Re: [gentoo-dev] call for testers: udev predictable network interface names

[Michael Weber]

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Hi,

"This can have serious security implications" [1]

For whom?
The often cited end user not running any network service, not even sshd?
Without firewalls, routing or dhcp_d_?
Some avahi-discovery woodoo stuff unaware of network topology at all?

Maybe the M$/Windows mechanism asking the user to classify an newly
discovered network as (and shutting down network communication until
done so) isn't the worst solution at all.
(Well, that would need an dbus like service to pop up this box *hihi*)

[Generally speaking]

Linux developed from an highly specialized group of users to an broad
spectrum from "I have control, leave my unique setup alone" to "I have
no idea what I'm doing/I'm unwilling to read/Lets sudo random search
results" kinda users. Not all are enlightened.

Good part is the media coverage, money invested/wasted/...
Hard part is to find an compromise for all users.

So lets provide something that works w/o interaction or master
knowledge and not annoys the crap out of users - for all users.

[about NIC names]

Changing the netdev names way from eth*/wlan*/wwan*/ results in a hell
of obsolete documentation.
Opt-out urges users into either adapt their setups or disable the rules.
This LAN/WLAN eth0/eth1 mess could be fixed by assuring Wi-Fi NICs
being called wlan*, and running WPA stuff just there.

The upcoming UMTS/broadband interfaces are called wwan*? *duck*

Last point - as long as identification of LAN networks isn't handled
properly, the consistency of NIC names it the lesser security concern
for users carring around their laptops.

Enough!

   Michael

[1]
http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/PredictableNetworkInterfaceNames

On 01/09/2013 11:13 PM, William Hubbs wrote:
> All,
>
> as you probably know by now, udev-197 has hit the tree.
>
> This new version implements a new feature called predictable
> network interface names [1], which I have currently turned off for
> live systems, because it will require migration on the part of the
> user.
>
> When you upgrade to this new version of udev, you will find a file
> /etc/udev/rules.d/80-net-name-slot.rules on your system. It
> currently has comments explaining what is happening.
>
> As long as this file is in place, this feature is not activated.
> That is why there is not a news item. If you do nothing, nothing
> changes.
>
> What I would like to do is find some people who are willing to
> migrate and report any issues they find.
>
> I would like this to be the default for everyone at some point, so
> I want to document the migration process and find out if there are
> any bugs in tools because they expect the eth* names.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> William
>
> [1]
> http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/PredictableNetworkInterfaceNames
>
>
- -- 
Michael Weber
Gentoo Developer
web: https://xmw.de/
mailto: Michael Weber <xmw@g.o>
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