5. Managing Configuration Profiles

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 Mandriva Linux 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 Seção 2, “Configuring Start-Up Services”).

5.1. Profile Handling

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

Figura 2. The Control Center's Profile Menu

The Control Center's Profile 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 you can remove. The active profile won't be shown because it can't 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.

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 with a dialup connection.

  1. Create a new profile called “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 Seção 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 a Profile at Boot Time

It's more convenient to specify a profile at boot time than to activate it once the system is booted. drakboot (Seção 2, “Changing your Bootup Configuration”) allows you to associate a specific profile to each menu entry of the bootloader.

Figura 3. Associating a Profile to a Boot Entry

Associating a Profile to a Boot Entry

Create or modify a boot entry in drakboot. In the Advanced options, access the Network profile pull-down menu and select the profile you want to associate to it.