On 2021/10/27 17:44, David Gwynne wrote: > > > benno@ suggested I look at vether(4) to adapt the text related to > > bridge(4) but I'm not sure how to rewrite it properly for veb(4). > > i get that, but for a different reason. im too close to veb/vport, so i > think it's all very obvious. > > maybe we could split the first paragraph into separate ones for veb > and vport, and flesh them out a bit. what is it about vport that > needs to be said?
I'm not so close to veb/vport (and haven't run into a situation to use it yet, though maybe I'll give it a try converting an etherip/ipsec bridge that I have). I think it's pretty obvious too, though I think people aren't grasping what "the network stack can be connected" means, would the diff below help? it feels a bit more like spelling things out than is usual for a manual page but maybe that's needed here. for ifconfig I would be in favour of _not_ listing all the possible cloneable interface types that can be used with create, it's just another thing to get out of sync - maybe just a few of the common ones and tell the reader about ifconfig -C at that point.. "ifconfig create" barely seems necessary except possibly for tun/tap - for most interface types you are going to run another ifconfig command (like "ifconfig veb0 add em0") which creates the interface automatically anyway. Index: veb.4 =================================================================== RCS file: /cvs/src/share/man/man4/veb.4,v retrieving revision 1.2 diff -u -p -r1.2 veb.4 --- veb.4 23 Feb 2021 11:43:41 -0000 1.2 +++ veb.4 27 Oct 2021 09:03:49 -0000 @@ -28,20 +28,30 @@ The .Nm veb pseudo-device supports the creation of a single layer 2 Ethernet network between multiple ports. -Ethernet interfaces are added to the bridge to be used as ports. +Ethernet interfaces are added to the .Nm veb -takes over the operation of the interfaces that are added as ports -and uses them independently of the host network stack. -The network stack can be connected to the Ethernet network managed -by +bridge to be used as ports. +Unlike +.Xr bridge 4 , .Nm veb -by creating a +takes over the operation of the interfaces that are added as ports. +They are then independent of the host network stack; the individual +Ethernet ports no longer function as independent layer 3 devices +and cannot be configured with +.Xr inet 4 +or +.Xr inet6 4 +addresses themselves. +.Pp +The Ethernet network managed by +.Nm veb +can be connected to the network stack as a whole by creating a .Nm vport interface and attaching it as a port to the bridge. From the perspective of the host network stack, a .Nm vport interface acts as a normal interface connected to an Ethernet -network. +network and can be configured with addresses. .Pp .Nm veb is a learning bridge that maintains a table of Ethernet addresses
