IPv6 module is not loaded early enough

[Fabio Massimo Di Nitto]

Given an ipv6 configured iface in /etc/network/interface, this is not configured
properly because the ipv6 module is not loaded and an autoload is not triggered
by ifupdown.

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

It seems odd to give you your own bug, but you are the resident IPv6 expert, I
think :-)

Is this an ifupdown problem or a kernel problem? I don't think that ifupdown
should need to do anything explicitly for the module to be autoloaded. Is it a
kernel problem, then?

[Fabio Massimo Di Nitto (fabbione)]

As we discussed on irc:

<fabbione> mdz: the ipv6 bug was a note for myself. it's not a kernel or
           ifupdown bug. simply nothing triggers the load of the module early
           enough to let ifupdown configure the ipv6 interface.
<mdz> fabbione: shouldn't the act of configuring the ipv6 interface cause the
      module to load?
<fabbione> and and ifconfig recognize the fact that the family isn't supported
           and exit quietly
<fabbione> but it's my todo list with low priority since it's not a feature
           goal

[Phil Bull (philbull)]

Is this still an issue with Breezy/Dapper?

[Fabio Massimo Di Nitto (fabbione)]

IIRC it was in breezy. I totally forgot about this bug since it's so low priority...

I will try to get it ficed for dapper if it is still there.

Fabio

[Lakin Wecker (lakin)]

Changing to confirmed, as Fabio has acknowledged the bug. :)

[Phil Bull (philbull)]

Have you been able to look at this, Fabio? Is it still a problem?

Thanks

[Fabio Massimo Di Nitto (fabbione)]

This is a catch 22 for people that don't want IPv6 on their system. Yes the issue has always been there but i am not going to fix it for dapper. I might for dapper+1.

Fabio

[Phil Bull (philbull)]

Thanks for the info :)

[Rocco Stanzione (trappist)]

Ping for edgy

[Thomas Hotz (thotz-deactivatedaccount)]

Can you please give us the current status of the bug? Is it fixed in Edgy/ Feisty?

[Mattias Wadenstein (maswan)]

Not fixed in Edgy, not fixed in Feisty.

It is also a concern because you can't switch autoconf off until the module is loaded, so you kind of need it before sysctl.conf is read (unless you want ugly pre-up and up hacks).

[Fabio Massimo Di Nitto (fabbione)]

Fixed in feisty by modprobing ipv6 when inet6 family is requested on one interface.

[tonfa (bboissin)]

I think this should be reopened (or another bug opened, I don't know). I can't put an ipv6 settings in /etc/sysctl.conf (eg. net/ipv6/conf/all/use_tempaddr = 2 and net/ipv6/conf/default/use_tempaddr = 2) because ipv6 isn't loaded early enough.
My workaround is to put ipv6 in /etc/modules.

(this also affects people who want to for example deactivate autoconfiguration via RA globally)