[gentoo-dev] Re: Suitable USE flag name for stuff that requires non volatile memory

[Duncan <1i5t5.duncan@cox.net>]

Roy Marples <uberlord@gentoo.org> posted
20070512161638.0bab56dc@uberlaptop.marples.name, excerpted below, on  Sat,
12 May 2007 16:16:38 +0100:

> Although it's a requirement for IPv6 DHCP, it's recommended for IPv4
> these days too. It is a requirement for IPv4 DHCP over infiniband as
> that has MAC address sizes that are great than what DHCP messages
> originally allowed. So no, in this case the ipv6 USE flag would be bad
> for this. I also implies IPv6 support which it won't have for some time
> yet.
> 
>> (I OTOH, would want it off, for the same reason I'm running the
>> macchanger module, have cookies off by default, and block the likes of
>> doubleclick.)
> 
> You can disable it's use at runtime by giving the -I option a null
> argument. This is unsuitable for live cd users as they won't do that by
> default.
> 
> Or you can always remove the file /var/lib/dhcpcd/dhcpcd.duid and it
> will make a new one for you.

Thanks.  The -I <nothing> sounds like the better alternative, as from 
your description elsewhere removing the duid would simply create new ones 
each time, filling up the slots on the server unnecessarily, while the -I 
disabling shouldn't use the functionality at all, which would be the same 
as having it not compiled in.

With that caveat, having it on by default and the livecd thing turn it 
off seems a bit more reasonable -- except then the livecds won't of 
course work with ipv6 DHCP then, as it's required there.  Given limited 
space on the CD and a desire to use it on ipv6 nets, I don't see a way 
around disabling it there 200 uses filling up garbage slots on the server 
or not.  Well, there's a hack, two in-path versions, a normal version 
script stub that adds the appropriate deactivating -I and an ipv6 or 
whatever version that doesn't, but that's a hack and not really 
satisfactory.

Are any other LiveCDs using it yet or otherwise providing IPv6 DHCP 
functionality?  What do they do?  Surely it's not just a Gentoo problem.

I still think IUSE=dhcp-uid is about as descriptive as it gets, and 
coupled with a decent use.desc.local entry and perhaps an elog notice of 
some sort, that should be fine.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

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