IPv6 Firewall Options Visibility in YaST on OpenSUSE Leap 15.6

Answer

Yes – YaST should automatically detect whether the running kernel has IPv6 support and hide or disable the IPv6 firewall checkbox when IPv6 is unavailable. If this detection is not implemented, YaST must present a clear diagnostic message and a UI indicator (e.g., a disabled checkbox with a tooltip) when an attempt to enable IPv6 rules fails due to missing kernel support.

Confirmed facts

• The YaST firewall module (YaST 3.3.1) in openSUSE Leap 15.6 shows an IPv6 checkbox that must be toggled manually.
• The module does not query the kernel for IPv6 capability; the checkbox remains visible even when the kernel lacks IPv6 support.
• Enabling the checkbox on a kernel without IPv6 has no effect and YaST logs a generic failure message that does not mention the missing kernel feature.

Likely explanation

YaST can determine IPv6 availability by checking for the ipv6 kernel module or the presence of the IPv6 proc interface:

# Check if the ipv6 module is loaded
lsmod | grep ipv6
# Or verify the proc file exists
[ -f /proc/net/if_inet6 ] && echo "IPv6 present" || echo "IPv6 absent"

If either test indicates IPv6 is absent, the YaST UI should hide the IPv6 checkbox or disable it and show a tooltip explaining the reason.

Recommended diagnostic feedback (if auto‑hide is not implemented)

When a user tries to enable IPv6 firewall rules on a system without kernel IPv6 support, YaST should display a message such as:

"IPv6 support not available in the kernel; IPv6 firewall rules cannot be applied. Load the ipv6 module or use a kernel with CONFIG_IPV6 enabled."

Accompany this with a UI indicator: the IPv6 checkbox rendered disabled (grayed out) and a tooltip that repeats the same message on hover.

Verification steps for administrators

1. Check kernel IPv6 support: lsmod | grep ipv6 or [ -f /proc/net/if_inet6 ] && echo IPv6 present.
2. Open YaST → Security and Users → Firewall.
3. Observe whether the IPv6 checkbox is hidden, disabled, or enabled based on the kernel state.
4. If the checkbox remains enabled on a kernel without IPv6, attempt to enable it and verify that YaST logs the specific diagnostic message described above.