GNU bug report logs - #77153
[PATCH 0/3] doc: cookbook: Manual libvirt networking.

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From: Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer <at> gmail.com>
To: 45mg <45mg.writes <at> gmail.com>
Cc: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>, 77153 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: [bug#77153] [PATCH 1/3] doc: cookbook: Fix terminology for libvirt virtual network switches.
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2025 21:16:19 +0900

Hi,

45mg <45mg.writes <at> gmail.com> writes:

> Maxim Cournoyer <maxim.cournoyer <at> gmail.com> writes:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> 45mg <45mg.writes <at> gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>> * doc/guix-cookbook.texi (Virtual Machines): [Routed network for
>>> libvirt]: Replace the term 'virtual bridge' with 'virtual network
>>> switch'.  This is the term used by the libvirt Wiki to refer to the
>>> combined setup of a 'virtual bridge' network interface, dnsmasq instance
>>> bound to it, and firewall rules associated with it.
>>
>> I'm not sure 'switch' is clearer than 'bridge' in the context of
>> libvirt; and I doubt a wiki has much authority on the topic.  I find the
>> 'bridge' terminology most common on Linux, and it matches to options
>> documented in libvirt-related tools such as `man virt-install` from the
>> virt-manager package:
>>
>> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
>>        bridge=BRIDGE
>>               Connect to a bridge device in the host called BRIDGE.  Use  this
>>               option  if the host has static networking config & the guest re‐
>>               quires full outbound and inbound connectivity to/from  the  LAN.
>>               Also use this if live migration will be used with this guest.
>> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>>
>> So I'm not convinced of the value of the proposed change.
>
> The idea is to use 'switch' to refer to "the combined setup of a
> 'virtual bridge' network interface, dnsmasq instance bound to it, and
> firewall rules associated with it", which is what libvirt creates from a
> 'virtual network' specified in an XML file.
>
> 'Bridge' is ambiguous because it is sometimes used with this meaning
> (for example, in the target of this patch), and sometimes to refer
> specifically to the virtual network device called a 'bridge' (as in your
> example). This quickly gets confusing; patch 3/3 in particular would be
> a lot more confusing if I didn't introduce a term to make the
> distinction.
>
> The Wiki should be authoritative enough for our purposes, given that the
> official documentation links to it. For example, from
> [libvirt: Network XML format](https://libvirt.org/formatnetwork.html):

OK.  I guess that now that I understand the fine distinction of using
'virtual switch' for the complete construction vs 'virtual bridge' for
the Linux-side implementation of one of its parts, that could make
sense.

I don't mind to keep it then, if you think it helps clarify the text.

-- 
Thanks,
Maxim

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