Linux Ethernet Bridging - Jul 2010 - [Bridge] rstpd & 2.4

Hello,

project rstpd at
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/shemminger/rstp.git can work
if default kernel stp is disabled by calling userspace program
/sbin/bridge-stp and checking the return code.

On 2.4.27 such mechanism is not implemented so should I backport some
kernel code or I can just disable the STP by using the
BRCTL_SET_BRIDGE_STP_STATE ioctl command? There are any drawbacks in
doing so?

Thanks in advance,

Rodolfo

-- 

GNU/Linux Solutions                  e-mail: giometti at enneenne.com
Linux Device Driver                          giometti at linux.it
Embedded Systems                     phone:  +39 349 2432127
UNIX programming                     skype:  rodolfo.giometti
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On Fri, 2 Jul 2010 15:56:41 +0200
Rodolfo Giometti <giometti at enneenne.com> wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> project rstpd at
> http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/shemminger/rstp.git can work
> if default kernel stp is disabled by calling userspace program
> /sbin/bridge-stp and checking the return code.
> 
> On 2.4.27 such mechanism is not implemented so should I backport some
> kernel code or I can just disable the STP by using the
> BRCTL_SET_BRIDGE_STP_STATE ioctl command? There are any drawbacks in
> doing so?

The 2.4 kernel is missing all the hooks to provide user level STP.
The startup is not the big issue, the real problem is that the
kernel doesn't have hooks to control port state from user space,
and the spanning tree packets may not be visible to user space
application either.

Sigh, 2.4 is at least 5 years old by now.