IFCFG-BRIDGE(5)

🌸 NAME 🌸

okay so ifcfg-bridge is the ethernet bridge interface configuration page — and yes bestie, this is the IFCFG-BRIDGE(5) page from the Network configuration part of the manual set. No cap, it's literally all about setting up a bridge interface. 💅

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

/etc/sysconfig/network/ifcfg-*

that's the file pattern, periodt. ✨

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🛠️ CONFIGURATION 🛠️

To set up a bridge interface you need a configuration file ifcfg-<interface-name> with the usual network settings. But you must add these extra variables too, bestie:

• BRIDGE <yes|no> — this one has to be set to 'yes' to identify this interface as a bridge interface. Lowkey the main character flag. 👑
• BRIDGE_PORTS <interface1 interface2 ... interfaceN> — a space-separated list of N interfaces which take part in the bridging. It's giving "squad assemble." 🫶

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✨ OPTIONAL VARIABLES ✨

• BRIDGE_AGEINGTIME <time> — sets the ethernet address ageing time, in seconds. After <time> seconds of not having seen a frame coming from a certain address, the bridge will delete that address from the forwarding database. Set ageing time to zero and all entries become permanent. 🕰️
• BRIDGE_FORWARDDELAY <time> — forwarding delay time is the time in seconds spent in each of the listening and learning states before the forwarding state is entered. This delay is so that when a new bridge comes onto a busy network it looks at some traffic before participating. Literally the bridge's "let me observe first" era. 👀
• BRIDGE_HELLOTIME <time> — periodically, a hello packet is sent out by the root bridge and the designated bridges. Hello packets are used to communicate information about the topology throughout the entire bridged local area network. Hiii 👋 topology.
• BRIDGE_MAXAGE <time> — if another bridge in the spanning tree does not send out a hello packet for a long period of time, it is assumed to be dead. This timeout can be set with this variable. RIP to that bridge, fr fr. 💀
• BRIDGE_PATHCOSTS <costs1 costs2 ... costsN> — a space-separated list of costs corresponding to the interfaces in BRIDGE_PORTS. Each interface in BRIDGE_PORTS could have a different speed, and this value is used when deciding which link to use. Faster interfaces should have lower costs. Use '-' to skip setting of the path costs for a port in a non-empty cost list. 🏎️
• BRIDGE_PORTPRIORITIES <prio1 prio2 ... prioN> — a space-separated list of priorities corresponding to the interfaces in BRIDGE_PORTS. The priority value is an unsigned 8-bit quantity (a number between 0 and 255), and has no dimension. This metric is used in the designated port and root port selection algorithms. Use '-' to skip setting of the priority for a port in a non-empty priority list. 🎯
• BRIDGE_PRIORITY <priority> — sets the bridge's priority to <priority>. The priority value is an unsigned 16-bit quantity (a number between 0 and 65535), and has no dimension. Lower priority values are 'better'. The bridge with the lowest priority will be elected 'root bridge'. 👑
• BRIDGE_STP <on|off> — multiple ethernet bridges can work together to create even larger networks of ethernets using the IEEE 802.1d spanning tree protocol. This protocol is used for finding the shortest path between two ethernets, and for eliminating loops from the topology. The spanning tree protocol can also be turned off for those situations where it just doesn't make sense, for example when this linux box is the only bridge on the LAN, or when you know that there are no loops in the topology. 🕸️

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🎀 EXAMPLE 🎀

Minimal example for a bridge interface on eth0 and eth1, the bridge interface itself is configured via dhcp:

ifcfg-br0
     STARTMODE='auto'
     BOOTPROTO='dhcp'
     BRIDGE='yes'
     BRIDGE_STP='off'
     BRIDGE_FORWARDDELAY='0'
     BRIDGE_PORTS='eth0 eth1'

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🧚 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 🧚

For additional and more general information have a look into <http://www.linuxfoundation.org/collaborate/workgroups/networking/bridge>. 🌈

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💖 COPYRIGHT 💖

Copyright (C) 2014 SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany. 🎀

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🙈 BUGS 🙈

Please report bugs as described at <https://bugs.opensuse.org>. 💜

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👑 AUTHOR 👑

Stefan Scheler -- original bridge man page 🫶

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⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

ifcfg(5), wicked(8), brctl(8). 🦋

🌈 that's the whole vibe: from the wicked manual source, January 2014, page IFCFG-BRIDGE(5) — bye bestie, go bridge slay! 💅