Understanding the ip Command

Basic Usage of ip

The ip command is a versatile tool used to manage networking in Linux. It is part of the iproute2 package and replaces older commands like ifconfig. This command can configure network interfaces, manage routing, and more.

Options Available with ip

OBJECTS

The ip command has several objects, including:

• link - Manage network interfaces.
• addr - Manage IP addresses.
• route - Manage routing tables.
• neigh - Manage ARP entries.
• rule - Manage routing policy rules.
• tunnel - Manage IP tunnels.

ip link

Manage network interfaces:

ip addr

Manage IP addresses:

ip route

Manage routing tables:

Common Commands

show

Display information:

add

Add a new interface or address:

del

Delete an interface or address:

set

Set parameters for an interface:

link set

Change the state of a network interface:

Examples of ip Command

Display All Network Interfaces

This command displays all network interfaces and their status.

Add an IP Address to an Interface

This command assigns the IP address 192.168.1.100 to the eth0 interface.

Delete an IP Address from an Interface

This command removes the IP address 192.168.1.100 from the eth0 interface.

Show Routing Table

This command displays the current routing table.

Understanding ip Output

The output of the ip command can vary based on the object and command used. For example:

• link: Displays the interface name, state (up/down), and other settings.
• addr: Shows the IP address assigned to the interface, along with the associated network mask.
• route: Lists the destination network, gateway, and associated interfaces for routing.

Summary of Options