ifconfig allows you to see/modify network parameters like the IP address,
routing table, network stack state etc.

Some of this is done with ioctl calls to the network driver, while some
may use the /proc interface (earlier versions did this without /proc)

The /proc interface exposes some elements of the kernel state to the user
level, but that does not mean all of those elements are exposed.

So, in theory it is possible to use the /proc interface to manage the
network, but in practice it might not be quite that easy because some of
those elements are read-only.

Using ioctls is messy but it does allow you the option of making changes
to the network stack state. 

Richard Stevens' book on Unix Network Programming has a section on the
IOCTL calls that can be made to the network driver.

-Naren


On Tue, 12 Feb 2002, Mayuresh Kathe wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> Wanted to know whether ifconfig would be must to activate the network
> interfaces, or can that be done by writing to /proc/...
> 
> Any ideas anyone?
> 
> ~Mayuresh
> 
> _______________________________________________
> linux-india-help mailing list
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/linux-india-help
> 



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