Matt T, thanks for pointing this out. The solution being employed by other distributions is based on udev, and twofold.
1) include a udev rule to create persistent ethernet device naming. The first time a new MAC address is detected, add a rule to a udev rule file (e.g. 70-persistent-net-devices.rules) with the new entry. If such exist, then it renames devices based on their MAC address to the name specified in the rule. Udev 013 and higher can rename ethernet devices themselves via such rules. 2) include a udev rule and new application I wrote, biosdevname (http://linux.dell.com/files/biosdevname) which is called after 70-persistent-net-devices.rules (so existing persistent names remain), but before other net-device-naming rules. biosdevname uses various explicit data from SMBIOS, or heuristics otherwise, to name net devices based on what BIOS expects them to be named. Both are necessary to solve this properly. For dist-upgrades, you want to be sure your 70-persistent-net-devices.rules file exists, so the kernel name given (correct or incorrect from your POV) doesn't matter - the only thing that matters is what is in the rules file. Absent the rules file, you want biosdevname invoked via udev rules. Absent that, fall back to whatever your normal net naming rules would be, either udev or kernel-provided. I'm actively working with Fedora/RH and OpenSuSE/SLE to implement the above strategy. I would expect Debian and derivatives to do likewise. This is being actively discussed on the [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list, the home of udev. Thanks, Matt -- Matt Domsch Linux Technology Strategist, Dell Office of the CTO linux.dell.com & www.dell.com/linux -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
