VIRT(4)

💖 VIRT(4) 💖

okay so bestie, welcome to the virt page — it lives in the Kernel Interfaces Manual, section 4, and it's all about the rump kernel virtual network interface. yes we're doing networking lore today 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

virt — the rump kernel virtual network interface, no cap 💅

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

okay so here's the vibe: the virt interface is literally the link between a rump kernel and a host tap(4) interface. that's its whole job. main character energy honestly.

and the mapping is so clean it hurts — interface number <n> always corresponds to the host tap interface tap<n>. always. every single time. iykyk 🔥

so like, everything that goes down:

• all data sent by virt is written into /dev/tap<n> ✨
• all data read from /dev/tap<n> gets passed as Ethernet input to the rump kernel 🦋

that's it. that's the whole flow. eat.

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🎀 creating & destroying 🎀

you can create and destroy a virt interface in the normal fashion with ifconfig(8). no weird special rituals, no secret handshake. just ifconfig. slay 💅

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👑 the bridge glow-up 👑

the host's tap(4) interface can be further bridged with hardware interfaces — and that's how you give a rump kernel full Internet access. like, it gets to actually touch the internet. iconic. 🌈

fr fr this is the part where your rump kernel stops being a little isolated baby and starts living its truth online 😭

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• rump(3)
• bridge(4)
• tap(4)
• brconfig(8)
• ifconfig(8)

go read them, bestie, they're all linked in the group chat 📚💖

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and that's the page!! this one came from Debian, dated July 3, 2013 — vintage but still serving, lowkey. okay bye love u, go configure something cute 💜🎀