Software Manual

WE865-DUAL Software User Guide

1vv0300788 Rev. 0 08/08/08

6.3 ifrename

ifrename is a tool allowing you to assign a consistent name to each of your network interface.

By default, interface names are dynamic, and each network interface is assigned the first available

name (eth0, eth1...). The order network interfaces are created may vary. For built-in interfaces, the

kernel boot time enumeration may vary. For removable interface, the user may plug them in any order.

Ifrename allow the user to decide what name a network interface will have. Ifrename can use a variety

of selectors to specify how interface names match the network interfaces on the system, the most

common selector is the interface MAC address.

Ifrename must be run before interfaces are brought up, which is why it's mostly useful in various

scripts (init, hotplug) but is seldom used directly by the user. By default, ifrename renames all present

system interfaces using mappings defined in /etc/iftab.

Synopsis

ifrename [-c configfile] [-p] [-d] [-u] [-v] [-V] [-D]

ifrename [-c configfile] [-i interface] [-n newname]

Parameters

-c configfile

Set the configuration file to be used (by default /etc/iftab). The configuration file defines the

mapping between selectors and interface names, and is described in iftab.

If configfile is "-", the configuration is read from stdin.

-p

Probe (load) kernel modules before renaming interfaces. By default ifrename only check

interfaces already loaded, and doesn't auto-load the required kernel modules. This option

enables smooth integration with system not loading modules before calling ifrename.

-d

Enable various Debian specific hacks. Combined with -p, only modules for interfaces

specified in /etc/network/interface are loaded.

-i interface

Only rename the specified interface as opposed to all interfaces on the system. The new

interface name is printed.

-n newname