Re: Retiring dhclient

[Ted Lemon <mellon%fugue.com@localhost>]

On Nov 16, 2011, at 2:27 PM, Ted Lemon <mellon%fugue.com@localhost> wrote:
> Whatever.

To expand on this, Robert, my point is that it's all very well and good to be a 
cowboy and come up with a solution that works well on the networks that you 
think are good networks.  But to come up with a solution that will work on 
networks that exist in practice but are not the sorts of networks you think 
should exist in practice is harder.   Of course it's always easier to provide a 
solution to a restricted problem set.

In practice, multiple interface environments where each network is connected to 
a separate administrative domain are common, not uncommon.   If you have an 
iPhone, that's a device that is connected in this way.   My Android phone is 
currently connected to my hotel network and a Taiwanese 3G provider.   Neither 
provider is qualified to advise my device on how it should operate on the 
network, so trying to merge configuration information from both services is a 
fool's errand.   Indeed, my Android phone routinely fails to connect to my mail 
server once per day, even though it has a perfectly valid 3G connection, 
because the WiFi connection reverts to the captive portal and stops allowing 
transit through it to my mail server.

Now, you can argue that no NetBSD device will ever be connected in this way, 
but I will believe you only as long as you promise never to install a cellular 
data modem in the USB port of your laptop.