NAME

Net::Ifconfig::Wrapper - provides a unified way to configure network interfaces on FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, Linux, OS X, and WinNT (from Win2K).

SYNOPSIS

use Net::Ifconfig::Wrapper;
my $rhInfo = Net::Ifconfig::Wrapper::Ifconfig('list');

DESCRIPTION

This module provides a unified way to configure the network interfaces on FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, Linux, OS X, and WinNT (from Win2K) systems.

Only inet (IPv4) and ether (MAC) addresses are supported at this time

On Unix, this module calls the system ifconfig command to gather the information. On Windows, the functions from IpHlpAPI.DLL are called.

For all supported Unixes, Net::Ifconfig::Wrapper expects the ifconfig command to be /sbin/ifconfig.

See the top-level README file for a list of tested OSes.

On the MSWin32 family, only Windows NT is supported. In the Windows NT family, only Windows 2000 or later is supported.

The Net::Ifconfig::Wrapper methods

Ifconfig(Command, Interface, Address, Netmask);

The first and the last method of the Net::Ifconfig::Wrapper module. Do all the job. The particular action is described by the $Command parameter.

$Command could be:

'list'

Ifconfig('list', '', '', '') will return the reference to the hash contains the information about interfaces.

The structure of this hash is the following:

{IfaceName => {'status' => 0|1          # The status of the interface. 0 means down, 1 means up
               'ether'  => MACaddr,     # The ethernet address of the interface if available
               'descr'  => Description, # The description of the interface if available
               'inet'   => {IPaddr1 => NetMask, # The IP address and his netmask, both are in AAA.BBB.CCC.DDD notation
                            IPaddr2 => NetMask,
                            ...
                           },
...
};

Interface, Address, Netmask parameters are ignored.

The following programs are called:

FreeBSD

/sbin/ifconfig -a

Solaris

/sbin/ifconfig -a

OpenBSD

/sbin/ifconfig -A

Linux

/sbin/ifconfig -a

OS X

/sbin/ifconfig -a

MSWin32

GetAdaptersInfo function from IpHlpAPI.DLL

Limitations:

OpenBSD: /sbin/ifconfig -A command is not returning information about MAC addresses so we are trying to get it from '/usr/sbin/arp -a' command (first 'static' entry). If no one present the 'ff:ff:ff:ff:ff' address is returned.

MSWin32: GetAdaptersInfo function is not returning information about interface which have address 127.0.0.1 binded so Net::Ifconfig::Wrapper have no ability to display it.

Not limitation but little problem: MSWin32 interface names are not human-readable, they looks like {843C2077-30EC-4C56-A401-658BB1E42BC7} (on Win2K at least).

'inet'

This function is used to set IPv4 address on interface. It have to be called as

Ifconfig('inet', $IfaceName, $Addr, $Mask);

$IfaceName is an interface name as displayed by 'list' command

$Addr is an IPv4 address in the AAA.AAA.AAA.AAA notation

$Mask is an IPv4 subnet mask in the MMM.MMM.MMM.MMM notation

The following actual ifconfig programs are called

FreeBSD

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% inet %Addr% netmask %Mask% up

Solaris

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% inet %Addr% netmask %Mask% up

OpenBSD

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% inet %Addr% netmask %Mask% up

Linux

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% inet %Addr% netmask %Mask% up

OS X

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% inet %Addr% netmask %Mask% up

MSWin32:

nothing :(

Limitations:

MSWin32: I did not find the relaible way to recognize the "main" address on the Win32 network interface, so I have disabled this functionality. If you know the way please let me know.

'up'

Just a synonym for 'inet'

'down'

This function is used to bring specified interface down. It have to be called as

Ifconfig('inet', $IfaceName, '', '');

$IfaceName is an interface name as displayed by 'list' command

Address and Netmask are ignored.

The following actual ifconfig programs are called

FreeBSD

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% down

Solaris

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% down

OpenBSD

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% down

Linux

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% down

OS X

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% down

MSWin32

nothing :(

Limitations:

MSWin32: I did not find the way to implement the 'up' command so I did not implement 'down'.

'+alias'

This function is used to set IPv4 alias address on interface. It have to be called as

Ifconfig('+alias', $IfaceName, $Addr, $Mask);

$IfaceName is an interface name as displayed by 'list' command

$Addr is an IPv4 address in the AAA.AAA.AAA.AAA notation

$Mask is an IPv4 subnet mask in the MMM.MMM.MMM.MMM notation

The following actual ifconfig programs are called

FreeBSD

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% inet %Addr% netmask %Mask% alias

Solaris

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface%:%Logic% inet %Addr% netmask %Mask% up

OpenBSD

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% inet %Addr% netmask %Mask% alias

Linux

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface%:%Logic% inet %Addr% netmask %Mask% up

OS X

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% inet %Addr% netmask %Mask% alias

MSWin32

AddIPAddress function from IpHlpAPI.DLL

First available logic interface is taken automaticaly for Solaris and Linux

'alias'

Just a synonim for '+alias'

'-alias'

This function is used to remove IPv4 alias address from interface. It have to be called as

Ifconfig('-alias', $IfaceName, $Addr, '');

$IfaceName is an interface name as displayed by 'list' command

$Addr is an IPv4 address in the AAA.AAA.AAA.AAA notation

Netmask> parameter is ignored

The following actual ifconfig programs are called

FreeBSD

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% inet %Addr% -alias

Solaris

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface%:%Logic% down

OpenBSD

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% inet %Addr% -alias

Linux

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface%:%Logic% down

OS X

/sbin/ifconfig %Iface% inet %Addr% -alias

MSWin32

DeleteIPAddress function from IpHlpAPI.DLL

Appropriate logic interface is obtained automaticaly for Solaris and Linux

On success Ifconfig(...) returns the defined value. Actually, it is a reference to the array contains the output of the actual ifconfig program called.

In case of troubles Ifconfig(...) returns 'undef' value, $@ variable contains the error message.

EXPORT

None by default.

AUTHOR

Daniel Podolsky, <tpaba@cpan.org>

SEE ALSO

ifconfig(8), Internet Protocol Helper in Platform SDK.