> > But if he can get some type of positive feedback that that client has
> > AT LEAST configured his interface appropriately for a bootp request,
> > (ping it from another machine on the same segment, then observe the MAC
> > address that comes back) he will know that :
> > A: - at least the NIC in the client is functional.
> > B: - the IP stack in the client is also functional enough to talk ICMP
> > C: - the wiring from the client to his local segment is not the problem.
>
> D. That the machine he is booting is faulty.
>
> Responding to 0.0.0.0 can start all sorts of storms with old boxes, its
> an extremely bad idea. I don't want Linux to be the box that brought down
> some big network in a packet storm.
Maybe configuring interface to some well-known strange address
(just register one computer, never use its IP and publish it as
well-known strange address?) would provide same functionality for
admins without 0.0.0.0 strangeness. What do you think?
Pavel
-- I'm really pavel@atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz. Pavel Look at http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/ ;-).