Ethereal-users: Re: [Ethereal-users] network interface not found

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From: Guy Harris <guy@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 10:00:09 -0700
On Tue, Sep 16, 2003 at 11:11:02AM +0200, Matthias Albus (FF) wrote:
> I just installed ethereal using tethereal 0.8.18,on my AIX 5.2 machine.
> 
> When I start with tethereal -i en0
> 
> it gives:
> tethereal: The capture session could not be initiated (/dev/bpf0: A file or
> directory in the path name does not exist.).
> Please check to make sure you have sufficient permissions, and that
> you have the proper interface specified.
> 
> although I am root.

With which version of libpcap did you link Tethereal?  The one that came
with AIX, or the one from tcpdump.org?

If you used the one that came with AIX, I don't know whether it creates
the "/dev/bpf" devices, or if that's done by tcpdump.  Those devices
don't exist on your system, as per the message from Tethereal.  Try
running tcpdump once - you can kill it after it starts capturing - and
make sure there's a "/dev/bpf0" file on your system after it exits.

Note that if you need to run tcpdump to get the "/dev/bpf0" device, you
will probably have to do so again if you reboot the system.

If you used the libpcap from tcpdump.org, the current CVS version should
create the "/dev/bpf" devices for you.  Earlier versions won't.