[ale] Configuring interfaces as manual (disabled) in xubuntu live

[Christopher Fowler]

I've built a Xubuntu persistent live USB stick.  I have 2 partitions.  
One is vfat and one is ext3 (casper-rw).

This machine I'm runing this on has 5 network devices.  First it has a 
via_rhine as eth0.  Next it has a RouterBoard 4 port.  I have one CAT-5 
plugged into the RB and into my network.  I have a CAT-5 plugged
into eth0 and my network.  The problem is that Xubuntu *insists* on 
configuring eth1 as DHCP since it
is connected.  I think it does then using NetworkManger when it auto 
logs in. 

I've edited /etc/network/interfaces on the casper-rw but when I boot it 
appears that on booting Xubutu has
overwritten it with one that only has an entry for loopback.

Editing network interfaces with the applet and disabling the 4 
interfaces does not work either.  I want
to run all 4 interfaces as a bridge. 

How can I tell Xubuntu to stop farking with eth1-eth4?

Thanks,
Chris