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ip command

Detailed Explanation

The ip command is a powerful network management tool used in Linux to configure network interfaces, routing, and tunnels. It is part of the iproute2 package and has largely replaced older tools like ifconfig, route, and arp.

Basic Syntax

ip [ OPTIONS ] OBJECT { COMMAND | help }

Where OBJECT is the network entity you want to manage (e.g., link, addr, route, neigh).

Common Flags/Options

OptionDescription
-V, -VersionPrint the version of the ip utility and exit.
-h, -humanOutput statistics with human-readable values.
-s, -statsOutput more information/statistics.
-c, -colorUse color output.
-br, -briefPrint only basic information in a tabular format.

Real-world Examples

Show all IP addresses:

ip addr show

Show IP addresses in a brief format:

ip -br addr show

Bring an interface up or down:

ip link set eth0 up
ip link set eth0 down

Display the routing table:

ip route show

Add a static route:

ip route add 192.168.2.0/24 via 192.168.1.1