>> Why not?  I think it'd be Really Cool (tm) to be able to yank off
>> one medium and plug the other one in and have it cut over
>> automagically.

> This could be pretty annoying when trying to track down a network
> problem.  While you're crawling around, wiggling wires, trying to
> track down the loose connection, NetBSD is helpfully squirting the
> bits out the other connector and onto the floor.

Well, it'd be switching back and forth, trying madly to find a
connector that worked, but you have a valid point.

How about link0 says use UTP, link1 says use AUI, neither says don't
meddle with the way it comes up, and both says dynamically switch as
necessary to cure lost carrier?  I think that would satisfy all
factions: you can nail it down to one connector or the other, you can
get the behavior I called Really Cool, or you can use whatever the boot
roms leave it set to.

Of course, then you have the possibility of wanting a probe at boot
time to see which one works, and then stick with that one until
explicitly specified otherwise.  Hm, maybe link2 says poll until one
connector works, then switch to it and go to "-link2 link0" or
"-link2 link1", as appropriate....

(Hm, maybe not _all_ factions.  There are doubtless those who would
shiver and mutter something about kernel code bloat.)

					der Mouse

			    mouse@collatz.mcrcim.mcgill.edu