BIRD 1.4.0 bugfixes [1/2]

[Pierluigi Rolando]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tore Anderson [mailto:tore at fud.no]
> Sent: Monday, February 24, 2014 10:38 PM
> To: Pierluigi Rolando; bird-users at network.cz
> Subject: Re: BIRD 1.4.0 bugfixes [1/2]
> 
> * Pierluigi Rolando
> 
> > This patch fixes a situation where an interface enters TMPDOWN state
> > and doesn't leave it until a device scan is triggered by timer.
> >
> > This seems to happen whenever the interface is up but with no IP
> > address configured. BIRD will then put the interface in TMPDOWN state
> > (correctly)
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I question the correctness of putting an interface in any form of DOWN
> state even though there are no addresses assigned. There exists no
> requirement that an interface has addresses, even if it doesn't, it may
> still be UP and have active routes pointing to it. I therefore would
> ask you to consider fixing this in another way, by simply not requiring
> any IP addresses on the interface in order for it to be considered
> active.

Hi Tore,
I understand your use case and I am inclined to agree with you. However. As much as I'd like to help you, I think this is better left in the hands of the BIRD core developers. All I'm trying to do here is to describe the bug we were having and showing one (admittedly nasty) workaround.

I'll see if I can come up with something better, no promises though.

Thanks,
Pierluigi