Comment 2 for bug 1084380

David, thanks for your response.

We ran 100 system start-up sequences on a fresh clean and fully updated standard installation of xubuntu 12.10.
— The shortest sequences were with 1 BAD PASSWORD error message, followed by a manual click on the Connect button followed by a successful connection.
— The longest sequences of BAD PASSWORD error messages were in excess of 15, each time followed by a manual click on Connect, but without ever resulting in a successful connection (after 15 we performed a system restart).
— The average was 6.7 BAD PASSWORD messages prior to a connection.
I am attaching a wicd.log file of one short sample sequence (they are all similar, and can become very long and repetitive).

As a control, we ran 100 start-up sequences with "network manager" instead of wicd under an unmodified standard xubuntu 12.04 LTS using a different partition on the same machine and using the same access point. Without fail, each time a connection was already established by the time the desktop was fully up and running.

As a final control, we ran 100 start-up sequences with MS Windows 7 on yet another partition. Again, by the time we had a running desktop, the internet connection was already live without exception.

We are about to install 1200 systems. They are workhorses which have to be stable and functional with no frills. An average 10-minute delay in getting systems ready for work represents 2.1% of a working day. That is 25 staff fully paid for doing nothing but clicking the Connect button. Hopefully you will understand an element of frustration here. It is certainly not personal. I hope we can resolve this.

Leo