All major Linux distros compliant with IPv6 mandates

Network Administrator Michael Kassner has covered IPv6 in detail in his series on what to do to prepare for the IPv6 upgrade. If you are wondering what that means to the Linux community, Ars Technica reports that all major Linux distros now comply with the Department of Defense (DoD, U.S.) certification policies. One of the main things that the IPv6 move will do is boost the number of available IP addresses that can be used on the Internet.

Linux has had relatively robust IPv6 support since 2005, but further work was needed for for the open source platform to achieve full compliance with DoD standards. The Linux Foundation’s IPv6 workgroup analyzed the DoD certification requirements and identified key areas where Linux’s IPv6 stack needed adjustments in order to guarantee compliance. They collaboratively filled in the gaps and have succeeded in bringing the shared technology into alignment with the DoD’s standards.

One major player in the Linux compliance efforts was IBM; the collaboration also included the IPv6 Workgroup of the Linux Foundation, Red Hat, Novell, Nokia, and other major Linux stakeholders.

“The IPv6 mandate and ensuing requirements are such major undertakings that it makes it difficult for any one company to deal with it all on its own,” said Linux Foundation director Jim Zemlin in a statement. “This is exactly the kind of work and collaboration that the Linux Foundation can facilitate, and which results in real technology advancements for the Linux operating system.”