netplan by default in artful (replacing ifupdown)

[Xen]

Mathieu Trudel-Lapierre schreef op 21-06-2017 2:58:
> Hi,
> 
> Since Friday, netplan is now the default in artful. It is now included
> in the minimal seed, and thus part of all installs by default (if you
> find it missing, it's a bug I encourage you to report and let me know).
> It's a direct replacement for ifupdown: I'm still working on making
> ifupdown properly disappear from default installs (you will still be
> able to install it if you really want to).

To me this is just a sad day once more.

If netplan is only a front-end to either systemd-networkd or 
NetworkManager, then it does not replace ifupdown because ifupdown was 
not a frontend to either.

Rather it replaces ifupdown as the still-existing 3rd path.

If someone has a preference for either NetworkManager or 
systemd-networkd they probably will want to learn its syntax; so now 
they have to learn two?

UCI had the same 'flaw'; it was meant as an abstraction but it was so 
complicated to configure e.g. bridges (in OpenWRT) that you still had to 
study the underlying mechanics and learn how the full system worked; 
before you could really understand what you needed to do in the 
abstraction; rendering the purpose of the abstraction void.

What I see happening now is that anyone really interested in building 
somewhat more complex network setups to either conclude that 
NetworkManager is too complicated or that netplan is unnecessary.

If netplan is a frontend that leaves no persistent configuration (for 
NetworkManager for example) then it becomes very hard to understand the 
relationship. It also begs the question of whether or why NetworkManager 
syntax wouldn't suffice, unless the move is simply meant to get rid of 
/etc/network/interfaces.

Since understanding the capabilities of networkd-systemd vs. 
NetworkManager requires an understanding of its formats and 
capabilities, again it seems as though this understanding is required 
prior to using the abstraction of netplan.

Again, rendering its value void except for automatic replacements of the 
backend, which only can happen if both backends have the same full 
feature set.

So now the system administrator is not only required to understand 
NetworkManager and its format and capabilities, but netplan is now added 
to the mix.

I see no provision for any kind of scripting (the "up" syntax of /e/n/i) 
nor is their obviously support for the "mapping" feature of /e/n/i so 
for my use cases it won't work (unless I were to script this using e.g. 
NetworkManager itself).

"Customization parameters for special bonding options. Using the
NetworkManager renderer, parameter values for intervals should be
expressed in milliseconds; for the systemd renderer, they should be in
seconds unless otherwise specified."

So you need a rather detailed understanding of the backend in order to 
know how to use the frontend...

Now if the end goal is really to provide a front-end to 
systemd-networkd, then it probably serves its purpose, as nobody really 
wants to know the syntax of that backend.

Regards.