5. Managing Configuration Profiles

Abstract

A profile is a specific set of configuration settings suited for a computer in a given environment. Profiles allow you to store configuration parameters specific to certain environments and to switch between them, according to the context.

By default Mandrakelinux Control Center profiles enable you to configure network setups for different locations. This is especially useful for laptops which need a different configuration for home, at the office, the coffee shop, etc. It also allows you to activate different services from one profile to another (see Section 2, “Configuring Start-Up Services”).

5.1. Profiles Handling

New profiles you wish to create will be based on the active one. All modifications are automatically recorded in the active profile. A single menu (Profiles) lets you manage them.

Figure 2. The Control Center Profiles Menu

The Control Center Profiles Menu
New

Creates a new profile based on the active one's settings. A dialog pops up asking for the name of the new profile. Don't forget to switch to that profile after creating it.

Delete

Shows a list of profiles so you can select the one to be removed. The active profile will not be shown, because it cannot be removed while being used.

default

The entries which follow correspond to all available profiles, the active one being checked. Click on a profile name to switch the host configuration to that profile, and you will then be asked for confirmation.

Let's take an example. You come back home with your brand new laptop which your system administrator configured so you can connect to your corporate network. You now want to configure the network to access the Internet from home.

  1. Create a new profile named, for example, “Home”.

  2. Switch to it.

  3. Reconfigure your network so that the modem, instead of the network card, is used to access the Internet (see Section 1, “Network and Internet Connection Management”).

  4. Connect to the Internet.

  5. When back at the office, switch back to the “default” profile.

5.2. Choosing Profile at Boot Time

Instead of switching profiles when the system is already up, it is often more convenient to activate a specific profile at boot time. drakboot (Section 2, “Changing your Boot-Up Configuration”) allows to attach a specific profile to each bootloader menu entry.

Figure 3. Attaching a Profile to a Boot Entry

Attaching a Profile to a Boot Entry

It is sufficient to create a new boot entry with an explicit name. Then, in that boot entry's configuration dialog, by clicking on the Advanced button, a Network profile pull-down menu will appear where you can select the profile to be associated to that boot entry. This way, the proper profile will be used automatically at start-up time by choosing the appropriate boot entry.

[Note]Note

Even if you don't associate a profile to a boot entry, you can choose the profile you wish to use during your system's boot up. In fact once the boot procedure is at the profile choosing step, your different profiles will be shown on screen and you can choose which one to boot with your keyboard's arrows and Enter keys.