WICD feature request. Forward to WICD develpers.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Signpost/Questions#contribute

Most versions of Linux tend to keep everything like ports and things all closed down unless you are actively using them. This makes it much tougher for someone to compromise your machine, unless you deliberately setup unsecured remote desktop and remote logins to your root user account. Monitoring people trying to access your machine would quickly become very very boring - "oh look, still nothing going on" lol. Here's a guide about antivirus as an example
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Antivirus

Ubuntu has a firewall automatically installed. You can install a gui frontend if you wish to monitor or edit what it does, the usual one in most distros is "Firestarter".

You might like this guide to help you adjust to gnu&linux distros (specifically Ubuntu in this case) a bit more
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SwitchingToUbuntu/FromWindows

Usually when you want to add some extra functionality to a program just open Synaptic Package Manager and use the search button to search through package descriptions. The extra functionality might be added to more than one program. For example adding the web-cam package adds that functionality to IMs, video-editing and various other things too.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SynapticHowto

However, i think you do have some excellent ideas there and it'd be great to post them up in the Ubuntu "brainstorming" section to see if anyone can either point out where those features are or else to let people vote on and/or add to your ideas :)
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Signpost/Questions#contribute

Welcome in to ubuntu community, great to see you joining in already :)))
Regards and good luck from
Tom :)

The launchpad place of Wicd ( i prefer Wicd than network-manager ) https://launchpad.net/wicd i think is the best place to send your suggestions.

Hope this helps

I have not had much luck with Wicd. I have only just managed to work out the basics with network manager to be honest. There are a few indicators/graphs i would like to be able to see easily to better inform me about what's going on with my network - i would really like to see a signal strength monitor for wireless networks that works for me.

Good luck, thanks and regards from
Tom :)

My apologies if I missed something, but Network monitoring is not a 'trivial' task and typically does require some degree of understanding of TCP/IP protocols among other things.

Wireshark is a wonderful tool and phenomenally supported by the Wireshark Team with training and tutorials that should one WISH to learn more they can.

But I understand if it's difficult to use for the average user, but in fairness it isn't designed for the 'average user'.

What I'm wondering is why are you not using the really simply 'Firestarter' Application to monitor active connections? AFAIK this is what you are seeking, and the info is not overly technical.

HTH's.

All i want now is a simple little signal strength applet or something that is easy to see as soon as i turn the machine on and happily just sits there if i decide that the strength is high enough to make it worthwhile using the laptop, given the low battery life. Mobile phones all have one, i don't see why i would need to open some big program and wait for it to start up just in order to see something so simple. I think a few of the other ideas put forwards would similarly be quite handy to have as little applets or something.

Regards from
Tom :)

I had bought this Acer Aspire One $349. on May 1st, after it arrived I then installed Ubuntu NBR deleting Windows XP right then. I had read much on Ubuntu prior to installing.

In past, had used an Alienware M9700 I paid $3972. exactly for in Nov. '06. That ran Win. XP. After installing software I wanted including Second Life, it slowed down & got very quirky & misbehaved badly. As you know Windows gets sick & registry needs cleaning out in each 2 months. Windows has the problem or getting broken by installing / uninstalling software you experiment with to find what you like & don't like. I found that simple small easy to use freeware was right for me & found what I did not want to use. Anyway Ccleaner was an all around Windows clean up tool that worked well to keep Windows going fast & clean. Yet Windows Malware & the Firewall were big headaches that drove me nuts.
The Windows security I found that worked free & best was this combination Threatfire, Avast, & gave up on firewalls until found Online Armor, it was simple & did not screw up things like Comodo & Zone Alarm did. however this all cost a speed decrease to run it all.
 Ubuntu needs none of this & runs so very fast on a AAO netbook.

 I mainly use the Library WiFi & found times when after getting online the PC went from Game-Rig fast to near hang-up slow without reason. An online friend informed me of people using scanner & hacking tools to find Open ports on Windows machines to exploit. i have studied this hack attack method reported by many. So when the PC suddenly went super slow he said someone has my open ports & is trying to infect me with a Trojan. I am not ignorant of how DOS / Windows worked as I used it for so very long since Win 95 days the original BBS & then internet.
Anyway he guided me to install Zone Alarm, then experimenting with that just caused me to lose Firefox & Second Life use. Then when could not figure out what I did wrong had to re-install all.
Anyway Windows was aggravating, Then i installed Windows Vista which was buggy to the max & gave nothing but big problems ( driver failures & locked up when tried to access a file ). Well back in December that expensive game notebook died, the mainboard is old now yet cost $350. to get another & replace it myself. I did not buy it of course.
This AAO does not run Second life well yet the windows version does run over WINE. Very super slow of course. The Linux versions SL cause total system freeze.
The Ubuntu Firewall works fine by way it is & I see no reason to even mess with it ever. If it is not broken I don't fix it.
"What I'm wondering is why are you not using the really simply 'Firestarter' Application to monitor active connections? AFAIK this is what you are seeking, and the info is not overly technical."
I have installed & used Firestarter yes, & it does not identify attack site or alert if scanner / hack attack attempt is made.
I thought that WICD is a good network manager that can be forged so to speak with a simple hack attack alert is about all I thought it needed as that is the GUI part of the network connection part of the OS just wanted it simple is all.
It does not matter as I have learned that Ubuntu is not SEEN & hackers can't attack it, as they did when I ran Windows. I have not had Ubuntu slow down like Windows did after coming under attack.

I have used Ubuntu past 4 months now & have been studying it closely I will not return to Windows ever as Ubuntu is so much better over all it does what I need without me having to over maintain it. I do see that Ubuntu as claimed in the articles I've read works & is secure out of the box. I don't need to hassle with it & baby it as with Windows. The only thing is that some updates cause a few weird things to happen, yet a next update comes very quickly & corrects the issue. Windows had worse things happen.....
I have used Network Manager & yes it works well, had come across post claiming problems with it so I switched to WICD to try it. I get faster connects & the range is better & data speed is faster as well.
"The launchpad place of Wicd ( i prefer Wicd than network-manager ) https://launchpad.net/wicd i think is the best place to send your suggestions."
Will post there then, Thank you.

 As I said I experiment with software to find what I like. Ubuntu offers no restrictions in what ever I try & it does not get so sick like Windows does after installing / uninstalling experimenting with software. At this point I've experimented with lots of software on Ubuntu & have the custom LOOK & feel & functions I want to my liking & I do not need to have Avast, Threatfire or anything else to secure it, just works as claimed as tested it on http://www.pcflank.com/index.htm go ahead anyone & test Windows security on this site no matter how I tried to secure Windows the site found a flaw, this site finds no flaw or security holes in Ubuntu @ all ( Ubuntu ports are each & all Stealthed ).

One day I intend to buy a another real notebook PC again yet will not spend above $999. & yes use Ubuntu.

Wow! Yes i find Ubuntu can totally revive a machine that's slowdown in Windows. It can sometimes help sort the Windows side out a bit but i agree that sorting Windows problems can be toooo time consuming.

Hi :)

Have you been able to test the new Ubuntu 10.04 before it gets officially released?
http://www.ubuntulinux.org/testing/lucid/beta1
Trying it as a LiveCd or as an extra dual/multi-boot would be ideal. Developers and everyone are keen to try to iron out any problems before 10.04 gets officially released so you might find faster & more effective answers to your bug reports which would make 10.04 work better on your system for you

Thanks and regards from
Tom :)