a virtual machine, gain access to the host, and execute malicious code.
-
Hannah Montana Linux Is Back!
Developer Noah Cagle decided the world needed the once obscure but beloved Linux distribution and gave it a decidedly pink refresh.
-
System76 Refreshes the Lemur Laptop
If you're looking for a laptop with tons of power and battery, look no further than the latest iteration of the System76 Lemur Pro.
-
More than 43 Million Lines of Code in Linux Kernel 7.2
Using the cloc utility, Michael Larabel of Phoronix discovered that Linux kernel 7.2 has over 43 million lines of code.
-
Kubuntu Focus Goes Ultra
The Kubuntu Focus team has upped the performance ante of its M2 and Zr laptops with the latest, greatest CPUs from Intel.