Re: tcpip-forward requests and bind addresses

[der Mouse <mouse%Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA@localhost>]

>> This too has always struck me as a problem with ssh: it is rather
>> thoroughly IP-centric, [...]
> There is only one Internet Protocol.

Must be nice to be able to live in such a blinkered environment.  I use
two different ones fairly commonly even today (IPv4 and IPv6), and once
upon a time used another (DECnet) not uncommonly, though it's been some
years since I had much to do with it.

I suppose you will try to finesse this by defining "Internet Protocol"
suitably.  Go ahead; it doesn't bother me what kind of blinkers you
want to wear - I'm not interested in wearing them.

> This design philosophy is a fundamental part of the internet
> architecture.

Tell that to X11, which supported non-IP connections (FamilyDECnet,
FamilyChaos) before IPv6 even existed.

I see no reason why every - or indeed any - protocol design has to buy
into this "today's IP is the One True Way" philosophy.

Fortunately ssh is designed well enough that it won't be that
difficult.  Port forwarding just needs a parallel set of messages
designed to replace the *tcpip* ones.  Agent forwarding needs to grab a
message number to replace FORWARDING_NOTICE.  Nothing too demanding.

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