ifconfig alias: File Exists

[TM4525 at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/19/04 3:51:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time, scrappy at hub.org 
writes:
>> # ifconfig fxp0 alias 200.46.204.9
>> ifconfig: ioctl (SIOCAIFADDR): File exists
>> 
>> when I know for a fact that it hasn't been configured?
>
> you should use a netmask of 255.255.255.255 for ipv4 aliases.
>
>     ifconfig fxp0 alias 200.46.204.9 netmask 255.255.255.255

>Is that new?  You are right, that fixed it, but didn't think I had to do 
>that before :(
You get it because the guy who maintains ifconfig didn't have the foresight
to realize the "alias" should imply a host mask, and also that the guy who
coded the kernel code didn't think that assuming a host mask was 
reasonable.

Welcome to open source. Love it and live with it.