I can understand it making sense in the context of a server with
multiple interfaces. We used to have occasional problems with ethernet
enumeration when we were using recycled PCs as gateway routers. I just
don't see why that kind of corner case drove adoption for a problem
that didn't exist for 99% of users. Seems to me like "predictable"
names ought to be an opt-in rather than an opt-out.

-- 
Russell Senior
[email protected]

On Sun, Feb 14, 2021 at 9:37 PM Ben Koenig <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Just some thoughts... If I'm reading the document on freedesktop.org
> correctly then this new system does not actually solve the problem it
> claims to be solving. Specifically this part here:
>
>
> "...The following different naming schemes for network interfaces are
> now supported by udev natively:
>
>  1. Names incorporating Firmware/BIOS provided index numbers for
>     on-board devices (example: eno1)
>  2. Names incorporating Firmware/BIOS provided PCI Express hotplug slot
>     index numbers (example: ens1)
>  3. Names incorporating physical/geographical location of the connector
>     of the hardware (example: enp2s0)
>  4. Names incorporating the interfaces's MAC address (example:
>     enx78e7d1ea46da)
>  5. Classic, unpredictable kernel-native ethX naming (example: eth0)
>
> By default, systemd v197 will now name interfaces following policy 1) if
> that information from the firmware is applicable and available, falling
> back to 2) if that information from the firmware is applicable and
> available, falling back to 3) if applicable, falling back to 5) in all
> other cases. Policy 4) is not used by default, but is available if the
> user chooses so."
>
>
> End quote. The whole problem is that the eth# is designated by the order
> in which hardware is enumerated. This is unpredictable. However, relying
> on the firmware/BIOS to define index numbers and falling back if not
> properly defined is also unpredictable. Not only will this change from
> one hardware configuration to the next but it is also subject to change
> for a very large number of different reasons.
>
>
> They are essentially removing an unpredictable system and replacing it
> with another unpredictable system. I would argue that the old way is
> actually better because of the simplicity of how it decides. Going with
> the new process you now have to ask an additional question about the
> nature of your hardware and such information may not be readily available.
>
>
> Problem remains unsolved. Whoever funded the development of this feature
> should probably ask for their money back. Unless of course their goal
> was to destablize the Linux platform, in which case, Good Job!
>
> -Ben
>
>
>
> On 2/14/21 1:00 PM, Chuck Hast wrote:
> > I too have never figured out what was gained by going to
> > "predictable names" as far as I am concerned it is the
> > definition of oxymoron. I always knew what eth0 or eth1
> > or whatever the original names were, these things though
> > on a given machine will USUALLY come up the same but
> > they change from machine to machine.  I have 3 machines
> > here and all 3 of them have different names for eth0....
> >
> > As they say in Costa Rica "predictable names" turas...
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Feb 13, 2021 at 8:33 PM Russell Senior <[email protected]>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/PredictableNetworkInterfaceNames/
> >>
> >> Given the plenitude of schemes (!) that are supported, this system
> >> deserves the word "predictable" about as much as USB deserves the word
> >> "universal".
> >>
> >> On Sat, Feb 13, 2021 at 6:28 PM Russell Senior
> >> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>>> There are ways to rename the interface back to eth0, but
> >>>> I assume this breaks other things,
> >>> It doesn't break anything. I routinely turn off the silly "predictable"
> >> names.
> >>> I use the technique of adding:
> >>>
> >>> GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="net.ifnames=0"
> >>>
> >>> to my /etc/default/grub file, and after running:
> >>>
> >>> sudo update-grub2 (or equivalent) you are good for the long haul.
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> >>
> >
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