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Linux Kernel Eyes IPv6-Only Builds, Legacy IPv4
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HN · HACKER_NEWS// 10d agoNEWS

Linux Kernel Eyes IPv6-Only Builds, Legacy IPv4

David Woodhouse’s patch series would let Linux be built IPv6-only or IPv4-only by splitting out a new `CONFIG_LEGACY_IP` switch. Phoronix notes the deprecation language is partly tongue-in-cheek, but the build-time cleanup and protocol separation are real goals.

// ANALYSIS

This is half April Fools, half legitimate kernel housekeeping: the joke is the naming, but the architectural direction makes sense for a codebase that still carries a lot of shared IPv4/IPv6 baggage. Splitting protocol support at build time could simplify kernel maintenance and trim dead paths in environments that only need one stack. IPv6-only builds are most useful for appliances, embedded systems, and controlled infra where unused networking surface is a liability. The "Legacy IP" framing is provocative, but any real deprecation would need a long runway because the ecosystem still depends on IPv4 everywhere. This fits a broader Linux networking trend toward making core stacks less modular and easier to reason about at build time.

// TAGS
open-sourceinfrastructurelinux-kernel

DISCOVERED

10d ago

2026-04-01

PUBLISHED

10d ago

2026-04-01

RELEVANCE

5/ 10

AUTHOR

Bender