SETFIB(1)

🦋 SETFIB(1) — the "run it in a whole other routing table" era 🦋

okay so this is setfib, from the General Commands Manual, and honestly? she's a tiny little FreeBSD icon and like three people know about her. we're fixing that rn 💅

✨ NAME ✨

setfib — run a utility with a different default network view. yes, that's a real thing you can just... do. slay.

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

setfib [-F] fib utility [argument ...]

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

okay bestie, picture this: setfib runs, like, another utility — but it does it with a totally different routing table. main character energy.

The table number fib gets used by default for all sockets started by this process or its descendants. all of them. the whole little family tree. 🫶

🎀 ENVIRONMENT 🎀

• PATH — this is the one that matters here. if the name of the utility you're asking for has no / characters in it, PATH is what gets used to locate it. no slash, no path, PATH picks up the slack. iykyk.

💅 EXIT STATUS 💅

If utility actually gets invoked, then the exit status of setfib is the exit status of utility. like, it's not doing its own thing, it's just vibing with whatever the child says. periodt.

and a couple of specific numbers to know:

• An exit status of 126 means utility was found... but could not be executed 😭 lowkey devastating.
• An exit status of 127 means utility could not be found at all 💀 like, it's just not here.

🔥 EXAMPLES 🔥

Run netstat(1) to view the second routing table. three iconic ways, all valid, pick your fighter:

setfib -F 1 netstat -rn

or

setfib 1 netstat -rn

or

setfib -1 netstat -rn

not me having three whole ways to do the exact same thing 💅 iconic behaviour honestly.

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• setfib(2)
• setsockopt(2)

⭐ STANDARDS ⭐

okay so setfib is a FreeBSD specific extension — that's the official word. but here's the cute part: many Unix-like systems have an equivalent function, so like... you're not stranded, bestie. 🌸

👑 HISTORY 👑

The setfib utility appeared in FreeBSD 7.1. a real glow-up moment in history. we stan an origin story. ✨

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and that's the whole page, bestie 💖 this cutie came to you from Debian, dated October 20, 2008 — so like, vintage, but make it iconic 🎀 🦋 go forth and fib responsibly 💜