On Friday, June 10, 2011 09:21:43 PM you wrote:
> One issue is GUI vs TUI.

NetworkManager per se does not require a GUI.  There is a fairly functional CLI client to activate and deactivate connections, and a pretty well documented set of directives to put in those same flat files that have been used for a very long time in /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts that includes useful things.  Like this topic's OP found, a useful directive indeed is available to force NM to wait on a particular connection to come up.  Also, directives to make the connection 'system-wide' and thus come up at boot and stay up, etc.

I think once a really functional CLI and/or a reasonable text-mode 'curses' or similar interface for NM that operates well, then you'll see it become the upstream default.

Already there are improvements in EL6.1 in this area.

The point being this: if upstream does it, then SL will either need to follow, or will need to maintain increasingly more difficult workarounds.