June 1, 2026
Name drama, but make it Linux
I missed Network integrated tools on Windows so I built a Linux equivalent
Linux users got the all-in-one network toy they missed — and instantly argued over the name
TLDR: A developer rebuilt a popular Windows-style network helper for Linux, packing many internet troubleshooting tools into one app. Commenters mostly liked the effort, but the biggest early fuss was people untangling the confusing name and one user jokingly reliving old tool-related trauma.
A Linux developer basically said, “Fine, I’ll make it myself,” after missing a beloved all-in-one Windows network toolbox — and the result is NMLinux. It bundles a ton of internet and device-checking tools into one friendly app, from Wi‑Fi and speed tests to tracing where your connection goes and even sending a "wake up" signal to another machine. It’s free, built from scratch, and already piling on updates at a wild pace, which gives the whole thing strong passion project turned serious utility energy.
But the real sparkle is in the comments, where the first burst of drama wasn’t about features — it was about the name. One commenter rushed in like a hall monitor to clarify that NMLinux has nothing to do with Linux’s built-in NetworkManager system, and is actually inspired by a separate Windows app called NETworkManager. Translation for normal people: people saw the name and instantly thought, “Wait, is this that other thing?” Classic open-source comment-section chaos.
Then came the split-screen reaction. One camp was all warm applause, with an Arch Linux user cheering that it was already available in their community software repo — basically the geek version of getting a VIP pass. The other camp delivered the skeptical side-eye: one commenter got flashbacks from old Python-based network tools and sounded mildly traumatized, though still respectful. So the mood is delightfully mixed: useful app, confusing name, cautious optimism, and just enough nerd PTSD to keep things spicy.
Key Points
- •NMLinux is a free Linux desktop application inspired by NETworkManager and rewritten from scratch in Python and PySide6 rather than ported from the original C# code.
- •The initial public release v1.0.0 shipped with 13 integrated networking modules including interface inspection, Wi‑Fi, subnet calculation, DNS lookup, ping monitoring, IP and port scanning, Nmap, Whois, SNMP, SNTP/NTP, and SSH.
- •Version 1.1.1 added a rewritten SSH terminal, visual traceroute with map and geolocation, bandwidth monitoring, Wake on LAN, and an enhanced IP Scanner with vendor and interface details.
- •Version 1.2.0 introduced runtime light/dark theme switching, subnet mask display, improved bandwidth monitor controls, export functions for Nmap and Traceroute, and expanded internationalization support.
- •Version 1.2.5 added embedded MTR, a curl-and-Cloudflare-based speed test, a read-only firewall viewer for nftables and iptables, sidebar tooltips, and additional translations.