[openbeosnetteam] Re: DHCP Project Specs Needed

Philippe Houdoin <philippe.houdoin@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Quoting Axel Dörfler:
> > Is there any situation where the DHCP negotation has to be started 
> > by a
> > kernel component? If not, I would rather put it in userland.
> Lease expiration (which could be *before* expected time) & client 
> release at
> stack shutdown, a future integration with automatic configuration 
> thru ZeroConf
> support for example.
[...]
> BTW, DHCP is classified as a Network Layer protocol (OSI/ISO layer 3, 
> just above
> DataLink Layer (arp, ppp, ethernet)), not an Application/Services 
> one.
> 
> Inetd superdaemon provides easy support for most of Internet OSI/ISO 
> Application
> Layer protocols, but nothing below transport layer (tcp, udp), for 
> good reason.

Those all seem to be good reasons to put it into the kernel. But since 
you're the boss, I guess it's your decision, anyway :-)
If possible, I would put it (as well as ZeroConf, Rendezvous [or 
whatever it's called these days]) into a userland application - maybe 
with a tight interface with the kernel that allows for the full feature 
set.

> > Don't we need a replacement for inetd anyway? Couldn't we have a
> > net_server that takes over inetd services as well as DHCP (as an 
> > add-
> > on, possibly)?
> A super inetd? Like Apple's launchd?
> Indeed we need an inetd-like support.
> That's maybe a better way to do it, yes. But what if someone kill 
> inetd then?
> No more automatic lease expansion?

No one would kill inetd, because there is no inetd - there would just 
be the net_server responsible for all that stuff.
And you shouldn't be surprised to see some effects if you kill that one 
:-)

I don't imagine it to be a super-inetd, at least not in the launchd 
kind of sense. I would rather see that application handle all 
networking stuff that happens in userland - from a Deskbar add-on to 
initiating PPP connections through the pppcontrol command or whatever 
else there will be).

Bye,
   Axel.

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