rtnetlink, NETLINK_ROUTE - Linux IPv4 routing socket.


SYNOPSIS

       #include <asm/types.h>
       #include <linux/netlink.h>
       #include <linux/rtnetlink.h>
       #include <sys/socket.h>

       rtnetlink_socket  =  socket(PF_NETLINK,  int  socket_type,
       NETLINK_ROUTE);


DESCRIPTION

       Rtnetlink allows the kernel's routing tables  to  be  read
       and  altered.  It is used within the kernel to communicate
       between various subsystems, though this usage is not docu­
       mented  here,  and  for communication with user-space pro­
       grams.  Network routes,  ip  addresses,  link  parameters,
       neighbour  setups,  queueing  disciplines, traffic classes
       and packet  classifiers  may  all  be  controlled  through
       NETLINK_ROUTE  sockets.   It is based on netlink messages,
       see netlink(7) for more information.


ROUTING ATTRIBUTES

       Some rtnetlink messages have optional attributes after the
       initial header:

       struct rtattr
       {
           unsigned short rta_len;     /* Length of option */
           unsigned short rta_type;    /* Type of option */
           /* Data follows */
       };

       These  attributes  should  be  only  manipulated using the
       RTA_* macros or libnetlink, see rtnetlink(3).


MESSAGES

       Rtnetlink consists of these message types (in addition  to
       standard netlink messages):

       RTM_NEWLINK, RTM_DELLINK, RTM_GETLINK
              Create,  remove or get information about a specific
              network interface.  These messages contain an ifin­
              fomsg  structure  followed  by  a  series of rtattr
              structures.

              struct ifinfomsg
              {
                  unsigned char  ifi_family;  /* AF_UNSPEC */

                  int            ifi_index;   /* Interface index   */
                  unsigned int   ifi_flags;   /* Device flags  */
                  unsigned int   ifi_change;  /* change mask */
              };

              ifi_flags contains the  device  flags,  see  netde­
              vice(7);  ifi_index  is the unique interface index,
              ifi_change is reserved for future use and should be
              always set to 0xFFFFFFFF.

              Routing attributes
              rta_type             value type         description
              --------------------------------------------------------------
              IFLA_UNSPEC          -                  unspecified.
              IFLA_ADDRESS         hardware address   interface L2 address
              IFLA_BROADCAST       hardware address   L2 broadcast address.
              IFLA_IFNAME          asciiz string      Device name.
              IFLA_MTU             unsigned int       MTU of the device.
              IFLA_LINK            int                Link type.
              IFLA_QDISC           asciiz string      Queueing discipline.
              IFLA_STATS           struct             Interface Statistics.
                                   net_device_stats

       RTM_NEWADDR, RTM_DELADDR,
              RTM_GETADDR
              Add, remove or  receive  information  about  an  IP
              address  associated with an interface. In Linux 2.2
              an interface can carry multiple IP addresses,  this
              replaces  the alias device concept in 2.0. In Linux
              2.2 these messages support IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
              They  contain  an  ifaddrmsg  structure, optionally
              followed by rtaddr routing attributes.

              struct ifaddrmsg
              {
                  unsigned char  ifa_family;  /* Address type */
                  unsigned char  ifa_prefixlen;/* Prefixlength of the address */
                  unsigned char  ifa_flags;   /* Address flags */
                  unsigned char  ifa_scope;   /* Address scope */
                  int            ifa_index;   /* Interface index   */
              };

              ifa_family is the address  family  type  (currently
              AF_INET  or  AF_INET6), ifa_prefixlen is the length
              of the address mask of the address if  defined  for
              the  family  (like  for  IPv4),  ifa_scope  is  the
              address scope, ifa_index is the interface index  of
              the  interface  the  address  is  associated  with.
              ifa_flags is a flag  word  of  IFA_F_SECONDARY  for
              secondary address (old alias interface), IFA_F_PER­
              MANENT for a permanent address set by the user  and
              other undocumented flags.

              rta_type        value type             description
              -------------------------------------------------------------
              IFA_UNSPEC      -                      unspecified.
              IFA_ADDRESS     raw protocol address   interface address
              IFA_LOCAL       raw protocol address   local address
              IFA_LABEL       asciiz string          name of the interface
              IFA_BROADCAST   raw protocol address   broadcast address.
              IFA_ANYCAST     raw protocol address   anycast address
              IFA_CACHEINFO   struct ifa_cacheinfo   Address information.

