Mesh channels should be selected directly by the user.

[jg]

Rather than automatically chosen by NetworkManager.

Similarly, the user may explicitly choose to disconnect from the mesh.

#5143 gives the reason for this change. #5144 documents the firmware change needed #5145 documents the Linux driver change required #5146 documents the Network Manager changes needed.

[marco]

I discussed this with Dan in irc. I'm going to summarize the plan here.

Current automatic logic in NM:

1. use the mesh device, find a server on channel 1, then try channel 6, then 11
2. if that fails, let the infrastructure ethX interface try to connect to a known WiFi AP
3. if that fails, start looking for XO mesh portals
4. if that fails, just activate the mesh on channel 1

Current manual login in NM (triggered by SetActiveDevice when the user click on a mesh icon):

1. look for school server on that channel
2. look for an XO portal on that channel
3. standalone mesh on channel 1

The plan is to disable automatic connection altogether and keep the same logic for manual connection. Additionally, once the driver interface allows it, NM will turn the mesh on when it activates the device in stage 1, and turn the mesh off when it deactivates the device.

[marco]

We will have to verify/test once the NM changes are done, but as far as I can tell this not going to require any change in Sugar.

[marco]

Not sure if we want this for Update.1 now, or if we want it at all.

[mbletsas]

We definitely want a way for the user to "join a mesh in channel X" This right now has many conditions attached to it, which if not met, cause join to be abandoned and tried on a different channel.

M.

[jg]

Certainly, explicit changing of channels needs to work. Otherwise, you can't arrange for a local group of kids/classrooms to agree on a mesh channel, and may be wasting bandwidth and causing lots of routing at the school server.

Dan, how hard is this?

[dcbw]

Jim; we can already do this. The user clicks on the channel circle in Mesh View, and they will only be on that mesh channel. It's been that way since August.