OK - here are our latest findings:
First - the Bottom line: The RTEMS network code does not work as expected. Calling socket_ioctl() with SIOCGIFCONF does return also AF_LINK structures, not just AF_INET interfaces, as the linux man page says.
.......
We are suggesting to keep the double buffer: memcpy()ing whatever is coming up into a local buffer which is word-aligned, and handing a pointer to that copy down in subsequent socket_ioctl() calls. This doesn't use much space and time and should be safe - no matter what is coming up in the ifreq array. osiSockDiscoverBroadcastAddresses() isn't called much anyway.
Jeff: should I commit that patch to the APS repository for 3.14 and the trunk? Or send it to you first?
The CA data garble issue was solved by applying the patch from Peter Denison. Do you want me to commit that, too?
Thanks again to both of you for your valuable help!!
Ralph & Ralf