What Are These Files In /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts?

I'm attempting to tune my machine and I would like to know what the
files below are. Some descriptions inside the files do not exist or are
cryptic. They all live in /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts. I'd like to
remove all the files I don't need. I already tried deleting what I
thought were not needed, but networking did not restart...

So, can you help me identify what's what and possibly suggest what I can
remove? The system is a firewall with two (2) ethernet interfaces.
eth1 is used by Roaring Penguin using pppoe.

I did "rm *ipv6*", but ppp0 did not come up with
"/etc/rc.d/init.d/network restart;/etc/rc.d/init.d/adsl restart". I
then restored *ipv6* and did an "rm *isdn*" and ppp0 didn't come up.
Not sure what I can trim... Thanks for any help.

Legend:
N: The files I know are needed.
?: Unsure of exact function or need.
B: Unsure of exact function or believe is needed.
X: Unsure of exact function or believe is not needed.

N ifcfg-eth0
N ifcfg-eth1
N ifcfg-lo
B ifdown
X ifdown-cipcb
B ifdown-ippp
X ifdown-ipv6
X ifdown-isdn
B ifdown-post
B ifdown-ppp
X ifdown-sit
X ifdown-sl
B ifup
B ifup-aliases
X ifup-cipcb
B ifup-ippp
X ifup-ipv6
X ifup-ipx
X ifup-isdn
X ifup-plip
X ifup-plusb
B ifup-post
B ifup-ppp
B ifup-routes
X ifup-sit
X ifup-sl
X ifup-wireless
X init.ipv6-global
B network-functions
X network-functions-ipv6

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 14:07:25 GMT, Hank Kingwood <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>I'm attempting to tune my machine and I would like to know what the
>files below are. Some descriptions inside the files do not exist or are
>cryptic. They all live in /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts. I'd like to
>remove all the files I don't need. I already tried deleting what I
>thought were not needed, but networking did not restart...
>

Are you that limited in disk space that the extra 40k or so made a
difference? Do not delete files unless you know what you are doing. You
may learn that the hard way!

>So, can you help me identify what's what and possibly suggest what I can
>remove? The system is a firewall with two (2) ethernet interfaces.
>eth1 is used by Roaring Penguin using pppoe.
>

I'd suggest you remove nothing! They are not hurting anything.

>I did "rm *ipv6*", but ppp0 did not come up with
>"/etc/rc.d/init.d/network restart;/etc/rc.d/init.d/adsl restart". I
>then restored *ipv6* and did an "rm *isdn*" and ppp0 didn't come up.
>Not sure what I can trim... Thanks for any help.
>

<snip>

If you would share with us what distro you are using, someone here may
lead you to a GUI that will make your configuration easier. That will
then rebuild whatever files are needed.


--
"Now are you talking about what it is you know
Or just repeating what it was you heard."
Grace Slick

To E-mail use: rpiotro(at)wi(dot)rr(dot)com

Rich Piotrowski wrote:
> ...
> Are you that limited in disk space that the extra 40k or so made a
> difference? Do not delete files unless you know what you are doing. You
> may learn that the hard way!

Hmmm. There was nothing in the message to indicate I am low on disk
space. I am attempting to optimize. Since I do not know what the files
are used for, I am attempting to find out. Hopefully somone will be
able to explain what the files are and what modifications I can make.

> ...
> I'd suggest you remove nothing! They are not hurting anything.

Thanks, but I continue my quest...

>...
> If you would share with us what distro you are using, someone here may
> lead you to a GUI that will make your configuration easier. That will
> then rebuild whatever files are needed.

I am using Red Hat 9. Since the box I am configuring is a firewall, I
would like only the files necessary to do "firewalling". A GUI is not
needed (some would say "not suggested") on a firewall, so I would
appreciate any CLI suggestions.

Thanks.
--
Hank

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 15:56:13 GMT, Hank Kingwood <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

<snip>

>
>I am using Red Hat 9. Since the box I am configuring is a firewall, I
>would like only the files necessary to do "firewalling". A GUI is not
>needed (some would say "not suggested") on a firewall, so I would
>appreciate any CLI suggestions.
>
>Thanks.

redhat-config-network


--
"Now are you talking about what it is you know
Or just repeating what it was you heard."
Grace Slick

To E-mail use: rpiotro(at)wi(dot)rr(dot)com

Rich Piotrowski wrote:
> On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 15:56:13 GMT, Hank Kingwood <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
> ...
>>I am using Red Hat 9. Since the box I am configuring is a firewall, I
>>would like only the files necessary to do "firewalling". A GUI is not
>>needed (some would say "not suggested") on a firewall, so I would
>>appreciate any CLI suggestions.
>>
>>Thanks.
>
>
> redhat-config-network

Thanks.
I did a "rm -f /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts *", ran
redhat-config-network, but no files were created in .../network-scripts.
--
Hank

Hank Kingwood wrote:

> Rich Piotrowski wrote:
>> On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 15:56:13 GMT, Hank Kingwood <(E-Mail Removed)>
>> wrote:
>> ...
>>>I am using Red Hat 9. Since the box I am configuring is a firewall, I
>>>would like only the files necessary to do "firewalling". A GUI is not
>>>needed (some would say "not suggested") on a firewall, so I would
>>>appreciate any CLI suggestions.
>>>
>>>Thanks.
>>
>>
>> redhat-config-network
>
> Thanks.
> I did a "rm -f /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts *", ran
> redhat-config-network, but no files were created in .../network-scripts.

