Re: [patch] ipv6.7: documents SOL_IPV6 as an alternative to IPPROTO_IPV6 for socket level.

["Michael Kerrisk (man-pages)" <mtk.manpages-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org>]

Hi Stéphane,

On 03/04/2015 12:20 AM, saulery-GANU6spQydw@public.gmane.org wrote:
> From: Stéphane Aulery <saulery-GANU6spQydw@public.gmane.org>
> 
> Fix for Debian bug #472447 reported by David Madore <david.madore@ens.fr>

I know it's tiresome, but it's nice to have a URL for easy clicking:

https://bugs.debian.org/472447

But, I am skeptical about the bug report. The reporter says that the
page "[does not] mention SOL_IPV6 as an alternative to IPPROTO_IPV6
for socket level.  It would be nice if it could."

This is not a very useful report. *Why* would it be nice? SOL_IPV6 is
not in any standard as far as I can see, nor on any other implementation.
Furthermore, ip(7) says of the analogous "SOL_IP" constant:

       Using  SOL_IP  socket  options  level  isn't  portable, BSD-based
       stacks use IPPROTO_IP level.

So, it appears to me that mentioning SOL_IPV6 is just leading people 
into a portability trap.

In general: one must question bug reports. The reporter may suggest 
that something is true or desirable, but that needs explanation or
justification.

Summary: I won't apply this. (I would entertain a patch that mention 
SOL_IPV6 in NOTES, with a careful note that it is nonportable.)

Cheers,

Michael

> 
> Signed-off-by: Stéphane Aulery <saulery-GANU6spQydw@public.gmane.org>
> ---
>  man7/ipv6.7 | 4 +++-
>  1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/man7/ipv6.7 b/man7/ipv6.7
> index c4e6cac..cd1af35 100644
> --- a/man7/ipv6.7
> +++ b/man7/ipv6.7
> @@ -195,7 +195,9 @@ IPv6 supports some protocol-specific socket options that can be set with
>  and read with
>  .BR getsockopt (2).
>  The socket option level for IPv6 is
> -.BR IPPROTO_IPV6 .
> +.BR IPPROTO_IPV6 
> +(or its alternative
> +.BR SOL_IPV6 ).
>  A boolean integer flag is zero when it is false, otherwise true.
>  .TP
>  .B IPV6_ADDRFORM
> 


-- 
Michael Kerrisk
Linux man-pages maintainer; http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/
Linux/UNIX System Programming Training: http://man7.org/training/
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