Netmask should be replaced by Prefix?

[Victor Leser]

I am using Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS

The page on this subject "Create a connection with a fixed IP address" for 20.04 mentions in para 5. "Type in the IP Address and Gateway, as well as the appropriate Netmask." I wanted to do this so that I can provide a fixed IPv6 address for one of my computers.

The link to the documentation page is

    https://help.ubuntu.com/lts/ubuntu-help/net-fixed-ip-address.html.en

Netmask, which is not shown on the relevant part of the Ubuntu 20.04 Settings page, but there is a box headed "Prefix". Should this replace the reference to Netmask?

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

Thanks for your report.

Indeed it looks like it should be changed either on net-fixed-ip-address.page or Settings.

The page is an upstream GNOME Help one. It would be great if you could call upstream's attention to the inconsistency by submitting an issue:

https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-user-docs/-/issues

If you do, please post the URL to the upstream issue in a comment here.

[Doug Smythies (dsmythies)]

Netmask is the correct term. I don't currently have a desktop running to see what is being referred to by prefix.

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson (gunnarhj)]

Thanks Doug. In that case this is a Settings bug, and an upstream issue should go here:

https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-control-center/-/issues

[Manfred Hampl (m-hampl)]

My understanding was that the limits for directly reachable computers in IPv4 is called "netmask" and in IPv6 the equivalent is called "prefix".

gnome-comtrol-center 1:3.36.5-0ubuntu3 on Ubuntu focal correctly shows these different labels for manual settings in IPv4 and IPv6.

In my opinion the only thing to be done for this bug report is adding "prefix" to the documentation in https://help.ubuntu.com/lts/ubuntu-help/net-fixed-ip-address.html.en

Instead of

Type in the IP Address and Gateway, as well as the appropriate Netmask.

it has to be something like

Type in the IP Address and Gateway, as well as the appropriate Netmask (for IPv4) respectively Prefix (for IPv6).

[Doug Smythies (dsmythies)]

O.K., and after some reading about IPv6, I agree with Manfred.