ifquery(8)

📦
version 0.13.0 · 8 versions
, in alpine 3.24

💅 ifquery(8) — like, the manual, but make it make sense 🫶

okay bestie, so this page is ifquery(8) from the System Manager's Manual — yes, the section 8 one, the admin-y one, not some random section 1 situation. we're gonna go through it together and you're gonna get it. 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

ifquery — query interface configuration and state. it's giving "detective but for your network interfaces" 🔍💖

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

ifquery [<options>...] <interfaces...>

ifquery -L|--list

ifquery -s|--state

three whole moods, no cap. either you're querying specific <interfaces...> with some <options>..., or you're doing the -L|--list thing, or you're doing the -s|--state thing. pick your fighter 💅

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so ifquery is the girl who goes into your interface configuration file and pulls the info out for you. that's her job. that's her whole personality.

she can also convert from old versions of the interface configuration file to the current format — like a glow-up for your config, honestly iconic. 🔥

🦋 OPTIONS 🦋

  • -a, --auto — only match interfaces that are marked as auto. like a VIP list, but for interfaces. ✨
  • -h, --help — shows you all the supported options for ifquery. the "who, what, when, where" of it all. 🙈
  • -i, --interfaces FILE — use FILE as the config database. you're telling her "hey, this is the file, not the usual one." 🗂️
  • -p, --property PROPERTY — prints the values of matching properties for an interface. very "give me the receipts" of her. 🧾
  • -r, --running — prints the interface names that are marked as running in the state database. the ones that actually showed up to the party. 👑
  • -s, --state — query the state database instead of the config database. different database, different vibe check. 🌈
  • -D, --dot — generates a dependency graph that can be used with GraphViz dot(1). used with --list. very aesthetic, very "look at the little arrows." 📊
  • -I, --include PATTERN — include PATTERN when matching against the config or state database. if she matches, she's in. 💖
  • -L, --list — list interfaces which exist in the configuration database. the roster. the lineup. the cast list. ⭐
  • -P, --pretty-print — when listing interfaces, prints their configuration in a format that's compatible with interfaces(5) files. yes, she formats it. yes, it's gorgeous. 🎀
  • -U, --allow-undefined — creates virtual interfaces for any interfaces not explicitly defined in the configuration file. this is primarily useful for property queries. lowkey the wildcard option, honestly. 🃏
  • -S, --state-file FILE — use FILE as the state database. for when the state database is somewhere else and you're like "not me having to point at it." 📍
  • -T, --timeout TIMEOUT — wait up to TIMEOUT seconds for executors to complete before raising an error. patience: measurable. ⏳
  • -V, --version — prints the ifupdown-ng version and exits. she tells you who she is and then leaves. main character energy. 💀
  • -X, --exclude PATTERN — exclude PATTERN when matching against the config or state database. the "you're not on the list" option. 🚫
💀 real talk though: -T/--timeout means it waits, and if the executors don't finish in time it raises an error. so don't set it to something tiny and then act surprised, bestie.

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

the whole friend group, fr fr. 🫶

🌟 AUTHORS 🌟

Ariadne Conill <ariadne@dereferenced.org> — the icon who made this happen. bow down. 👑

and that's the page!! cute lil sign-off: this one's from ifupdown-ng, dated 2026-05-10, and it will forever be ifquery(8). go query something, you got this 💜🦋🌸

📦 where this page comes from