On Fri, 28 Jun 2019 15:55:53 +0200 Jiri Pirko <j...@resnulli.us> wrote:
> Fri, Jun 28, 2019 at 03:14:01PM CEST, and...@lunn.ch wrote: > >On Fri, Jun 28, 2019 at 01:12:16PM +0200, Jiri Pirko wrote: > >> Thu, Jun 27, 2019 at 09:20:41PM CEST, step...@networkplumber.org wrote: > >> >On Thu, 27 Jun 2019 20:39:48 +0200 > >> >Michal Kubecek <mkube...@suse.cz> wrote: > >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > $ ip li set dev enp3s0 alias "Onboard Ethernet" > >> >> > # ip link show "Onboard Ethernet" > >> >> > Device "Onboard Ethernet" does not exist. > >> >> > > >> >> > So it does not really appear to be an alias, it is a label. To be > >> >> > truly useful, it needs to be more than a label, it needs to be a real > >> >> > alias which you can use. > >> >> > >> >> That's exactly what I meant: to be really useful, one should be able to > >> >> use the alias(es) for setting device options, for adding routes, in > >> >> netfilter rules etc. > >> >> > >> >> Michal > >> > > >> >The kernel doesn't enforce uniqueness of alias. > >> >Also current kernel RTM_GETLINK doesn't do filter by alias (easily fixed). > >> > > >> >If it did, then handling it in iproute would be something like: > >> > >> I think that it is desired for kernel to work with "real alias" as a > >> handle. Userspace could either pass ifindex, IFLA_NAME or "real alias". > >> Userspace mapping like you did here might be perhaps okay for iproute2, > >> but I think that we need something and easy to use for all. > >> > >> Let's call it "altname". Get would return: > >> > >> IFLA_NAME eth0 > >> IFLA_ALT_NAME_LIST > >> IFLA_ALT_NAME eth0 > >> IFLA_ALT_NAME somethingelse > >> IFLA_ALT_NAME somenamethatisreallylong > > > >Hi Jiri > > > >What is your user case for having multiple IFLA_ALT_NAME for the same > >IFLA_NAME? > > I don't know about specific usecase for having more. Perhaps Michal > does. > > From the implementation perspective it is handy to have the ifname as > the first alt name in kernel, so the userspace would just pass > IFLA_ALT_NAME always. Also for avoiding name collisions etc. I like the alternate name proposal. The kernel would have to impose uniqueness. Does alt_name have to be unique across both regular and alt_name? Having multiple names list seems less interesting but it could be useful.
