A network namespace is logically another copy of the network stack, with its own routes, firewall rules,
and network devices.
By default a process inherits its network namespace from its parent. Initially all the processes share
the same default network namespace from the init process.
By convention a named network namespace is an object at /run/netns/NAME that can be opened. The file
descriptor resulting from opening /run/netns/NAME refers to the specified network namespace. Holding that
file descriptor open keeps the network namespace alive. The file descriptor can be used with the setns(2)
system call to change the network namespace associated with a task.
For applications that are aware of network namespaces, the convention is to look for global network
configuration files first in /etc/netns/NAME/ then in /etc/. For example, if you want a different
version of /etc/resolv.conf for a network namespace used to isolate your vpn you would name it
/etc/netns/myvpn/resolv.conf.ipnetnsexec automates handling of this configuration, file convention for network namespace unaware
applications, by creating a mount namespace and bind mounting all of the per network namespace configure
files into their traditional location in /etc.
ipnetnslist-showallofthenamednetworknamespaces
This command displays all of the network namespaces in /run/netns
ipnetnsaddNAME-createanewnamednetworknamespace
If NAME is available in /run/netns this command creates a new network namespace and assigns NAME.
ipnetnsattachNAMEPID-assignanametothenetworknamespaceoftheprocess
If NAME is available in /run/netns this command attaches the network namespace of the process PID
to NAME as if it were created with ip netns.
ip[-all]netnsdelete[NAME]-deletethenameofanetworknamespace(s)
If NAME is present in /run/netns it is umounted and the mount point is removed. If this is the
last user of the network namespace the network namespace will be freed and all physical devices
will be moved to the default one, otherwise the network namespace persists until it has no more
users. ip netns delete may fail if the mount point is in use in another mount namespace.
If -all option was specified then all the network namespace names will be removed.
It is possible to lose the physical device when it was moved to netns and then this netns was
deleted with a running process:
$ ip netns add net0
$ ip link set dev eth0 netns net0
$ ip netns exec net0 SOME_PROCESS_IN_BACKGROUND
$ ip netns del net0
and eth0 will appear in the default netns only after SOME_PROCESS_IN_BACKGROUND will exit or will
be killed. To prevent this the processes running in net0 should be killed before deleting the
netns:
$ ip netns pids net0 | xargs kill
$ ip netns del net0
ipnetnssetNAMENETNSID-assignanidtoapeernetworknamespace
This command assigns a id to a peer network namespace. This id is valid only in the current
network namespace. If the keyword "auto" is specified an available nsid will be chosen. This id
will be used by the kernel in some netlink messages. If no id is assigned when the kernel needs
it, it will be automatically assigned by the kernel. Once it is assigned, it's not possible to
change it.
ipnetnsidentify[PID]-Reportnetworknamespacesnamesforprocess
This command walks through /run/netns and finds all the network namespace names for network
namespace of the specified process, if PID is not specified then the current process will be used.
ipnetnspidsNAME-Reportprocessesinthenamednetworknamespace
This command walks through proc and finds all of the process who have the named network namespace
as their primary network namespace.
ip[-all]netnsexec[NAME]cmd...-Runcmdinthenamednetworknamespace
This command allows applications that are network namespace unaware to be run in something other
than the default network namespace with all of the configuration for the specified network
namespace appearing in the customary global locations. A network namespace and bind mounts are
used to move files from their network namespace specific location to their default locations
without affecting other processes.
If -all option was specified then cmd will be executed synchronously on the each named network
namespace even if cmd fails on some of them. Network namespace name is printed on each cmd
executing.
ipnetnsmonitor-Reportasnetworknamespacenamesareaddedanddeleted
This command watches network namespace name addition and deletion events and prints a line for
each event it sees.
ipnetnslist-id[target-nsidPOSITIVE-INT][nsidPOSITIVE-INT]-listnetworknamespaceids(nsid)
Network namespace ids are used to identify a peer network namespace. This command displays nsids
of the current network namespace and provides the corresponding iproute2 netns name (from
/run/netns) if any.
The target-nsid option enables to display nsids of the specified network namespace instead of the
current network namespace. This target-nsid is a nsid from the current network namespace.
The nsid option enables to display only this nsid. It is a nsid from the current network
namespace. In combination with the target-nsid option, it enables to convert a specific nsid from
the current network namespace to a nsid of the target-nsid network namespace.