[geeks] QUESTION: why would a program suddenly start using IPv6?

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

On Fri, 6 Jul 2007 10:53:02 -0400
"Caleb Shay" <caleb at webninja.com> wrote:

> On 7/6/07, Charles Shannon Hendrix <shannon at widomaker.com> wrote:
> > On Thu, 5 Jul 2007 19:43:24 -0400 (EDT)
> > der Mouse <mouse at Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA> wrote:
> > > Perhaps you changed something (like libc or the kernel) that's used by
> > > svnserve?  (The kernel alone might be enough, if it meant that
> > > interfaces that used to have no v6 addresses now do - even if just
> > > link-local addresses.)
> >
> > Nope... I installed FreeBSD 6.1 when I got the machine about a year ago,
> > and that's it.  No kernel upgrade except to build my own kernel right
> > after the install was done.
> >
> > I really can't figure this one out.
> >
> 
> Did a radvd service come up on your network?  I'm not a big FreeBSD
> user, but I seem to recall that it will automatically configure IPv6
> if it finds a radvd advertising ipv6 routes on your network.

Not that I'm aware of.

Besides... FreeBSD always configures IPv6 by default.  It's never been a
problem before.

The same exact binary 6-7 weeks ago didn't listen on an IPv6 address.  That
was the last time I used subversion.  

Then yesterday, it suddenly defaulted to listening on an IPv6 address.

Changes in that time period:

	- started running MRTG
	- new version of dovecot imap server
	- started running collectd on two machines
	- added Linksys VOIP box to network
	- added a Hammer NAS to the network
	- changed my desktop PC OS from Slackware to Kubuntu

I can't think of anything about those actions that would cause *ONE* program
out of dozens on a server to start using IPv6.

Right now I just have it filed under "Weird Sysadmin Observations" and I'm
too busy to worry about it very much.

Maybe I should just disable IPv6 completely on my systems.

I'm not using it, and none of the providers appear to be anywhere near ready
to make a major switchover, and most software doesn't seem to be ready either.


-- 
shannon           | An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto 
                  | one blade of grass and not fall off the face of the earth.