(I have posted this separately to comp.lang.c++ and comp.lang.c,
reason being that I'd like a response from both communities, but I
haven't cross-posted it because I think it's best not to mix C and C++
discussion)

I want to get into doing some network programming. I'd like to find a
good cross-platform networking library, but failing that, I'd settle
for something that'll work on Linux. I don't mind whether the libary
is C or whether it's C++, I'll work with either.

I don't want the library to be so raw as that I have to calculate my
own Frame Check Sequence for the frames I send, but I would like a
great deal of control, e.g. I'd like to be able to model a frame that
has a particular destination, a particular source, a particular
protocol value. And within the actual frame data, I'd like to be able
to specify whatever I want, any stream of 1's and 0's. For instance,
I'd like to model my own ARP request frame.

The machines I'll be working with will all satisfy the following
criteria:
1) CHAR_BIT == 8
2) I can specify to the compiler not to put padding between
structure members

OK so let's say I want to send an ARP request. I'd like to put
together an ARP header as follows:

typedef struct ARPHeader {
uint8 hardware_type[2],
proto_type[2],
hardware_len,
proto_len,
op[2],
src_MAC[6],
src_IP[4],
dest_MAC[6],
dest_IP[4]
} ARPHeader;


I'd then make an ARPHeader object and populate it:

ARPHeader arph = { /* blah blah blah */ };

And then I'd like to send the data out as a frame, e.g. something
like:

void LibraryFunctionForSendingFrame(uint8 dest[6],
uint8 src[6],
unsigned data_len,
uint8 const *data);

LibraryFunctionForSendingFrame(broadcast_addr,my_m ac,sizeof
arph,arph);

Is there any kind of networking library that gives me this kind of
maticulous control? Also, I want to be able to listen to the NIC to
see if I get an ARP response.

And just for kicks, is there any kind of networking library that will
give you even *greater* control than this, e.g. one that will let you
specify a dodgy frame length and a dodgy Frame Check Sequence?

In article <31189eab-e092-47dc-8251-1cf08fb0981c@e6g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
Tomás Ó hÉilidhe <toe@lavabit.com> wrote:
>
>(I have posted this separately to comp.lang.c++ and comp.lang.c,
>reason being that I'd like a response from both communities, but I
>haven't cross-posted it because I think it's best not to mix C and C++
>discussion)
>
>I want to get into doing some network programming.

To quote the great CBF, "Stop right there!"

To quote the not-so great Kenny McC:

Off topic. Not portable. Cant discuss it here. Blah, blah, blah.

--
Useful clc-related links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clique
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_programming_language

Tomás Ó hÉilidhe wrote:
>
> I want to get into doing some network programming. I'd like to find a
> good cross-platform networking library, but failing that, I'd settle
> for something that'll work on Linux. I don't mind whether the libary
> is C or whether it's C++, I'll work with either.
>
Just use the BSD socket API, which is ported to just about every
platform that supports networking. comp.unix.programmer would be a
better place to ask about raw mode.

--
Ian Collins.