[virt-tools-list] IPv6 support

Gene Czarcinski gene at czarc.net
Mon Mar 18 21:03:11 UTC 2013


OK, my skill with python is somewhere between zero and none but such a 
handicap has never deterred me before.  Therefore, I am going to attempt 
to add IPv6 support for virtual networks to virt-manager.

1.  It appears that the interface code has full IPv6 support so that 
might provide a guide as to how to do things.

2.  If only the network code had used prefixes and stayed away from 
netmask for IPv4, basic support for IPv6 might have been a simple.

3.  The IPy.py module is a bit out-of-date (if that matters) and lacks 
one or two functions.  I will need to add the functionality and/or 
replace IPy.py with the supported pyton-ipaddr module.  There is also an 
ipaddress module in python3.  Using something with support is usually 
better but it will require changing much more code.  For a while, both 
IPy.py and ipaddr may be in use.

4.  My initial goal to to have virt-manager/connections not "die" when 
an IPv6 address appears in a network definition.  That and being able to 
start, stop, delete, and enable at boot ... creation will be later.

5. Right now, libvirt wants an IPv6 address specified and not an IPv6 
network.  The address is needed most of the time so that dnsmasq can run 
as a dns, dhcpv6 and RA server.  vm/connections wants a IPv6 network 
specification ... that is, the prefix applied so that all the "lower" 
bits are set to zero.

6.  I will be using the gtk3.2 branch for this development.

Comment, suggestions, or whatever ??

Gene




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