[tlug] ifup gives "ifRTNETLINK answers: Invalid argument" error

[Jean-Christian Imbeault <jc@example.com>]

I have two RH8.0 machines, one with two network interfaces, one public 
one private and the other with just one private interface.

I've been able to configure the multi-homed so that at boot time it 
configures itself properly (it seems that way anyway):

# ifconfig eth0; ifconfig eth1
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:30:48:51:96:5F
           inet addr:21x.x.x.x  Bcast:21x.x.x.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
           UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
           RX packets:1205 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
           TX packets:956 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
           collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
           RX bytes:166688 (162.7 Kb)  TX bytes:362981 (354.4 Kb)
           Interrupt:10

eth1      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:30:48:51:96:60
           inet addr:10.1.1.2  Bcast:10.1.1.255  Mask:255.0.0.0
           UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
           RX packets:571 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
           TX packets:913 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
           collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
           RX bytes:92729 (90.5 Kb)  TX bytes:83288 (81.3 Kb)
           Interrupt:11 Base address:0x2000

[root@example.com root]# route
Kernel IP routing table
Destination     Gateway         Genmask         Flags Metric Ref    Use 
Iface
21x.x.x.x       *               255.255.255.0   U     0      0        0 eth0
10.0.0.0        *               255.0.0.0       U     0      0        0 eth1
127.0.0.0       *               255.0.0.0       U     0      0        0 lo
default         21x.x.x.y       0.0.0.0         UG    0      0        0 eth0


But if I try and do the configuration manually I get this cryptic, 
catch-all error:

# ifdown eth1
# ifup eth1 10.1.1.2 netmask 255.255.255.0 braodcast 10.1.1.255
ifRTNETLINK answers: Invalid argument

But the interface comes up and is configured properly.

I've googled around for mentions of this error and all I can find are 
reference to some kernel option. This machine *is* running a custom 
2.4.20 kernel so maybe I did forget some option but if so I can't figure 
out which one ...

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

The config files are as as such:

# cat /etc/sysconfig/network
NETWORKING=yes
HOSTNAME=localhost.localdomain
GATEWAY=21x.x.x.x

# cat /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0
DEVICE=eth0
ONBOOT=yes
IPADDR=21x.x.x.x
BROADCAST=21x.x.x.255

# cat /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth1
DEVICE=eth1
BOOTPROTO=static
ONBOOT=yes
IPADDR=10.1.1.2
NETWORK=10.1.1.0
BROADCAST=10.1.1.255

Thanks,

Jc