I'm trying to break this into 3 threads... (my comments art at the bottom)
- The executable is 6 MB, which is fairly normal for a major system component, but unusual for a diagnostic tool. I presume most of that is dissectors, and it's worth noting that any given instance of ethereal is unlikely to appreciate the vast majority of those. And to add or modify a dissector, you have to build and haul around that whole lump.[snip]
I think people would find ethereal easier to work with on lots of different levels if[snip]
2) the executable loaded dissectors dynamically as needed; and 3) the filter descriptions were in a separate file, or even a whole tree.
I'm willing to work on doing this, but I thought it might have already been discussed and found undesirable.
I don't think that this exact topic has been discussed. I've seen some mention of more extensive plugin usage.
