IPv6 Extensions to the ifconfig Utility (System Administration Guide, Volume 3)

System Administration Guide, Volume 3

IPv6 Extensions to the `ifconfig` Utility

The ifconfig utility was changed to allow for plumbing IPv6 interfaces as well as the tunneling module. The ifconfig(1M) utility uses an extended set of ioctls to configure both IPv4 and IPv6 network interfaces. The following table shows the set of options added to this utility. See "How to Display Interface Address Assignments" for a description of useful diagnostic procedures using this utility.

Table 16-1 New ifconfig Utility Options


Option	Description
`index`	Set the interface index.
`tsrc`/`tdst`	Set tunnel source/destination.
`addif`	Create the next available logical interface.
`removeif`	Delete a logical interface with a given IP address.
`destination`	Set the point-to-point destination address for an interface.
`set`	Set an address, netmask, or both for an interface.
`subnet`	Set the subnet address of an interface.
`xmit`/`-xmit`	Enable/disable packet transmission on an interface.

"Enabling IPv6 Nodes" provides IPv6 configuration procedures.

Examples--New `ifconfig` Utility Options

The following usage of the ifconfig command creates the hme0:3 logical interface to the 1234::5678/64 IPv6 address and enables it with the up option, reports its status, disables it, then deletes the interface.

Example 16-1 Examples--Using `addif` and `removeif`

# ifconfig hme0 inet6 addif 1234::5678/64 up
Created new logical interface hme0:3

# ifconfig hme0:3 inet6
hme0:3: flags=2000841<UP,RUNNING,MULTICAST,IPv6> mtu 1500 index 2
		inet6 1234::5678/64 

# ifconfig hme0:3 inet6 down

# ifconfig hme0 inet6 removeif 1234::5678

The following usage of the ifconfig command opens the device associated with the physical interface name and sets up the streams needed for TCP/IP to use the device, reports its status, configures the tunnels source and destination address, and reports its new status after the configuration.

Example 16-2 Examples--Using `tsrc`/`tdst` and `index`

# ifconfig ip.tun0 inet6 plumb index 13

# ifconfig ip.tun0 inet6
ip.tun0: flags=2200850<POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST,NONUD,IPv6> mtu 
1480 index 13
		inet tunnel src 0.0.0.0 
		inet6 fe80::/10 --> :: 

# ifconfig ip.tun0 inet6 tsrc 120.46.86.158 tdst 120.46.86.122

# ifconfig ip.tun0 inet6
ip.tun0: flags=2200850<POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST,NONUD,IPv6> mtu 
1480 index 13
		inet tunnel src 120.46.86.158  tunnel dst 120.46.86.122
		inet6 fe80::8192:569e/10 --> fe80::8192:567a