I'm trying to reduce my computer and internet use, and I'm looking for a way to make connecting to Wi‑Fi inconvenient or temporarily impossible on CachyOS. Would removing or disabling a Wi‑Fi-related package or driver work, or is there a safer method that can be reversed when I need to update the system?
4 Answers
You generally shouldn’t delete the Wi‑Fi drivers. Disabling the adapter is safer and easier to undo. If your computer’s firmware supports it, disabling Wi‑Fi in the BIOS/UEFI is a good option because turning it back on requires several deliberate steps and doesn’t alter your operating system.
Removing NetworkManager might prevent normal network management, but it can also interfere with other networking and make troubleshooting or updates harder. Removing utilities such as iwctl or wireless_tools alone may not stop Wi‑Fi, since the driver and another network service could still connect.
If the goal is simply to create friction, disabling the Wi‑Fi adapter through the system settings or BIOS/UEFI is better than uninstalling drivers. Removing drivers is unnecessary and could leave you without networking when you actually need it.
On KDE, you could configure the firewall to block incoming and outgoing connections. Changing the rule back would require your sudo password, which makes it a stronger barrier than simply toggling Wi‑Fi off. Just remember to restore the setting when you need system updates.
I’m using CachyOS, so I’d prefer a method that works there without breaking updates or requiring me to reinstall network packages later.