nmtui-edit

View documentation for the original command

$ tldr nmtui

nmtui edit []

[]
    Optional. The name of the NetworkManager connection to edit. If provided, nmtui will attempt to open that specific connection for modification. If omitted, it will display a list of existing connections to choose from or an option to add a new one.

nmtui-edit refers to the functionality provided by the nmtui command specifically for editing network connections. nmtui is a curses-based text user interface (TUI) for NetworkManager, designed to simplify network configuration on Linux systems, especially in environments without a graphical desktop.

The nmtui edit subcommand (which nmtui-edit conceptually represents) allows users to directly jump into modifying existing network connections or creating new ones. It offers an intuitive, menu-driven interface to configure various connection properties, including IP addresses (DHCP/static), DNS servers, Wi-Fi security (SSID, password), Ethernet device assignments, VPN settings, and more. This tool provides a user-friendly alternative to manually editing configuration files or using complex nmcli commands for common network management tasks.

• Requires the NetworkManager service to be running.
• Saving changes typically requires root privileges or sufficient polkit permissions.
• As a curses-based interface, it requires a terminal environment for interaction.
• Changes made are applied by NetworkManager and may affect currently active network connections.
• nmtui-edit is not a direct command, but rather refers to the edit subcommand of nmtui.

While nmtui edit primarily focuses on modifying existing connections, if invoked without a or if no existing connections are selected from the list, it provides an intuitive option to create a new network connection from scratch.

The nmtui interface is navigated using keyboard inputs. Users typically use arrow keys (Up, Down, Left, Right), the Tab key to cycle through elements, the Enter key to select or confirm, and the Esc key to cancel or go back.

nmtui (and its subcommands like edit) was introduced as part of NetworkManager to provide a user-friendly, interactive text interface. Its development focused on simplifying network configuration for command-line users, complementing nmcli (the command-line interface) and graphical tools. It became a standard utility for managing network connections in various Linux distributions, especially useful for server administrators or in minimal desktop environments.

nmtui(1), nmcli(1), NetworkManager(8), nm-settings(5), nm-connection-editor(1)