[Bridge] Little problem with 1.x versions (if_indextoname)

Harald Küthe Harald.Kuethe at controlware.de
Thu Jun 3 00:37:34 PDT 2004


Hi, 
I have used bridge-utils 0.9.6 so far in a kernel 2.4.26, uClibc and ppc environment.

When I use version 1.0.3 I have the problem that I do not see the brige with the 'brctl show' command if it is not fully set up. It was working with 0.9.6.
I tracked the problem down to an 'incompatibility' in bridge/uClibc/kernel.

0.9.6 uses its own if_indextoname function which uses the SIOCGIFNAME ioctl which works with the kernel.
Version 1.x uses the libc if_indextoname (here uClibc) which uses the SIOCGIFCONF ioctl and scans the if list to resolv the name for an if_index. 
The kernel will not send back interfaces which do not have an ip address (or exactly only for protocol family inet or decnet). 
So if the bridge does not have an ip address the name resolution fails and old_foreach_bridge() fails as well.

I'm not sure who has the problem now (kernel, uClibc, bridge) , but I think I will insert if_indextoname() back to the bridge.

I hope that this information is useful.

Regards
Harald Küthe





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