James A. Crippen wrote: > > I know what ARP is.... > > Gratuitous ARP as defined in TCP/IP ILLUSTRATED VOL.1, The Protocols by W. > > Richard Stevens > > "It occurs when a host sends an ARP request looking for its own IP address. > > This is usually done when the interface is configured at bootstrap time." > > Now, to me, that sounds like RARP, bootp, etc... but I could be wrong. So, > > I ask you all. Of course I have never heard of this either, never was > > defined in my Comer TCP/IP books... > > That looks distincly like a typo. RARP requests are used to find a host's > network address. ARP requests are used to find a host's MAC address. He > probably meant RARP. Check the web page for that book and see if that's > listed as an erratum, and if not then get Stevens's address and mail him > about it. It's not a typo. Taken out of context, the term "looking for" might be misleading; a host which issues a gratuitous ARP request isn't actually "looking for" its IP address, but that is how such an ARP request would *typically* be interpreted (but that's not how it's being used here; in this case, ARP is being used for its side-effects rather than its normal purpose). > Nowadays most people handle BOOTP/RARP with the DHCP server from the ISC, BOOTP and DHCP are handled by the DHCP server. RARP is typically handled by the kernel[1], as it uses "raw" ethernet frames (code 0x8035) rather than IP. [1] Or, at least, it used to be; 2.2.* has the CONFIG_INET_RARP option; 2.4.* doesn't have this option or /proc/net/rarp. -- Glynn Clements <glynn.clements@virgin.net> - : send the line "unsubscribe linux-net" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
