systemd v214 introduced the new network-related target, "network-pre.target".

It cleanly provides a convenient and timley pre-network state trigger for 
Before= use in unit ordering.

As originally conceived, and currently implemented, it's of particular use for 
secure, early init of firewalls,

        
http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/systemd-commits/2014-June/006332.html
                commit a4a878d04045b46fa9783664e3643a890b356790
                Author: Lennart Poettering <lennart at poettering.net>
                Date:   Wed Jun 11 11:33:02 2014 +0200

                    units: introduce network-pre.target as place to hook in 
firewalls
                ...

This target, specifically, started interest/discussion in its correct use for 
shorewall

        SW 4.6.4+' systemd service files' Before=/After= dependency on 
'network.target' -- should that be 'network-pre.target' and 
'network-online.target'?
        http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.comp.security.shorewall/31879

It was pointed out later in that same thread,

        http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.comp.security.shorewall/31885

that not all distros have currently, nor in the immediate future, plans for 
up-to-date systemd.

openSUSE, e.g., has available, &/or will use, v210 for openSUSE versions 13.1, 
13.2 & Factory.

Reviewing the commit implementing network-pre.target, above, it looks 
relatively simple, and was suggested in #systemd to apply the change as a patch 
to existing systemd implementation.

To that end, I raised a request at the distro to do so,

        https://bugzilla.suse.com/show_bug.cgi?id=900505
        Bug 900505 - Base:System/systemd: Bug Request to add upstream's patch 
to include v214's new 'network-pre.target' for early/secure pre-network 
dependency activation of firewall services

Atm in that discussion, there's some confusion.  If there's any possibilty of 
participation from here at/about that bug to help clarify what can/should be 
done, it'd be appreciated.

At the very least, it'd be helpful to get some specific clarification here re:

(1) Can the aforementioned patch be safely/cleanly applied to a v210 tree?
(2) Is systemd-networkd service required to be active to correctly 
support/detect network state on system startup, and properly trigger 
network-pre.target at the right time?  It does not appear to be required for 
either network.target, or network-online.target ...
(3) This

        https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/systemd-networkd

but not these

        
http://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd-networkd.service.html 
        http://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd.network.html

explicitly states that 

        " ...
        This service (systemd-networkd) can run alongside your usual network 
management tool
        ... "

IIUC, that suggests that systemd-networkd can be started in a detect-only mode, 
e.g., if no .network or .netdev are specified, leaving network & interface 
startup to ohter mechanisms (not theat I see the benefit in doing so; 
nonetheless ...).  Is that correct?

Thanks.

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