Network Config - Fixed IP - ifconfig no longer reports broadcast address?

["David C. Rankin" <drankinatty@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Guys,

  Bug or feature? After updating rc.conf to contain the new network 
configuration for a fixed IP, ifconfig no longer reports the broadcast address. 
Using the new config of:

interface=eth0
address=192.168.6.14
netmask=255.255.255.0
gateway=192.168.6.13

I get:

17:48 archangel:~> ifconfig
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:21:85:1A:8C:FA
          inet addr:192.168.6.14  Bcast:0.0.0.0  Mask:255.255.255.0
                                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
          inet6 addr: fe80::221:85ff:fe1a:8cfa/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:102 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:140 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
          RX bytes:14657 (14.3 Kb)  TX bytes:15177 (14.8 Kb)
          Interrupt:41 Base address:0x2000

Prior to the change, the broadcast address was correctly reported.

eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:21:85:1A:8C:FA
          inet addr:192.168.6.14  Bcast:192.168.6.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::221:85ff:fe1a:8cfa/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:103 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:139 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
          RX bytes:14683 (14.3 Kb)  TX bytes:15505 (15.1 Kb)
          Interrupt:41 Base address:0x2000

If I modify rc.conf and change back to the old format:

# old network config for broadcast address
eth0="eth0 192.168.6.14 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 192.168.6.255"
INTERFACES=(eth0)
gateway="default gw 192.168.6.13"
ROUTES=(gateway)

then the broadcast address is correctly reported again.  Is this a bug or feature?


--
David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.