Subj : Re: Ethernet HW address on linux
To   : comp.os.linux
From : pushkar.naik
Date : Mon Aug 02 2004 02:54 am

Chuck Ross <cross@epsilon.mokeski.net> wrote in message news:<Pine.LNX.4.58.0407301958470.3076@epsilon.mokeski.net>...
> On Fri, 29 Jul 2004, Pushkar Naik wrote:
> 
> > mjt <mjtobler@removethis_mail.ru> wrote in message news:<w3CNc.694$cK.597@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
> > > Pushkar Naik wrote:
> > >
> > > > Is there any way i can make linux return the ethernet id as
> > > > 000000000000 when the ethernet card
> > >
> > > ... do you mean the MAC address?
> > > .
> >
> > Hello mjt,
> >            Yes, i mean the MAC address, how can i make linux return a
> > mac address of 000000000000 when there is no physical ethernet NIC on
> > my pc ?
> >
> > The problem is, the application i'm using is a licensed software hence
> > no source code available, and it expects a numeric form of MAC address
> > where as linux is returning a null string. I have obtained a license
> > for mac address 000000000000 of this app., as i dont have a NIC. But
> > when this app. querries linux for the mac address, linux returns a "",
> > and as "" is not equal to 000000000000, the app. refuses to start
> > saying mac address do not match.
> >
> > Your help shall prove valuable to me, as i'm stuck up with an
> > important work !
> >
> > Regards,
> > Pushkar.
> >
> 
> Try this (or something like it):
> 
>   ifconfig eth0 hw ether 00:00:00:00:00:00
> 
> the interface must be down for this command to work (ifdown eth0, or
> ifconfig eth0 down).  After entering the command, bring the interface back
> up and you should be set.

Hello Chuck,
            The option you have given will work only if there is an
existing NIC card i suppose. Coz currently, no eth0 is configured on
my pc as there is no NIC card. The message i get when i try your
suggestion is :

SIOCSISHWADDR : NO SUCH DEVICE.

Ok, could you tell me a method by which i can configure eth0 in my pc
even when physical NIC card does not exist. Once ifconfig starts
reporting some eth0 configured, then we can easily manipulate the mac
address using some utilites avaibale on net or using the method you
suggested above.

One more thing, would you know what system call exactly the license
manager of the application i'm using must be issuing to the linux OS
to querry for the mac address ? If we can trap this call somehow and
send a desired mac address to the license manager instead of the
address reported by linux, i think our work is done.

Regards,
Pushkar.

.