Date: Mon, 22 Jan 1996 23:14:09 -0800 (PST) From: Bill Fenner <fenner> To: hackers@freebsd.org, wollman@freebsd.org Cc: fenner Subject: arp(8) and proxy arp's Message-ID: <199601230714.XAA07552@freefall.freebsd.org>
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There have been some troubles reported recently with respect to partially completed arp entries making things confusing with dynamic ppp sessions. I'd like to propose a chance to the user-level arp program to try to reduce the potential confusion. The existing arp(8) can produce two different types of arp entries when you say "arp -s ip ether pub", depending on whether or not a host route for ip is already in the routing table. This behavior is silent and potentially confusing and deadly. I propose to seperate out "pub" (announce this ARP entry to others, use this ARP entry when trying to talk to this host) and "proxy" (only announce this ARP entry and don't try to use it) to make it deterministic which one the arp(8) command creates. I plan to add a "Do-What-I-Mean" that recognizes "arp -s ip myetheraddress pub" and turns it into a "proxy" request. But "pub" will create a "proxy-and-use" entry and "proxy" will create a "proxy only" entry and the behavior will always be predictable no matter what is in the routing table. Comments? Given the DWIM, I don't think that anyone will even notice this change, other than that they won't be able to create confusing arp table entries any more. Bill
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