Re: review request: changing the default ifconfig(8) address format to CIDR

On Sat, 4 May 2024 16:34:03 +0100
Lexi Winter <lexi@le-fay.org> wrote:

> hi,
> 
> i've just submitted this PR:
> 
> https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/pull/1216
> 
> which contains this commit:
> 
> commit 57d273c90ee1c17446236aba25ed0bd291c4f126 (HEAD -> lf/main, hemlock/lf/main)
> Author: Lexi Winter <lexi@le-Fay.ORG>
> Date:   Sat May 4 16:11:21 2024 +0100
> 
>     ifconfig(8): change default IP address format to 'cidr'
> 
>     'netmasks' haven't been used in IP networking for decades.  Change the
>     default address format for both IPv4 and IPv6 addreses in ifconfig(8) to
>     'cidr', which prints addreses in the format most users will be more
>     familiar with.
> 
>     The previous format is still available using -finet:hex or -finet6:numeric.
> 
> imp@ suggested i should ask arch@ and net@ about this, so here i am!
> 
> i understand there might be some backward-compat concerns with scripting
> here, but it's well past time this change was made, and anyone who
> really can't update their scripts can use ifconfig -f or
> $IFCONFIG_FORMAT to retain the old behaviour.

Hi.

If you raally want it to be landed, you should wait at least 2 major
releases. Propagate the future change on Relesase Notes at 15.0, then,
actually change in 16.0 shoule be the earliest. Maybe 17.0 would be
reasonable.

This could be toooooooo hazardous on corporate-class users having
scripts/configurations for current style.

We SHALL give enough YEARS for their admins to look into ALL their
scripts/configuratins and fix everything affected. Moreover, if the
fixes are widely affecting with their internal apps, they could need to
acquire budgets to do so.

Possibly, introducing environment variable set in /etc/defaults/rc.conf
to select which format to use could help them. With it, they can set it
to use current format for all their computers running FreeBSD until
they fix all they need.
Something like IP_FORMAT=CIDR or IP_FORMAT=NETMASK.

Regards.

-- 
Tomoaki AOKI    <junchoon@dec.sakura.ne.jp>