The Vanishing Configurations
Ubuntu utilizes NetworkManager (often interacted with via `nmcli` in the terminal) to handle all Wi-Fi and Ethernet configurations. Usually, once you connect to a network, the system saves the profile so you can reconnect seamlessly in the future. However, some users experience a highly disruptive glitch where Ubuntu automatically deletes specific saved network connections upon a reboot or after waking from suspension. This forces the user to manually re-enter their SSID, security type, and password every single time they want to connect to their home or office Wi-Fi, completely defeating the purpose of a network manager.
Fixing NetworkManager Permissions
This automatic deletion is rarely a designed feature; it is almost always a file permission error within the NetworkManager’s system connections directory, preventing it from permanently writing the configuration files to the disk.
To stop Ubuntu from automatically deleting your network connections upon reboot, you must ensure the NetworkManager service has the correct ownership rights to its configuration folder. Open your terminal app (`Ctrl + Alt + T`). Network profiles are stored in `/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/`. First, check the permissions by running: `ls -l /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/`. All files inside this folder should be strictly owned by `root`. If they are not, or if the folder itself has incorrect permissions, NetworkManager cannot save to it permanently. To fix this, run the following command to restore root ownership: sudo chown root:root /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/. Next, ensure the folder has the correct read/write permissions (only root should be able to read or write here for security) by running: sudo chmod 600 /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/*. Finally, restart the service to apply the changes: sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager. Your network profiles will now save permanently.