Please take the advice already offered. Do not remove files whose purpose
you do not understand.

You do not solve computer problems by erasing anything whose purpose you
don't immediately recognize.

--
Paul Lutus
http://www.arachnoid.com

Paul Lutus wrote:
> ...
> Please take the advice already offered. Do not remove files whose purpose
> you do not understand.

Thanks, but I'm working on attempting to understand what these files do.
If Linus didn't attempt to build an OS, we wouldn't have Linux today.

> You do not solve computer problems by erasing anything whose purpose you
> don't immediately recognize.

Partially correct. That's why testing and research using c.o.l.n can be
very helpful. People who take a calculus class don't know how to solve
calculus problems the class covers. That's why they are studying the
material.

Hopefully someone will help shed some light on the purpose of the
various files or point me to a document. So far I have the original
file list whittled down from 30 to 12 with modifications to the
remaining files. All functions appear normal. Here are the files.

ifcfg-eth0
ifcfg-eth1
ifcfg-lo
ifdown
ifdown-post
ifdown-ppp
ifup
ifup-aliases
ifup-post
ifup-ppp
ifup-routes
network-functions

--
Hank

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 20:08:01 GMT, Hank Kingwood <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Paul Lutus wrote:
>> ...
>> Please take the advice already offered. Do not remove files whose purpose
>> you do not understand.
>
>Thanks, but I'm working on attempting to understand what these files do.
> If Linus didn't attempt to build an OS, we wouldn't have Linux today.
>
Ok, my fault. I was under the mistaken impression that you wanted to get
your networking configured correctly, quickly.

>> You do not solve computer problems by erasing anything whose purpose you
>> don't immediately recognize.
>
>Partially correct. That's why testing and research using c.o.l.n can be
>very helpful. People who take a calculus class don't know how to solve
>calculus problems the class covers. That's why they are studying the
>material.
>
>Hopefully someone will help shed some light on the purpose of the
>various files or point me to a document. So far I have the original
>file list whittled down from 30 to 12 with modifications to the
>remaining files. All functions appear normal. Here are the files.
>

<snip>

If you want to know the purpose of those files, look to where they are
referenced. A good place to start is in /sbin/ifup, /sbin/ifdown and
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/network-functions.


--
"Now are you talking about what it is you know
Or just repeating what it was you heard."
Grace Slick

To E-mail use: rpiotro(at)wi(dot)rr(dot)com

Hank Kingwood wrote:

> Paul Lutus wrote:
>> ...
>> Please take the advice already offered. Do not remove files whose purpose
>> you do not understand.
>
> Thanks, but I'm working on attempting to understand what these files do.
> If Linus didn't attempt to build an OS, we wouldn't have Linux today.

What exactly does this have to do with your having erased all your network
configuration files? I know for a fact that Linus didn't write the original
kernel by proceeding from one global erasure to another.

>> You do not solve computer problems by erasing anything whose purpose you
>> don't immediately recognize.
>
> Partially correct.

Absolutely correct, as stated.

> That's why testing and research using c.o.l.n can be
> very helpful. People who take a calculus class don't know how to solve
> calculus problems the class covers. That's why they are studying the
> material.

Please don't drift away to incomparable examples -- in Calculus you can't
erase an equation that's in your mind. You know, you can move the files
instead of deleting them. As root:

# mkdir /scratchpad

# mv /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/* /scratchpad

In general, do it this way. This also allows you to compare old and the new
configurations using "diff".

>
> Hopefully someone will help shed some light on the purpose of the
> various files or point me to a document. So far I have the original
> file list whittled down from 30 to 12 with modifications to the
> remaining files. All functions appear normal.

Okay, I get it. If no one offers adequate answers, you're going to erase any
of the poor remaining files whose purpose you can't immediately fathom.

> Here are the files.
>
> ifcfg-eth0
> ifcfg-eth1
> ifcfg-lo
> ifdown
> ifdown-post
> ifdown-ppp
> ifup
> ifup-aliases
> ifup-post
> ifup-ppp
> ifup-routes
> network-functions

I feel like I'm in the post office, looking at the Ten Most Wanted list.

Tune in tomorrow, when Hank discovers that most of the "files" in the
/etc/rc.d directory tree aren't even files at all, but -- get this! -- are
some kinda stupid things called "symlinks", all ripe for deletion if their
purpose is not immediately made clear.

--
Paul Lutus
http://www.arachnoid.com

Hank Kingwood <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> file list whittled down from 30 to 12 with modifications to the
> remaining files. All functions appear normal. Here are the files.

These are all used by the ifup/ifdown system, itself called at various
points when setting up networking in the init scripts.

> ifcfg-eth0
> ifcfg-eth1
> ifcfg-lo

The above are probably data files. Have a look. Anyway, you need them,
since you have two ethernet cards and a loopback interface.

> ifdown
> ifdown-post
> ifdown-ppp
> ifup
> ifup-aliases
> ifup-post

That was all generic stuff.


> ifup-ppp


You probably should be able to get rid of that or empty it (read it)
since you don't have ppp.

> ifup-routes

And you need that for setting up your static routing, I suppose. Have a
look.

> network-functions

and you need that since it's the basic substrate for the rest.

Why, if yu are interested in removing stuff, do you pick on what is
OBVIOUSLY the stuff designed to set up networking to remove? You must
be stark staring loony. Remove something that you don't use, like
X, or or isdn suport, or whatever.


Peter