From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: "Jeff V. Merkey" Subject: Re: [RFC] ip / ifconfig redesign Date: Fri, 02 Dec 2005 15:40:15 -0700 Message-ID: <4390CD4F.105@wolfmountaingroup.com> References: <200512022253.19029.a1426z@gawab.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: netdev@vger.kernel.org, linux-net@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Return-path: To: Al Boldi In-Reply-To: <200512022253.19029.a1426z@gawab.com> Sender: linux-net-owner@vger.kernel.org List-Id: netdev.vger.kernel.org Al Boldi wrote: >The current ip / ifconfig configuration is arcane and inflexible. The reason >being, that they are based on design principles inherited from the last >century. > >In a GNU/OpenSource environment, OpenMinds should not inhibit themselves >achieving new design-goals to enable a flexible non-redundant configuration. > >Specifically, '#> ip addr ' exhibits this issue clearly, by requiring to >associate the address to a link instead of the other way around. > >Consider this new approach for better address management: >1. Allow the definition of an address pool >2. Relate links to addresses >3. Implement to make things backward-compatible. > >The obvious benefit here, would be the transparent ability for apps to bind >to addresses, regardless of the link existence. > >Another benefit includes the ability to scale the link level transparently, >regardless of the application bind state. > >And there may be many other benefits... (i.e. 100% OSI compliance) > >-- >Al > >- >To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in >the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org >More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html >Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/ > > > Just what we need, another broken utility without backward compatibility. Make certain you preserve the existing commands so the whole planet isn't broken as a result. Jeff