how can you check if ipv6 is actually 'working'?

[Aleksandar Milivojevic]

Alexander Volovics wrote:
> FC3 comes with ipv6 on by default, at least /sbin/lsmod shows
> ipv6 running. But how can you check if it actually works and
> is being used.

It doesn't work ;-)

You get link local addresses.  Which are preatty much useless for most 
of the things.  The only theoretical use I could think of so far is 
attacking Linux based firewalls from compromised DMZ hosts.  And that's 
about it.

> Furthermore where can you 'stop' and 'start' it and how.
> (Not disable it, I know that you can do that via /etc/modprobe.conf).

You can't stop and start it.  Once the module is loaded, it is 
(practically) impossible to unload it.  Note that it isn't called from 
anywhere explicitly.  As soon as an application shows the interest in 
IPv6, the ipv6 module gets automatically loaded, and then you are stuck 
with it.  This usually happens eraly during boot process, and that is 
the reason you see ipv6 module always loaded.

IMHO, it was bad idea to enable automatic loading of that module for 
everybody.  Vast majority of people have no use for IPv6, IPv6 on Linux 
is still not mature, stable and fully working (just look at all the bug 
reports, especially for 2.6.9 kernel that has really broken IPv6), and 
those who really need it could easilly enable it in either modprobe.conf 
or using config files in network-scripts directory.

-- 
Aleksandar Milivojevic <amilivojevic at pbl.ca>    Pollard Banknote Limited
Systems Administrator                           1499 Buffalo Place
Tel: (204) 474-2323 ext 276                     Winnipeg, MB  R3T 1L7