rbowman <bowman@montana.com> writes:

https://wiki.debian.org/ BridgeNetworkConnections#Bridging_with_a_wireless_NIC

That's really old. It uses the outdated brctl. I don't know what they
are doing with ebtables. I've never had to use proxy arp nor ebtables.

Here's Minix, via QEMU, connecting with Termux, via a wireless AP, under
a bridge, with Termux connecting back around Linux (running as basically
a wired/wireless router) to Sun, which is running an OpenVMS host under emulation (SIMH) connected via vnic0.:

uname -o
GNU/Linux

qemu-system-i386 -boot order=cd,menu=on -rtc base=utc -device pci-serial-4x -device intel-hda -device hda-output,audiodev=snd0 -device ES1370,audiodev=snd0 -audiodev pa,id=snd0 -vga vmware -device e1000,netdev=net0,mac=52:54:00:12:34:61 -netdev tap,ifname=tap7,id=net0,script=no,downscript=no -hda minix_sf.img -cdrom minix_R3.4.0rc6-d5e4fc0.iso -serial pty -daemonize
char device redirected to /dev/pts/12 (label serial0)

kermit
C-Kermit 10.0.416 Beta.12, 2025/03/22, for Linux+SSL (64-bit)
Copyright (C) 1985, 2025,
Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.
Open Source 3-clause BSD license since 2011.
Type ? or HELP for help.
(/opt/simulations/Minix/) C-Kermit>set line /dev/pts/12 (/opt/simulations/Minix/) C-Kermit>connect
Connecting to /dev/pts/12, speed 38400
Escape character: Ctrl-\ (ASCII 28, FS): enabled
Type the escape character followed by C to get back,
or followed by ? to see other options. ----------------------------------------------------


Minix/i386 (velkhana) (tty00)
login: jayjwa
Password:
jayjwa@velkhana:/home/jayjwa $uname -rsv
Minix 3.4.0 Minix 3.4.0 (GENERIC)

jayjwa@velkhana:/home/jayjwa $ping -c3 192.168.20.10
PING 192.168.20.10 (192.168.20.10): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.20.10: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=3100.000000 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.20.10: icmp_seq=0 DUP! ttl=63 time=3116.666667 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.20.10: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=2116.666667 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.20.10: icmp_seq=1 DUP! ttl=63 time=2116.666667 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.20.10: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=1116.666667 ms

----192.168.20.10 PING Statistics----
3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, +2 duplicates, 0.0% packet loss round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 1116.666667/2313.333334/3116.666667/832.699759 ms
jayjwa@velkhana:/home/jayjwa $

u0_a299@localhost ~ % uname -o
Android
u0_a299@localhost ~ % finger @192.168.20.2
[192.168.20.2]
Username Program Login Term/Location
SYSTEM $ Thu 12:24

u0_a299@localhost ~ % ip -c addr show wlan0
...
inet 192.168.20.10/24 brd 192.168.20.255 scope global wlan0
...

uname -o
GNU/Linux
ip -c link show dev br0
5: br0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue state UP mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
link/ether aa:00:04:00:01:04 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
ip -c link show wlan0
3: wlan0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc noqueue master br0 state UP mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
link/ether 60:14:b3:6f:a3:bf brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
ip -c link show tap7
13: tap7: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast master br0 state UP mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
link/ether 76:4c:d6:48:71:9c brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

ssh fatalis.lan dladm
LINK CLASS MTU STATE BRIDGE OVER
rge0 phys 1500 up -- --
vnic0 vnic 1500 up -- rge0
vnic1 vnic 1500 up -- rge0
vnic2 vnic 1500 up -- rge0
vnic3 vnic 1500 up -- rge0

So, if your wifi is in AP mode it doesn't stop it from sending data as
long as you route it correctly. And if you only have one device and it
is a wireless, that doesn't stop you from creating another virtual
device, such as a bridge, attaching stuff to it, and sending the whole
thing on to the next hop. Of course, you need the correct sysctl
switches set, a way to assign ip4/ip6, and masqerade rfc1918 addresses
if you want to reach outside the LAN. There's probably a way to do some
of this with macvlans or VDE.

Just use QEMU. It's better than Virtual Box. And VMware. Modern kernels
load their needed modules without hand-holding (unlike the old days of,
say, 2.4.x).

--
PGP Key ID: 781C A3E2 C6ED 70A6 B356 7AF5 B510 542E D460 5CAE
"The Internet should always be the Wild West!"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.12
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 3/4/26 22:10, rbowman wrote:

On 4 Mar 2026 19:47:30 GMT, rbowman wrote:

On Wed, 4 Mar 2026 02:14:10 -0500, c186282 wrote:

Somewhere KVM is *remembering* it ... and fills in old, WRONG,
params. The VM won't even try to install properly, much less run
(networking errors),
so I can't test my idea for a wireless/subnet cheat.

I think I'll play with the Panda dongle on the netbook and see what sort
of charlie foxtrot that causes. I've got a few Pico Ws and Pico2 Ws I
can throw into the mix. Configure one as an AP and bring my whole house
of cards down...

fwiw, as I expected the wireless router saw a new MAC and assigned an IP
to it, so the Mint laptop is 192.168.1.6 and 192.168.1.61. I don't know
if '61' is relevant or the luck of the draw.

For the hell of it I fired up Puppy Linux, a Trixie derivative, in the VM. Same behavior, a virtual NAT that lets it get out but isn't visible on the LAN outside of the host.

Maybe there's a way but it isn't a priority for me.

Needs vary. If a mostly 'isolated' VM is good
for your stuff then fine.

Me, I wanted to create/store video clips from
RTSP security cams. To be of any use I have to
GET to them conveniently. That means storing
them to my NAS.

Did make a stick of F43 Live ... worst case I could
boot from the stick ... but that'd be sub-optimal.
DO want Deb to be the default machine though. I know
Deb, and it's got lots of good stuff.

Still not sure why /etc/network suddenly became an
evil place/format for setting up stuff ... seems to
be a Canonical brain-fart.

Still working to find every place KVM might be
hiding leftover data from previous VM installs.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.12
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

DOUBLE AAUUUGGHH !!!

Look, just Can't Get There From Here using Trixie.

No VBox that works, and the KVM stuff only BARELY
works ... had to leverage both 'aquemu' AND 'virt-
manager' to get anything that would even start.

Trixie is fickle and unfaithful. I think she's
hot for Mr. Slack maybe :-)

So, installing F43/xfce as the main system. This
all has been a real pain - didn't USED to be that
way, but it is now.

700+ updates in progress ...

MAYBE I'll be able to get ffmpeg to run right
in Fedora, maybe not. MAYBE I'll be able to
install a working VBox or KVM in Fedora and
then run Trixie. We'll see.

Oh, even kinda/sorta getting F43 to run in
Deb KVM ... the subnet was STILL all wrong
even WITH my hardwire->wifi gadget. SAYS
"wired connection", but it's not the RIGHT
connection. Every attempt to re-define just
made things worse. MIGHT be some obscure
tact, but haven't found it.

WTF are biz who use multiple VMs for their
various servers and such doing now ? If
this shit is kinda across the board at
this time then they're in BIG trouble.

Shit, used to have five or six VMs on
my desktop ... CP/M-86 through several
kinds of Linux and BSDs. NO problems.

Yea, Linux is STILL much better than Winders,
BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS PERFECT. IMHO, something
is going wrong in the "chain of command" and
nobody is coordinating with anybody else.


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.12
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)