From owner-freebsd-net@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Apr 11 20:18:08 2013 Return-Path: Delivered-To: net@FreeBSD.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.FreeBSD.org [8.8.178.115]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D84E9828; Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:18:08 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from glebius@FreeBSD.org) Received: from cell.glebius.int.ru (glebius.int.ru [81.19.69.10]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4FFC917C4; Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:18:06 +0000 (UTC) Received: from cell.glebius.int.ru (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by cell.glebius.int.ru (8.14.6/8.14.6) with ESMTP id r3BKI5fG072030; Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:18:05 +0400 (MSK) (envelope-from glebius@FreeBSD.org) Received: (from glebius@localhost) by cell.glebius.int.ru (8.14.6/8.14.6/Submit) id r3BKI5kX072029; Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:18:05 +0400 (MSK) (envelope-from glebius@FreeBSD.org) X-Authentication-Warning: cell.glebius.int.ru: glebius set sender to glebius@FreeBSD.org using -f Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:18:05 +0400 From: Gleb Smirnoff To: net@FreeBSD.org, current@FreeBSD.org Subject: ipfilter(4) needs maintainer Message-ID: <20130411201805.GD76816@FreeBSD.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=koi8-r Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.21 (2010-09-15) X-BeenThere: freebsd-net@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list List-Id: Networking and TCP/IP with FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:18:08 -0000 Hello, here is brief status on ipfilter(4) packet filtering facility, written by Darren Reed, that is shipped with FreeBSD kernel. o The version of the software is v4.1.28. The license is BSD, .. erm the license is very close to BSD, but with some additions, most notable is: > The licence and distribution terms for any publically available version or > derivative of this code cannot be changed. i.e. this code cannot simply be > copied, in part or in whole, and put under another distribution licence > [including the GNU Public Licence.] The version we have is v4.1.28, it was released 16 October 2007. Suprisingly, the author has switched ipfilter license to GPL. :) The last release under BSD license was v4.1.34, released 11 MArch 2010. The author is now working on v5, licensed under GPL. o There are 29 open bug reports tagged with [ipfilter] in GNATS. Actually this is not a lot, since there 95 closed PRs with this tag. Anyway, these 29 need care. o Apart from filed PRs, there is knowledge that ipfilter(4) isn't compatible with VIMAGE. o ipfilter(4) uses old outdated kernel APIs that we want to cleanse away from the kernel. And we don't have responsive users, willing to test patches. For example, this request for testing wasn't answered by anyone: http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-net/2012-August/033139.html Due to license change and inactivity of the author in our tree and GNATS, there is clear evidence that author do not plan to update or take care of ipfilter in our source tree. Thus, ipfilter(4) should be assigned status of our code, that should be taken care of ourselves. This means it needs maintainer, and this email is a call for one. Any takers? Lack of maintainer in a near future would lead to bitrot due to changes in other areas of network stack, kernel APIs, etc. This already happens, many changes during 10.0-CURRENT cycle were only compile tested wrt ipfilter. If we fail to find maintainer, then a correct decision would be to remove ipfilter(4) from the base system before 10.0-RELEASE. P.S. The project homepage: http://coombs.anu.edu.au/~avalon/ -- Totus tuus, Glebius.