Why no trailers in network ifconfig?

[Chris Torek]

In article <599 at acornrc.UUCP> bob at acornrc.UUCP (Bob Weissman) writes:
>In "rc.local" files distributed with new systems, I always see
>"-trailers" in "ifconfig" statements.  Why is this?  Aren't
>trailers a Good Thing?

Easy:  No; or rather, not in 4.2BSD, not unless you talk only to hosts
that also understand trailers.  4.3BSD attempts to negotiate trailers
when ARPing, hence trailers can be enabled under 4.3BSD without losing
portability.  Unfortunately, a legal ARP implementation can confuse
the negotiation code in pre-Tahoe-release 4.3BSD.

Other than that, trailers are fine.
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Computer Science, +1 301 454 7163
(hiding out on trantor.umd.edu until mimsy is reassembled in its new home)
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