New Patches Allow Building Linux IPv6-Only, Option to Deprecate "Legacy" IPv4
4 hours ago
- #Linux Kernel
- #IPv6
- #Networking
- David Woodhouse has submitted patches to deprecate 'legacy' IPv4 support in the Linux kernel, enabling IPv6-only builds.
- A new CONFIG_LEGACY_IP option allows toggling IPv4 support during kernel builds; currently, it triggers warnings for IPv4 socket usage.
- Though the deprecation aspect has an April Fools' Day tone, the developer sees real merit in separating IPv4 and IPv6 configurations.
- Woodhouse advocates for using 'Legacy IP' instead of 'IPv4' and supports cleaning up the CONFIG_INET and CONFIG_IPV[64] separation.
- The patches aim to facilitate IPv4-only or IPv6-only kernel builds, particularly in forward-looking environments.