/etc/ifconfig.nnX vs /etc/rc.conf vs /etc/dhcpcd.conf

[Ottavio Caruso <ottavio2006-usenet2012%yahoo.com@localhost>]

Hi,

This is a follow-up from an interesting chat on Freenode#NetBSD.

I was going to post this on netbsd-docs@ but I have realised this is 
more a "political" than a documentation issue.

For the non-initiated user of NetBSD (= me), there are basically three 
options as where to store your permanent network interface settings:

1) /etc/ifconfig.nnX;
2) /etc/rc.conf; and if you use dchp:
3) /etc/dhcpcd.conf

There are of course other options, such as custom boot scripts.

Choice is good but it can also generate confusion.

What I am proposing is to add a snippet in ifconfig(8) man page, 
straight after the first paragraph in DESCRIPTION, advising that 
permanent settings for an interface be configured in _either_ 
/etc/ifconfig.nnX _or_ /etc/rc.conf (with additional and optional 
reference to /etc/dhcpcd.conf), and then advising which ones of the two 
methods is better and for which reason.

Thanks.

--
Ottavio Caruso