ip addresses

When it comes to managing network interfaces in Linux, the traditional ifconfig tool has seen its day. Modern Linux distributions have largely replaced it with the more powerful ip tool, which is part of the iproute2 package. The ip command offers a comprehensive framework for managing network configurations, allowing you to configure network interfaces, set routing tables, manage ARP tables, and much more. In this blog post, we'll look at what makes the ip tool so essential, how to install it, and some basic usage examples to get you started. The ifconfig tool, part of the net-tools suite, has been the traditional tool for network interface management.

When working with Linux systems, especially in server environments, configuring network settings such as IP addresses and subnets is a fundamental skill. Let’s explore how to manage these configurations effectively using Linux Bash, covering different package managers and distributions. Before diving into configurations, it's vital to understand what IP addresses and subnets are. An IP address is a unique address that identifies a device on the internet or a local network. The subnet mask, on the other hand, defines the network portion of an IP address, allowing the possibility to differentiate the network segment, the device is on, from other devices.