Wireshark mailing list archives

Re: Overriding a builtin dissector


From: Graham Bloice <graham.bloice () trihedral com>
Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2018 17:05:05 +0100

On 25 April 2018 at 16:51, Pascal Quantin <pascal.quantin () gmail com> wrote:

Hi Jason,

2018-04-25 17:40 GMT+02:00 Jason Cohen <kryojenik2 () gmail com>:

I've already asked some of this privately, but submitting to the full
list for archival as well.

Is there a way or any thoughts of being able to override an existing,
built-in dissector?


You can deactivate a builtin dissector via the Analyze -> Enabled
Protocols window if required.



The specific case in point being the f5ethtrailer dissector recently was
included as a built-in.  Would it be possible to offer a plugin that
"replaced" the existing dissector to support the new formats?  What is
Wiresharks policy on submitted updates to protocol dissectors?  Would
changes go out in the next minor / maint release, or would they have to
wait for a major relase?


Once you have deactivated the builtin plugin, you can have a plugin doing
the dissection instead. It would probably require another protocol short
name and filter name though to avoid any collision.
Only bugfixes go in stable branches, per our policy
https://wiki.wireshark.org/Development/ReleasePolicy. So any addition
submitted would be part of the next major release.


There is a bit of a grey area here, if the updated protocol is in active
use in the wild, updates to the dissector could be done in the current
release by squinting hard and calling them bugfixes.  This has been done in
the past.

-- 
Graham Bloice
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