Wireshark · Wireshark-dev: Re: [Wireshark-dev] Overriding a builtin dissector

[Graham Bloice <graham.bloice@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 25 April 2018 at 16:51, Pascal Quantin <pascal.quantin@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi Jason,

2018-04-25 17:40 GMT+02:00 Jason Cohen <kryojenik2@xxxxxxxxx>:

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.

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Graham Bloice