NetworkManager vs systemd-networkd – can I use both for DNS/proxy?

Hi everyone,

I’m not sure if this is the right place to ask, but here goes.

I recently migrated from Windows to CachyOS with KDE. Later, I installed Niri and Noctalia Shell alongside it, and I really started to like them so much that I’m now using this setup for my everyday work.

The thing is, I’m having some serious network problems. I need to use a VPN or a proxy for daily web browsing and studying, and I also need to use a custom DNS for gaming. I somehow managed to write a script to toggle the proxy for me, but I haven’t done the same for DNS yet.

I found that with systemd, I can use tools like nmcli or nm-applet if I enable systemd-networkd.service. Then I checked the Arch Wiki for more info and learned that you cannot use multiple networking services simultaneously.

In htop, I see NetworkManager --no-daemon running in the background, and I’m pretty sure that’s what Noctalia Shell uses for its network management widget.

Do I have to kill NetworkManager in order to run the systemd-networkd service, or can I just enable it and start using it without worry?

I’m really scared to touch any core settings because I don’t want to waste another week figuring out what went wrong. Any tips or directions would be greatly appreciated.