RE: [lwip-devel] RE: IPv6 development status

[Bill Auerbach]

I do know that US Gov't DOD installations that receive embedded devices must
support IPv6.  I've seen a little 8-bit processor's stack (IPv4) updated to
IPv6 for this mandate.  To me it was ridiculous to do this instead of
changing processors to use a stack that supported it already.  I don't know
how much of this mandate was done for IPv4 address congestion versus the
added security that was added to IPv6.  Maybe for lwIP these are 2 separate
projects - IPv6 addressing and IPv6 security (or can they not be separated)?
Anyway, here is one source of information:

http://ipv6.com/articles/general/US_Government_IPv6.htm

I think the lwIPv6 and lwIP merging is difficult considering the goals.
Kind of like saying we want a language that combines C and Ada retaining the
features of both.  To support Ada features, C loses most of its goals.  To
support lwIPv6's goals, lwIP loses.  IMO that is.  Unless their additions
can be completely compile time #if'ed out and IPv6 can be added - but
already their direction building a LIB and expanding the IP address type
would seriously hurt lwIP.  I agree with Ivan's assessment to supporting
both formats, optionally, without much impact to IPv4 only builds.  Some
clever use of C and #ifdefs could make it possible but it won't be as easy
as just mapping everything to an IPv6 type as LWIPv6 has done.

Bill