6.47. Installing Net-tools-1.60

Estimated build time:           1 minute
Estimated required disk space:  5 MB

6.47.1. Installation of Net-tools

Install Net-tools by running the following commands:

make &&
make update

6.47.2. Command explanations

make update: This does the same as a make install with the exception that make update doesn't make backups of files it's replacing. One of the things net-tools replaces is sh-utils's version of /bin/hostname (net-tools's version is far better than sh-utils's version).

Also, if you decide to reinstall this package at some point in the future, a make update won't backup all the files from a previous net-tools installation.

6.47.3. Contents

The Net-tools package contains the arp, hostname, ifconfig, netstat, plipconfig rarp, route, and slattach programs.

6.47.4. Description

6.47.4.1. arp

arp is used to manipulate the kernel's ARP cache, usually to add or delete an entry, or to dump the ARP cache.

6.47.4.2. hostname

hostname, with its symlinks domainname, dnsdomainname, nisdomainname, ypdomainname, and nodename, is used to set or show the system's hostname (or other, depending on the symlink used).

6.47.4.3. ifconfig

The ifconfig command is the general command used to configure network interfaces.

6.47.4.4. netstat

netstat is a multi-purpose tool used to print the network connections, routing tables, interface statistics, masquerade connections, and multicast memberships.

6.47.4.5. plipconfig

plipconfig is used to fine-tune the PLIP device parameters, hopefully making it faster.

6.47.4.6. rarp

Akin to the arp program, the rarp program manipulates the system's RARP table.

6.47.4.7. route

route is the general utility which is used to manipulate the IP routing table.

6.47.4.8. slattach

slattach attaches a network interface to a serial line, i.e.. puts a normal terminal line into one of several "network" modes.

6.47.5. Dependencies

Net-tools-1.60 needs the following to be installed:


bash from the bash package
sh from the bash package

ar from the binutils package
as from the binutils package
ld from the binutils package

install from the fileutils package
ln from the fileutils package
rm from the fileutils package

msgfmt from the gettext package

cc from the gcc package

make from the make package

basename from the sh-utils package
echo from the sh-utils package
env from the sh-utils package