Re: [bug-inetutils] Regarding IPv6 capabilities.

[Mats Erik Andersson]

torsdag den 22 juli 2010 klockan 14:16 skrev Alfred M. Szmidt detta:
>    I am now entering the Inetutils track with the intent of
>    implementing IPv6 support where it is lacking. The first goal of
>    mine is to deal with ftp and ftpd, then tftp and tftpd,
>    respectively. So please inform me whether someone already is
>    investing time here.
> 
> IPv6 support should already exist for the various daemons when used
> with inetd--I'm for any patches that remove the whole socket setup for
> all the daemons.  The clients _should_ support IPv6, but some are
> lacking in that regard mostly due to not being able to read IPv6
> addresses; e.g. the tftp client.
> 

This observation can only be conditionally true. The reason being
that clients and server executables too offen rely on some code for
verbose output that try to resolve addresses, thus introducing
implicit family dependence. gethostbyname(3) is the worst culprit
of them all! That inetd(8) is able to pass the socket, independently
of address family, is only the frontside of the coin, so all clients
and all servers should be reviewed again once a decision to support
the dual stack has been made. I am volonteering here! Patience, please!


Best regards for now,

Mats Erik Andersson, fil. dr