Error produced by static ip setting: ifconfig: inet: bad value

[Jeremy Chadwick]

On Tue, Feb 01, 2011 at 09:55:47AM +0800, Yue Wu wrote:
> On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 02:50:25PM +0100, Bernhard Schmidt wrote:
> > On Monday, January 31, 2011 13:57:29 Yue Wu wrote:
> > > List,
> > > 
> > > Hi.
> > > 
> > > I use following setting for my wireless networking enviroment:
> > > 
> > >     ifconfig_wlan0="mode 11g bssid my:bssid wepmode on weptxkey 1
> > > wepkey 1:0x1111111111 DHCP"
> > > 
> > > But I don't like DHCP and want to use static ip, so I tried:
> > > 
> > >     ifconfig_wlan0="mode 11g bssid my:bssid wepmode on weptxkey 1
> > > wepkey 1:0x1111111111 inet 192.168.1.144  netmask 255.255.255.0"
> > > 
> > > But the setting makes BSD networking not working anymore, and when
> > > the system starts up, there's an error message:
> > > 
> > >     ifconfig: inet: bad value
> > > 
> > > What's wrong? How to use static ip in my wireless networking?
> > 
> > Remove the 'inet', it isn't required.
> > 
> 
> Thanks Schmidt, I haven't tried with your advice because the issue has
> gone after I put the `inet' in front of the value of ifconfig_wlan0, I
> will take a note for your hint and try it next time ;p
> 
> p.s., examples in the handbook [1] have the `inet', why?
> 
> [1] http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/network-wireless.html

The advice you were given is incorrect; you should absolutely be
specifying the address family (inet).  The syntax of the ifconfig(8)
line matters -- meaning, you're hitting an intentional design limitation
of the parser.  You cannot put the "inet x.x.x.x" part at the end.

Please see the ifconfig(8) man page.  Here's the specific part:

     ifconfig [-L] [-k] [-m] [-n] interface [create] [address_family]
              [address [dest_address]] [parameters]

address_family = something like "inet", "inet6", etc.

address = something like 1.2.3.4 or, or a CIDR address like 1.2.3.4/24
(which would expand to "inet 1.2.3.4 netmask 255.255.255.0")

parameters = dependent upon the interface you're configuring.  Fore
wireless interfaces, you'll need to see the man page section for that.

Hope this helps.

-- 
| Jeremy Chadwick                                   jdc at parodius.com |
| Parodius Networking                       http://www.parodius.com/ |
| UNIX Systems Administrator                  Mountain View, CA, USA |
| Making life hard for others since 1977.               PGP 4BD6C0CB |