       RTM_NEWROUTE, RTM_DELROUTE,
              RTM_GETROUTE
              Create, remove or receive information about a  net­
              work route.  These messages contain an rtmsg struc­
              ture with an optional sequence of rtattr structures
              following. For RTM_GETROUTE setting rtm_dst_len and
              rtm_src_len to 0 means you get all entries for  the
              specified  routing  table.   For  the  other fields
              except rtm_table and rtm_protocol 0  is  the  wild­
              card.

              struct rtmsg
              {
                  unsigned char  rtm_family;  /* Address family of route */
                  unsigned char  rtm_dst_len; /* Length of source */
                  unsigned char  rtm_src_len; /* Length of destination */
                  unsigned char  rtm_tos;     /* TOS filter */

                  unsigned char  rtm_table;   /* Routing table id */
                  unsigned char  rtm_protocol;/* Routing protocol; see below */
                  unsigned char  rtm_scope;   /* See below */
                  unsigned char  rtm_type;    /* See below */

                  unsigned int   rtm_flags;
              };

              rtm_type          Route type
              -----------------------------------------------------------
              RTN_UNSPEC        unknown route
              RTN_UNICAST       a gateway or direct route
              RTN_LOCAL         a local interface route
              RTN_BROADCAST     a  local  broadcast  route  (sent  as  a
                                broadcast)
              RTN_ANYCAST       a local broadcast route (sent as a  uni­
                                cast)
              RTN_MULTICAST     a multicast route
              RTN_BLACKHOLE     a packet dropping route
              RTN_UNREACHABLE   an unreachable destination
              RTN_PROHIBIT      a packet rejection route
              RTN_THROW         continue routing lookup in another table
              RTN_NAT           a network address translation rule

                                implemented)

              rtm_protocol      Route origin.
              -----------------------------------------
              RTPROT_UNSPEC     unknown
              RTPROT_REDIRECT   by  an  ICMP  redirect
                                (currently unused)
              RTPROT_KERNEL     by the kernel
              RTPROT_BOOT       during boot
              RTPROT_STATIC     by the administrator

              Values  larger  than  RTPROT_STATIC  are not inter­
              preted by the kernel, they are just for user infor­
              mation.   They  may  be used to tag the source of a
              routing information or to distingush between multi­
              ple  routing  daemons.  See <linux/rtnetlink.h> for
              the routing daemon identifiers  which  are  already
              assigned.

              rtm_scope is the distance to the destination:

              RT_SCOPE_UNIVERSE   global route
              RT_SCOPE_SITE       interior   route  in  the
                                  local autonomous system
              RT_SCOPE_LINK       route on this link
              RT_SCOPE_HOST       route on the local host
              RT_SCOPE_NOWHERE    destination doesn't exist

              The   values    between    RT_SCOPE_UNIVERSE    and
              RT_SCOPE_SITE are available to the user.

              The rtm_flags have the following meanings:

              RTM_F_NOTIFY     if  the  route changes, notify the user via
                               rtnetlink
              RTM_F_CLONED     route is cloned from another route
              RTM_F_EQUALIZE   a multicast equalizer (not yet implemented)

              rtm_table specifies the routing table

              RT_TABLE_UNSPEC    an unspecified routing table
              RT_TABLE_DEFAULT   the default table
              RT_TABLE_MAIN      the main table
              RT_TABLE_LOCAL     the local table

              The  user  may  assign  arbitary   values   between
              RT_TABLE_UNSPEC and RT_TABLE_DEFAULT.

               Attributes
              rta_type        value type         description
              --------------------------------------------------------------
              RTA_UNSPEC      -                  ignored.

