From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Feb 13 18:42:14 2007 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2D34116A400 for ; Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:42:14 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from olli@lurza.secnetix.de) Received: from lurza.secnetix.de (lurza.secnetix.de [83.120.8.8]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 975CE13C442 for ; Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:42:13 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from olli@lurza.secnetix.de) Received: from lurza.secnetix.de (fezkly@localhost [127.0.0.1]) by lurza.secnetix.de (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id l1DIg7xj016709; Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:42:12 +0100 (CET) (envelope-from oliver.fromme@secnetix.de) Received: (from olli@localhost) by lurza.secnetix.de (8.13.4/8.13.1/Submit) id l1DIg7EX016708; Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:42:07 +0100 (CET) (envelope-from olli) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:42:07 +0100 (CET) Message-Id: <200702131842.l1DIg7EX016708@lurza.secnetix.de> From: Oliver Fromme To: freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG, fcash@ocis.net In-Reply-To: <200702130922.01746.fcash@ocis.net> X-Newsgroups: list.freebsd-stable User-Agent: tin/1.8.2-20060425 ("Shillay") (UNIX) (FreeBSD/4.11-STABLE (i386)) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-2.1.2 (lurza.secnetix.de [127.0.0.1]); Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:42:12 +0100 (CET) Cc: Subject: Re: Desired behaviour of "ifconfig -alias" X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG, fcash@ocis.net List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:42:14 -0000 Freddie Cash wrote: > Oliver Fromme wrote: > > If asked what "-alias" does, I would reply that it is an > > alias for "delete" or "remove", which removes an IP address > > from an interface. According to the docs, the IP address > > to be removed must be specified. The docs don't mention > > what happens if none is specified, so the behaviour is > > undefined and should not be relied on. It just happens > > [insert tongue into cheek] > Hmmm, so if the behaviour is undefined, and should not be relied upon, > why is everyone arguing to keep it as they rely upon it? :) Good question. Personally I use that "feature" only at the shell prompt (interactively) because it saves typing and potentially reduces typing errors. And I see imemdiately if it fails or produces unexpected results. In scripts I always use the documented syntax, so there's no danger. > If no one should be relying upon this undefined behaviour, then why > not fix it and make it reliable? Exactly. That's what I'm suggesting. Fix the manual page, so the behaviour isn't undefined anymore, thus make it reliable. ;-) Best regards Oliver -- Oliver Fromme, secnetix GmbH & Co. KG, Marktplatz 29, 85567 Grafing b. M. Handelsregister: Registergericht Muenchen, HRA 74606, Geschäftsfuehrung: secnetix Verwaltungsgesellsch. mbH, Handelsregister: Registergericht Mün- chen, HRB 125758, Geschäftsführer: Maik Bachmann, Olaf Erb, Ralf Gebhart Any opinions expressed in this message are personal to the author and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of secnetix GmbH & Co KG in any way. FreeBSD-Dienstleistungen, -Produkte und mehr: http://www.secnetix.de/bsd "I started using PostgreSQL around a month ago, and the feeling is similar to the switch from Linux to FreeBSD in '96 -- 'wow!'." -- Oddbjorn Steffensen