Chapter 8. Network Interfaces

Under Red Hat Linux, all network communications occur between configured software interfaces and physical networking devices connected to the system.

The configuration files for network interfaces, and the scripts to activate and deactivate them, are located in the /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ directory. Although the number and type of interface files can differ from system to system, there are three categories of files that exist in this directory:

The files in each of these categories work together to enable various network devices under Red Hat Linux.

This chapter will explore the relationship between these files and how they are used.

8.1. Network Configuration Files

Before delving into the interface configuration files, let us first itemize the primary configuration files used in network configuration. Understanding the role these files play in setting up the network stack can be helpful when customizing a Red Hat Linux system.

The primary network configuration files are as follows:

CautionCaution
 

The /etc/sysconfig/networking/ directory is used by the Network Administration Tool (redhat-config-network) and its contents should not be edited manually. For more information about configuring network interfaces using the Network Administration Tool, see the chapter called Network Configuration in the Red Hat Linux Customization Guide.