netdev - RE: [PATCH] pch_gbe: Use a randomly generated MAC instead of failing probe

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Date:	Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:20:45 -0000
From:	"David Laight" <David.Laight@...LAB.COM>
To:	"Arjan van de Ven" <arjan@...ux.intel.com>,
	"Darren Hart" <dvhart@...ux.intel.com>
Cc:	"Alan Cox" <alan@...ux.intel.com>,
	"Tomoya MORINAGA" <tomoya.rohm@...il.com>,
	"Alan Cox" <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>,
	"David Miller" <davem@...emloft.net>,
	<linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>, <jeffrey.t.kirsher@...el.com>,
	<paul.gortmaker@...driver.com>, <jdmason@...zu.us>,
	<netdev@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: RE: [PATCH] pch_gbe: Use a randomly generated MAC instead of failing probe

> the tricky thing with embedded hw like this is that all devices might
> end up with the same, read-only filesystem, so storing the 
> mac on the FS
> and then loading it from there into the HW is... suboptimal.
> 
> Would be very nice if busybox had a command that would check the mac
> from each IF, and created the random mac from userspace 
> automatically...

Since multiple interfaces on a single system are unlikely
to be connected to the same LAN segment, it doesn't really
matter if they use same MAC address.

For a long time sun solaris systems used the same MAC
address (based on the system id) on all their ethernet
interfaces.

But yes, you don't want a 'random' number generator that
might give the same value for cloned systems.
You also really want a 'manufacturer id' for 'random address'
so that they can't collide with anuything using real addresses.

	David

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