Interface Name

Interface Name

[Soragan Guo]

Hi,
i am using ppp for pppoe for my adsl and PPTP
the interface name for pptp is ppp as well as pppoe
how to modify the interface name become pptp0 or adsl0 or any other name 
according to type of connection?


Regards,
Soragan

Re: Interface Name

[James Cameron]

On Tue, Apr 27, 2004 at 07:16:22PM +1000, Soragan Guo wrote:
> how to modify the interface name become pptp0 or adsl0 or any other
> name according to type of connection?

The name is set by the PPP kernel module.  With suitable expertise you
could modify the kernel module.

There is a program called ifrename that will let you change the
interface name for a network interface.  This is also released as as
package by the same name in the Debian project.  

	http://packages.debian.org/ifrename

I've not investigated it for use with PPP.  The man page says it has to
run before the interface is brought up.  My experience with PPP so far
is that the interface is created and brought up immediately.

The author of ifrename is Jean Tourrilhes <jt@hpl.hp.com>

-- 
James Cameron                         http://quozl.netrek.org/
HP Open Source, Volunteer             http://opensource.hp.com/
PPTP Client Project, Release Engineer http://pptpclient.sourceforge.net/

Re: Interface Name

[Bill Unruh]

On Tue, 27 Apr 2004, James Cameron wrote:

> On Tue, Apr 27, 2004 at 07:16:22PM +1000, Soragan Guo wrote:
> > how to modify the interface name become pptp0 or adsl0 or any other
> > name according to type of connection?
> 
> The name is set by the PPP kernel module.  With suitable expertise you
> could modify the kernel module.

Actually pppd 2.4.x includes an options called "unit" with which you can
request pppd give you that numbr for the interface. If it is not
available, it will use the next available one anyway.

Re: Interface Name

[soragan]

> On Tue, 27 Apr 2004, James Cameron wrote:
>
>> On Tue, Apr 27, 2004 at 07:16:22PM +1000, Soragan Guo wrote:
>> > how to modify the interface name become pptp0 or adsl0 or any other
>> > name according to type of connection?
>>
>> The name is set by the PPP kernel module.  With suitable expertise you
>> could modify the kernel module.
>
> Actually pppd 2.4.x includes an options called "unit" with which you can
> request pppd give you that numbr for the interface. If it is not
> available, it will use the next available one anyway.

never try that option, but what i am trying to do it to change the
interface name, not the number like ppp0 ppp1 :)

soragan

Re: Interface Name

[James Cameron]

On Wed, Apr 28, 2004 at 12:15:38PM +1000, soragan@guox.net wrote:
> never try that option, but what i am trying to do it to change the
> interface name, not the number like ppp0 ppp1 :)

At least with that option, you could ensure that the interface has a
consistent name to begin with, rather than be allocated in order of
creation.

e.g. unit 40 for the adsl, unit 50 for the pppoe.

This may simplify the ifrename.

-- 
James Cameron                         http://quozl.netrek.org/
HP Open Source, Volunteer             http://opensource.hp.com/
PPTP Client Project, Release Engineer http://pptpclient.sourceforge.net/

Re: Interface Name

[Bill Unruh]

On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 soragan@guox.net wrote:

> > On Tue, 27 Apr 2004, James Cameron wrote:
> >
> >> On Tue, Apr 27, 2004 at 07:16:22PM +1000, Soragan Guo wrote:
> >> > how to modify the interface name become pptp0 or adsl0 or any other
> >> > name according to type of connection?
> >>
> >> The name is set by the PPP kernel module.  With suitable expertise you
> >> could modify the kernel module.
> >
> > Actually pppd 2.4.x includes an options called "unit" with which you can
> > request pppd give you that numbr for the interface. If it is not
> > available, it will use the next available one anyway.
> 
> never try that option, but what i am trying to do it to change the
> interface name, not the number like ppp0 ppp1 :)

There is also the linkname option. 

       linkname name
              Sets  the  logical name of the link to name.  Pppd will create a
              file named ppp-name.pid in /var/run (or /etc/ppp  on  some sys-
              tems)  containing  its process ID.  This can be useful in deter-
              mining which instance of pppd is responsible for the link to  a
              given peer system.  This is a privileged option.

Do not know if that would do what you want. 

Re: Interface Name

[James Carlson]

Bill Unruh writes:
> There is also the linkname option. 
[...]
> Do not know if that would do what you want. 

It doesn't.  It just sets a vanity name for the pid file, so that
writing a kill script is easier.

-- 
James Carlson                                  <carlson@workingcode.com>

Re: Interface Name

[Soragan Guo]

James Cameron wrote:

>At least with that option, you could ensure that the interface has a
>consistent name to begin with, rather than be allocated in order of
>creation.
>
>e.g. unit 40 for the adsl, unit 50 for the pppoe.
>
>This may simplify the ifrename.
>
>  
>
it make sense, good solution

Re: Interface Name

[Bill Unruh]

On Wed, 28 Apr 2004, James Carlson wrote:

> Bill Unruh writes:
> > There is also the linkname option. 
> [...]
> > Do not know if that would do what you want. 
> 
> It doesn't.  It just sets a vanity name for the pid file, so that
> writing a kill script is easier.

That may be all he wants.

Re: Interface Name

[Soragan Guo]

Bill Unruh wrote:

>On Wed, 28 Apr 2004, James Carlson wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Bill Unruh writes:
>>    
>>
>>>There is also the linkname option. 
>>>      
>>>
>>[...]
>>    
>>
>>>Do not know if that would do what you want. 
>>>      
>>>
>>It doesn't.  It just sets a vanity name for the pid file, so that
>>writing a kill script is easier.
>>    
>>
>
>That may be all he wants.
>
>  
>
no it is not what i want actually, hehe
what i want is to change the interface name in ifconfig

soragan

Re: Interface Name

[Bill Unruh]

On Thu, 29 Apr 2004, Soragan Guo wrote:

> >>It doesn't.  It just sets a vanity name for the pid file, so that
> >>writing a kill script is easier.
> >That may be all he wants.
> no it is not what i want actually, hehe
> what i want is to change the interface name in ifconfig

I suppose I should have said "maybe that is all that he needs".  Since I
have no idea what problem it is that you wanted to solve, I also have no
idea what would consitute a solution. 
The short answer is that the interface names, like ppp0, are assigned by
the kernel, and if you want to change them, you have to change the
kernel, as has been stated by others. You are of course free to do that,
but I suspect that you do not want to do that. Then the question is
whether there are other things which are easier to do which would
accomplish the same goals. I suggested two of them. Eg using the unit
option to pppd. That would mean that you (or a script you used) would
have to translate ppp50 to pptp in your mind, and that may be good
enough. On the other hand it might not be for some reason.