libp2p / libp2p/js-libp2p

Return only non-deprecated temporary IPv6 addresses in node.js

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Dominant language
TypeScript
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Description

When we listen a wildcard interface (e.g. add /ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/0 or /ip6/::/tcp/0 to addresses.listen), the transport in question loops over the output of os.networkInterfaces() to work out which addresses the node is reachable on.

This works find for IPv4, but for IPv6 we get a multiple addresses reported for the interface.

Because IPv6 addresses can identify a host uniquely in the world, OSs generate temporary addresses for traffic that will leave the local network as a privacy measure.

Each temporary address exists for a limited time - when a new temporary address is generated, older addresses are marked "deprecated" which means they'll be removed at some point in the near future.

Ideally when reporting the addresses we are listening on, we'd filter out any deprecated addresses to keep our peer records small and to avoid broadcasting soon-to-be-removed addresses.

Unfortunately this information is not available in the Node.js API.

An alternative is to use the network-interfaces-plus module which uses a native add-on to access the flags for each interface. The module is not well used and it's compatibility with current or future versions of Node.js is unclear, there may be other options.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start at the transport code that handles wildcard entries in addresses.listen and loops over os.networkInterfaces(). Read the linked libuv pull request and Node.js issue to understand available deprecated-address flags and platform constraints. Done means wildcard listeners report only non-deprecated temporary IPv6 addresses without breaking supported environments.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
node.js, typescript
Domain
networking
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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