              RTA_SRC         protocol address   Route source address.
              RTA_IIF         int                Input interface index.
              RTA_OIF         int                Output interface index.
              RTA_GATEWAY     protocol address   The gateway of the route
              RTA_PRIORITY    int                Priority of route.
              RTA_PREFSRC
              RTA_METRICS     int                Route metric
              RTA_MULTIPATH
              RTA_PROTOINFO
              RTA_FLOW
              RTA_CACHEINFO

              Fill these values in!

       RTM_NEWNEIGH, RTM_DELNEIGH, RTM_GETNEIGH
              Add,  remove  or receive information about a neigh­
              bour table entry (e.g. an ARP entry).  The  message
              contains an ndmsg structure.

              struct ndmsg
              {
                  unsigned char  ndm_family;
                  int            ndm_ifindex; /* Interface index */
                  __u16          ndm_state;   /* State */
                  __u8           ndm_flags;   /* Flags */
                  __u8           ndm_type;
              };

              struct nda_cacheinfo
              {
                  __u32          ndm_confirmed;
                  __u32          ndm_used;
                  __u32          ndm_updated;
                  __u32          ndm_refcnt;
              };

              ndm_state is a bitmask of the following states:

              NUD_INCOMPLETE   a currently resolving cache entry
              NUD_REACHABLE    a confirmed working cache entry
              NUD_STALE        an expired cache entry
              NUD_DELAY        an entry waiting for a timer
              NUD_PROBE        a cache entry that is currently reprobed
              NUD_FAILED       an invalid cache entry
              NUD_NOARP        a device with no destination cache
              NUD_PERMANENT    a static entry

              Valid ndm_flags are:

              NTF_PROXY    a proxy arp entry
              NTF_ROUTER   an IPv6 router

              document the members of the struct better

              the rta_type field:

              NDA_UNSPEC      unknown type
              NDA_DST         a neighbour cache network layer destination address
              NDA_LLADDR      a neighbour cache link layer address
              NDA_CACHEINFO   cache statistics.

              If the  rta_type  field  is  NDA_CACHEINFO  then  a
              struct nda_cacheinfo header follows

       RTM_NEWRULE, RTM_DELRULE, RTM_GETRULE
              Add,  delete  or retrieve a routing rule. Carries a
              struct rtmsg

       RTM_NEWQDISC, RTM_DELQDISC, RTM_GETQDISC
              Add, remove or get a queueing discipline.  The mes­
              sage contains a struct tcmsg and may be followed by
              a series of attributes.

              struct tcmsg
              {
                  unsigned char  tcm_family;
                  int            tcm_ifindex; /* interface index */
                  __u32          tcm_handle;  /* Qdisc handle */
                  __u32          tcm_parent;  /* Parent qdisc */
                  __u32          tcm_info;
              };

              Attributes
              rta_type      value type            Description
              ------------------------------------------------------------------
              TCA_UNSPEC    -                     unspecified
              TCA_KIND      asciiz string         Name of queueing discipline
              TCA_OPTIONS   byte sequence         Qdisc specific options follow
              TCA_STATS     struct tc_stats       Qdisc statistics.
              TCA_XSTATS    qdisc specific        Module specific statistics.
              TCA_RATE      struct tc_estimator   Rate limit.

              In addition various  other  qdisc  module  specific
              attributes  are  allowed.  For more information see
              the appropriate include files.

       RTM_NEWTCLASS, RTM_DELTCLASS, RTM_GETTCLASS
              Add, remove or get a traffic class.  These messages
              contain a struct tcmsg as described above.

       RTM_NEWTFILTER, RTM_DELTFILTER, RTM_GETTFILTER
              Add,  remove or receive information about a traffic
              filter.  These messages contain a struct  tcmsg  as
              described above.


VERSIONS

       rtnetlink is a new feature of Linux 2.2.

       This manual page is lacking and incomplete.


SEE ALSO

       netlink(7), cmsg(3), ip(7), rtnetlink(3)


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