[TriLUG] ip_forward questions

[Mike Mueller]

CONFIG_IP_FORWARD no longer exists in .config for 2.4.18+ and 2.2.19+. IP 
forwarding is now controlled with /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward.

This exerpt from "Linux Dialin Server Setup Guide" 
(http://www.swcp.com/~jgentry/pers.html) confuses me because it suggests 
ip_forwarding is still an individual kernel option.  (I don't think this is 
the case however because searching on "FORWARD" in /usr/src/linux/.config is 
fruitless)

If you intend to use your dialin server as a gateway for dialin clients, you 
will need support for IP forwarding in your kernel. Unless you did a custom 
install of the OS, IP forwarding is probably supported. To check, see if the 
file /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward exists. If it does, IP forwarding is 
supported in your kernel.

Can anybody explain the apparent change and why it was put into effect?  
-- 
Mike Mueller
324881 (08/20/2003)
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