# Duplicate functionality ebuilds ip / ifconfig

## Roman_Gruber

For some years guys tell me ifconfig is deprecated. The thing for ip is, it needs new syntax  and hte documentation / syntax needs some improvement.

https://wiki.linuxfoundation.org/networking/iproute2

This homepage is quite a decent example of bloatware. Not really clear what it does, what it is used for. and such. This also reflects in the usage of the command named "ip". 

In comparision. The "such" outdated ... sys-apps/net-tools

http://net-tools.sourceforge.net

With a clear homepage which telle me instantly what it is used for! With clear reference links to every tool in question.

--

Portage told me I should not remove iproute2. I did and my box still works after a warmboot.

I know the ifconfig syntax because I used it for years. Ip syntax is not that well to remember. 

--

Questions for the specialists, or guys who have more insight.

*) Is iproute2 package basically lint?

*) Where is the difference in the following ebuilds: iproute / iproute2 / sys-apps/net-tools?  Is there any real benefit for a desctop user?

My use case: Establishing a link with the multi purpose modulator / demodulator device.

```
ASUS-G75VW roman # equery belongs ping

 * Searching for ping ... 

net-misc/iputils-20151218 (/bin/ping)

ASUS-G75VW roman # equery belongs dhcpcd

 * Searching for dhcpcd ... 

net-misc/dhcpcd-6.11.5 (/lib64/dhcpcd)

net-misc/dhcpcd-6.11.5 (/lib/dhcpcd)

net-misc/dhcpcd-6.11.5 (/usr/share/dhcpcd)

net-misc/dhcpcd-6.11.5 (/etc/init.d/dhcpcd)

net-misc/dhcpcd-6.11.5 (/var/lib/dhcpcd)

net-misc/dhcpcd-6.11.5 (/sbin/dhcpcd)

ASUS-G75VW roman # equery belongs ifconfig

 * Searching for ifconfig ... 

sys-apps/net-tools-1.60_p20161110235919 (/bin/ifconfig)

ASUS-G75VW roman # equery belongs iw

 * Searching for iw ... 

net-wireless/iw-4.9 (/usr/sbin/iw)

ASUS-G75VW roman # equery belongs wpa_supplicant

 * Searching for wpa_supplicant ... 

net-wireless/wpa_supplicant-2.6-r1 (/etc/wpa_supplicant)

net-wireless/wpa_supplicant-2.6-r1 (/etc/conf.d/wpa_supplicant)

net-wireless/wpa_supplicant-2.6-r1 (/etc/init.d/wpa_supplicant)

net-wireless/wpa_supplicant-2.6-r1 (/usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant)

```

*) Do we really need iproute2? And if we need it should not be the so called "outdated" sys-apps/net-tools already be hardmasked and out of the tree?

*) Iproute2 package should not belong to the system profile. If it belongs to the system profile it should block sys-apps/net-tools.

I'm looking for feedback why a desctop user should have ebuild iproute2 in system. 

Why iproute2 is in system and basically lint in my point of view.

More packages pull in more dependencies. Consume more power / disk space / and make my backups bloated. 

I think its time to evaluate all those "system" packages to find maybe more lint which should not be installed in the first place.

I think its time to hardmask sys-apps/iproute2. It's lint.

https://wiki.linuxfoundation.org/networking/iproute2

 *Quote:*   

> Most network configuration systems make use of ifconfig and thus provide a limited feature set. 

 

Just an argument I am better, but do not tell why it should be used in the first place.

And if so the limited feature set, do we really need more than this limited feature set? It workd for many many years here flawless! (Speaking about sys-apps/net-tools)

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## Hu

No, it is not lint.  There are advanced use cases which net-tools handles poorly or not at all, but which iproute2 handles correctly.  If you do not need to do any of those advanced uses, then you do not need iproute2.

Like some other distributions, Gentoo keeps net-tools around because there are other tools built on top of it and those tools do not work with iproute2.

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## NeddySeagoon

Roman_Gruber,

If you want to play with policy routing, as you might if you set up both ends of a VPN you need iproute2

That's the only time I've found it to be 'must have'.

It appears to deal with IPv6 better than net-tools too but that's subjective. 

When both are installed, OpenRC will prefer iproute2 over net-tools.

I am trying to move to iproute2 but I'm not in any hurry.

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## szatox

One case where ip came in handy for me was setting a sort of reflective routing on a multihomed server -like in reply to the client using the same IP client used to call you - ip allows for using multiple routing tables.

I suppose there is a better way to do that, but it works well enough for this particular case.

Otherwise there is a technical difference, ifconfig and ip use different kernel interfaces, ans since ip is new and shiny, ifconfig may be abandoned in the future even though ip's syntax sucks.

Pretty much the same thing that happend with iwconfig and wpa_supplicant earlier.

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