RE: dhclient/wpa_supplicant patch

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brooks Davis [mailto:brooks_at_one-eyed-alien.net] 
> Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 10:08 PM
> To: Brooks Davis
> Cc: Darren Pilgrim; current_at_freebsd.org
> Subject: Re: dhclient/wpa_supplicant patch
> 
> 
> On Wed, Jun 29, 2005 at 12:23:38AM -0700, Brooks Davis wrote:
> > On Tue, Jun 28, 2005 at 10:54:15PM -0700, Darren Pilgrim wrote:
> > > From: Brooks Davis
> > > > 
> > > > --- rc.d/wpa_supplicant	Tue Jun 28 22:24:18 2005
> > > > +++ rc.d/wpa_supplicant	Tue Jun 28 18:51:32 2005
> > > <...>
> > > > +if ! wpaif $ifn; then
> > > > +	return 1
> > > > +fi
> > > 
> > > I think it would be better if the dhcpif/wpaif test is contained 
> > > within netif.  It has to exist in netif because its job is to 
> > > determine how to configure the interface.  The dhclient and 
> > > wpa_supplicant scripts should be "dumb" single-task scripts to 
> > > start/stop their respective clients.
> > > 
> > > By putting the dhcpif/wpaif test in the dhclient/wpa_supplicant 
> > > scripts, not only is it redundant, it makes it impossible 
> to use the 
> > > scripts manually with an interface that isn't configured in 
> > > /etc/rc.conf with the DHCP or WPA magic words.  Such manual 
> > > operations are useful in testing, temporary interfaces and custom 
> > > profile-based configurations where it's not possible/practical to 
> > > have a configuration line in /etc/rc.conf beforehand.
> > 
> > Good point.  The test is already in ifconfig_up/down so it's not 
> > needed in wpa_supplicant or dhclient.
> 
> Upon further reflection, the wpa_supplicant case was removed 
> before commit, but I've kept the dhclient case because the 
> code to start a new dhclient via devd when link is detected 
> relies on rc.d/dhclient only working on appropriate 
> interfaces.  An option to skip this test when called with 
> forcestart/forcestart seems like a reasionable compromise in 
> keeping with rc.subr's design.  I don't have time to work 
> that out at the moment, but would be happy to look at patches.

I have to wonder at the value of trying to start dhclient like that.
Now that netif will operate on anything with an ifconfig line in
/etc/rc.conf, is there any reason why having devd simply call `netif
start $device-name` on attach wouldn't work?

Either way, I'll provide patches.