It can be frustrating losing your connection to the internet—and it’s much worse when you find that NetworkManager isn’t running at all. Unfortunately, this issue is commonly encountered by users running distros such as Arch Linux and Ubuntu.

In most cases, issues with NetworkManager are simple to resolve. You might find that the solution is as easy as reinstalling NetworkManager or enabling the service. Let's take a look at some troubleshooting methods that are effective at resolving most issues with NetworkManager not running on Linux.

1. Verify That NetworkManager Is Installed and Updated

Some users have found that NetworkManager stopped running because the service was uninstalled or became incompatible with their system. You can determine whether NetworkManager is running by opening the terminal and entering the following command:

 systemctl status NetworkManager 

The terminal will print information about the status of NetworkManager. Read the printed information and then hit Ctrl + C to exit the prompt. You should investigate potential issues with your Wi-Fi connection if you’re struggling to connect to the internet but find that NetworkManager is actively running.

checking networkmanager status in terminal ubuntu
Screenshot by Hannah Knight -- No attribution required

If the terminal prints that the service is inactive (dead), you should make sure that NetworkManager is installed and updated. You can use the following commands to verify that NetworkManager is updated and to install any new updates if it isn’t:

 sudo apt install network-manager
sudo apt upgrade network-manager

You should also install the GNOME applet for NetworkManager if you are using a GNOME-based distro, such as Ubuntu or Debian. You can install this applet with the following command:

 sudo apt install network-manager-gnome
sudo apt upgrade network-manager-gnome

Test your connection by attempting to connect to the internet. Networking service functions can usually be restored by installing and/or updating NetworkManager. You may also need to restart NetworkManager with the following systemctl command:

 sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager 

It’s important to note that the reference terms you use for NetworkManager vary depending on your system and may need adjustment. Computers that use the Upstart initialization engine will refer to NetworkManager as network-manager. Computers that use the systemd initialization engine will refer to NetworkManager as NetworkManager.service.

Most users run operating systems that use the systemd initialization engine. For example, Ubuntu uses systemd and dropped backward compatibility for Upstart after 20.10 (Groovy Gorilla).

Even in systemd, the reference term may vary contextually. NetworkManager refers to the service while network-manager refers to the software package.

2. Enable NetworkManager to Run at Startup

If you find that manually starting NetworkManager works until you reboot your PC, the issue may be that NetworkManager lacks permission to run at startup. You can resolve this issue by opening the terminal and entering a simple command to enable it:

 systemctl enable NetworkManager 

Restart your computer and then attempt to connect to the internet. Your issue should resolve if the issue with NetworkManager was that it was unable to run at startup. If it failed to run, enter the following command to get more information about its status:

 systemctl status NetworkManager 

Read the logs printed at the bottom of the terminal. These logs may give you helpful information about what startup process caused NetworkManager to fail. You can investigate the errors given or share them with forum members online for advanced troubleshooting.

You should also consider if any recent changes you made to your PC could be preventing NetworkManager from working properly. If you recently changed settings in files like /etc/systemd/system.conf, you should immediately revert these changes and restart your PC.

Misconfigured VPNs are also commonly known to cause problems with NetworkManager. You should consider reverting any VPN configurations and reinstalling your VPN with guidance if you believe that it could potentially be the source of your problems with NetworkManager.

Any factors unique to your system that may affect networking services are worth investigating. If you decide to seek troubleshooting help online, providing this information to forum members will also make it easier for them to investigate the issue and offer the help you need.

Keep Your Linux System Updated

Unfortunately, not all networking issues are simple to resolve. Your issue may be complex and require situationally specific troubleshooting. While it’s impossible to prevent every system issue, you can keep your PC in good shape by regularly installing the latest stable system updates.