First some terminology. There are real network adapters and there are, assigned to the latter:
* MAC addresses * "physical" interface names (assigned by the kernel) * "logical" interface names (i.e., names of ifupdown profiles) AIUI you want to be able to define logical interfaces in /etc/network/interfaces as this is currently done but you want a simpler way of getting these assigned to real interfaces on the basis of their MAC addresses and you want the "physical" interface names to be changed so that they are the same as the logical interface names. The behavior you want is already obtainable by installing the ifrename package. The ifrename command changes the physical interface name to another name on the basis of the real interface's MAC address. Once interfaces have been ifrenamed, all you have to do is define logical interfaces in /e/n/i using the same names. E.g. Suppose you have an interface adapter card with MAC address 11:22:33:44:55:66. You set up /etc/iftab with this line: george mac 11:22:33:44:55:66 and /etc/network/interfaces with: iface george inet static address 11.22.33.44 netmask ... Suppose the interface has been named 'eth0' by the kernel. Then you do: ifrename -i eth0 to rename the interface and then do: ifup george to bring it up. If the interface is hot plugged and you have the hotplug package installed then the ifrename command gets executed automatically. An ifup command also gets executed automatically, but in this form: ifup george=hotplug In order to allow this to to have the effect of bring up interface "george" as logical interface "george" you need to add the following stanza to /etc/network/interfaces: mapping hotplug script echo -- Thomas Hood -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]