[ale] ifup problems, possible IPv6

[Michael H. Warfield]

On Thu, 2005-02-03 at 13:27 -0500, Geoffrey wrote:
> Tony Carter wrote:
> > On Wednesday 02 February 2005 23:07, Michael H. Warfield wrote:
> > snip..
> > 
> >>You also have
> >>to reboot the system in order to remove IPv6 from the running kernel.
> >>You can not simply rmmod it.  No workie...
> >>
> >>
> >>>-Jay
> > 
> > Actually to stop the module from loading, you have to recompile the kernel 
> > without ipv6 support.

> If it is in fact a module, you could simply remove it.  The kernel 
> should complain, but keep on trucking.

	The protocol module puts hooks too deep into the kernel protocol
stacks.  It can not be removed at run time.  If you managed it somehow,
by overriding the reference counter, I would expect random acts of
terrorism to ensue.

	On a 2.4 kernel, I see the IPv6 module reference count = -1.  In other
words, a permanent module which you are not allowed to unload.  On the
2.6 kernels, the minimum module count I've seen on the ipv6 module is
"28" and that was with only two IPv6 sockets connected and four more
listening sockets.  Leaves something like a minimum "nothing happening"
reference count of 22 on a machine with only a single ethernet
interface.

	At the very least, each of your ethernet, dummy, and lo interfaces has
a link local address (fe80:: something) and represents a "reference
count" on the modules reference counter.  You also have references to it
out of the routing tables, even if it hasn't been configured properly.

	Mike
-- 
 Michael H. Warfield    |  (770) 985-6132   |  mhw at WittsEnd.com  
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