# I cannot use nm-applet as normal user

## Hwoarang

Hi, it's been a while since the last time I had to mess with nm-applet. Today I tried to launch a VPN session that used to work months ago but I got the following error

```
** (nm-applet:7549): WARNING **: <WARN>  activate_vpn_cb(): VPN Connection activation failed: (org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.PermissionDenied) No user settings service available

```

Then I realised that nm-applet can do NOTHING as normal user

```
** (nm-applet:7549): WARNING **: <WARN>  activate_connection_cb(): Connection activation failed: Not authorized to control networking.

```

I even removed all the nm-applet packages, dbus configurations and merged them again. Still nothing. I found this guide

http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/NetworkManager

That says that only works with NetworkManager 0.7. However I use the latest ~arch packages. Can you please help me understand how to make nm-applet and consequently NetworkManager to work as normal user?

Thank you

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## Hwoarang

I opened this bug

https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=348517

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## Dagger

Hi Hwoarang,

It's highly recommended to use polkit. Plugdev was used ages ago when polkit was hard masked and many people didn't really want to use it.

If you really really don't want to use polkit, you can modify dbus policy (same was as we did for anything before 0.8.2). Please check out this file:

net-misc/networkmanager/files/networkmanager-0.8.1-confchanges.patch

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## Hwoarang

Polkit?

I do have polkit installed however I am not sure how to use it

I guess the behavior changed from 0.8.1 to 0.8.2. Apply same policy rules on dbus for 0.8.2 does not fix the problem for me

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## Hwoarang

Seems like many people have problems with 0.8.2 and polkit

http://old.nabble.com/No-user-settings-service-available-td30477671.html

Is there a working polkit configuration? Is there a decent way to use nm-applet as user and manage my connections as I used to do with 0.8.1?

Thanks

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