ifup(8) 							       ifup(8)



NAME
       ifup - bring a network interface up

       ifdown - take a network interface down

SYNOPSIS
       ifup  [-nv] [--no-act] [--verbose] [-i FILE|--interfaces=FILE] [--allow
       CLASS] -a|IFACE...
       ifup -h|--help
       ifup -V|--version

       ifdown  [-nv]  [--no-act]   [--verbose]	 [-i   FILE|--interfaces=FILE]
       [--allow CLASS] -a|IFACE...

DESCRIPTION
       The  ifup  and  ifdown  commands  may be used to configure (or, respec
       tively, deconfigure) network interfaces based on interface  definitions
       in the file /etc/network/interfaces.

OPTIONS
       A summary of options is included below.

       -a, --all
	      If given to ifup, affect all interfaces marked auto.  Interfaces
	      are brought up in  the  order  in  which	they  are  defined  in
	      /etc/network/interfaces.	If given to ifdown, affect all defined
	      interfaces.  Interfaces are brought down in the order  in  which
	      they  are  currently  listed  in the state file. Only interfaces
	      defined in /etc/network/interfaces will be brought down.

       --force
	      Force configuration or deconfiguration of the interface.

       -h, --help
	      Show summary of options.

       --allow=CLASS
	      Only allow interfaces listed in an allow-CLASS line in /etc/net
	      work/interfaces to be acted upon.

       -i FILE, --interfaces=FILE
	      Read  interface  definitions from FILE instead of from /etc/net
	      work/interfaces.

       -n, --no-act
	      Dont configure any interfaces or run any "up"  or  "down"  com
	      mands.

       --no-mappings
	      Dont  run any mappings.  See interfaces(5) for more information
	      about the mapping feature.

       -V, --version
	      Show copyright and version information.

       -v, --verbose
	      Show commands as they are executed.

EXAMPLES
       ifup -a
	      Bring up all the	interfaces  defined  with  auto  in  /etc/net
	      work/interfaces

       ifup eth0
	      Bring up interface eth0

       ifup eth0=home
	      Bring up interface eth0 as logical interface home

       ifdown -a
	      Bring down all interfaces that are currently up.

NOTES
       ifup  and  ifdown  are  actually  the  same program called by different
       names.

       The program does not configure network interfaces directly; it runs low
       level utilities such as ifconfig and route to do its dirty work.

FILES
       /etc/network/interfaces
	      definitions  of  network	interfaces  See interfaces(5) for more
	      information.

       /etc/network/run/ifstate
	      current state of network interfaces

KNOWN BUGS/LIMITATIONS
       The program keeps records of whether network interfaces are up or down.
       Under  exceptional  circumstances these records can become inconsistent
       with the real states of the interfaces.	For example, an interface that
       was  brought  up  using ifup and later deconfigured using ifconfig will
       still be recorded as up.  To fix this you can use the --force option to
       force  ifup  or ifdown to run configuration or deconfiguration commands
       despite what it considers the current state of the interface to be.

       The file /etc/network/run/ifstate must be writable for ifup  or	ifdown
       to  work  properly.   If  that  location  is not writable (for example,
       because the root filesystem is mounted read-only for  system  recovery)
       then  /etc/network/run/ifstate  should  be  made  a  symbolic link to a
       writable location.  If that is  not  possible  then  you  can  use  the
       --force option to run configuration or deconfiguration commands without
       updating the file.

       Note that the program does not run automatically: ifup alone  does  not
       bring up interfaces that appear as a result of hardware being installed
       and ifdown alone does not bring down interfaces	that  disappear  as  a
       result  of  hardware  being  removed.  To automate the configuration of
       network interfaces you need to install  other  packages	such  as  hot
       plug(8) or ifplugd(8).

AUTHOR
       The   ifupdown  suite  was  written  by	Anthony  Towns	.

SEE ALSO
       interfaces(5), ifconfig(8).



IFUPDOWN			  22 May 2004			       ifup(8)