Strange net device __tmp*

[Cameron Simpson]

On 12Jun2007 15:05, Reid Rivenburgh <reidr at pobox.com> wrote:
| Hi.  I upgraded from Fedora 6 to 7, and now I'm seeing a strange network
| interface called __tmp48758425.  The computer has two ethernet cards:
| 
| 02:01.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82547EI Gigabit Ethernet
| Controller
| 03:02.0 Ethernet controller: ADMtek NC100 Network Everywhere Fast
| Ethernet 10/100 (rev 11)
| 
| I'm only using one (I think the first).  Tools like firestarter and
| gkrellm see the __tmp interface and report traffic on it, which seems a
| little weird.  Does anyone know why this is happening, and should I be
| concerned?  I don't think this was happening with FC6....
| 
| Current kernel, if it matters: kernel-2.6.21-1.3194.fc7

I have this happen with my wireless interface (ipw2200) from time to
time, and I'm fairly sure it happened under FC6 too.

I have a theory, based entirely on conjecture and without a shred of
evidence. I think interfaces go through a period of being named __tmp*
during the driver load - I'm guessing after being detected, but before
the hardware initialisation has completed. The something happens that
prevents the final naming from completing. It's very bodgy looking.

A reboot is my usual fix (ugh, what a hack!). I have see a handy tool
somewhere for renaming interfaces; you could try that. It was called
"nameif" or something like that.
-- 
Cameron Simpson <cs at zip.com.au> DoD#743
http://www.cskk.ezoshosting.com/cs/

Knox's box is a 286.                 Fox in Socks does hacks and tricks
Knox's box is hard to fix.           To fix poor Knox's box for kicks.
        - David Mar <mar at physics.su.oz.au>,
          as quoted by John Mackin <john at civil.su.oz.au>