Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2014 16:24:41 +0100 (CET) From: sthaug@nethelp.no To: thomas@gibfest.dk Cc: lev@FreeBSD.org, net@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Merge ping+ping6 and traceroue+traceroute6 to single utilities? Message-ID: <20140111.162441.104033349.sthaug@nethelp.no> In-Reply-To: <52D15185.50802@gibfest.dk> References: <52D14140.3090003@gibfest.dk> <20140111.143644.41639035.sthaug@nethelp.no> <52D15185.50802@gibfest.dk>
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> > I strongly disagree with the "almost always want a specific address > > family". I normally want to verify that the IP at the other end is > > alive, or get some idea of how to get there. If I want a specific > > address family I'm very happy to use -4 / -6 options. > > The IP at the other end will, by definition, always be either v4 or v6, > so yes, you do want a specific address family - namely the family your > IP belongs to. If I have an *IP address* (either IPv4 or IPv6), ping/traceroute can select the correct address family automatically, given the format of the address. If I have a *name*, to be used with a DNS lookup: - The name might have only an IPv4 address (A). ping/traceroute can select the correct adress family automatically. - The name might have only an IPv6 address (AAAA). ping/traceroute can select the correct adress family automatically. - The name might have both an IPv4 and an IPv6 address. Only in this case is it necessary to actually specify the address family *if it is important for you*. (There are cases where I don't care, and would be happy to let the system choose the address family. YMMV.) Thus in the three of these four cases ping/traceroute can determine the correct address family automatically. In only one of the cases is it (sometimes) necessary to specify the address family. I definitely want a unified IPv4/IPv6 ping/traceroute. Steinar Haug, Nethelp consulting, sthaug@nethelp.no
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