iovisor/bcc

Only trace ipv4 not working without kernel CONF_IPV6 set

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#5,192 opened on Jan 17, 2025

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 (5 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)C (22,409 stars) (4,051 forks)batch import
help wanted

Description

I have a systematic issue to use only trace IPv4 family for tcpconnect and network performance tools. A python error code notices that ipv6 structs are undefined...

So I am not able to use network tools because my kernel do not compile conf_ipv6. Is it normal? Network BCC tools hard depends on CONF_IPV6 ? It wasn't written to readme requierments so I am asking if they is a way to do it without this dependency. Perhaps I can rewrite your python codes to exclude ipv6 support.

BCC is an amazing tools suites. Good continuation.

Best regard,

Contributor guide

Tech stack
pythonc
Domain
backendperformanceobservability
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
half day
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
PythonBCC basicsKernel IPv6 configuration
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
50
Research direction
The issue involves BCC network tools (e.g., tcpconnect) that fail when IPv6 kernel support is disabled. The reporter suggests modifying Python code to conditionally skip IPv6 structs. To address this, investigate the Python scripts in the tools/ directory for imports of IPv6 related BPF structures. Consider adding a compile time or runtime check for CONFIG IPV6 to conditionally exclude IPv6 code. There are no existing PRs or comments indicating work in progress.