Networking is a crucial aspect in the Linux environment. It enables Linux systems to connect, interact, and share resources with other systems, be it Linux, Windows, macOS or any other operating system. Linux provides a wealth of tools and commands to manage network interfaces, view their configuration details, troubleshoot issues and automate tasks, demonstrating its robustness and versatility. The Linux networking stack is well-regarded for its performance, its ability to run large-scale and exhaustive configurations, and its support for a wide variety of network protocols.
Linux adopts a file-based approach for network configuration, storing network-related settings and configurations in standard files, such as /etc/network/interfaces or /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/, depending on the Linux distribution.
Perhaps one of the most popular commands related to networking on a Linux system is the ifconfig command:
ifconfig
This will output information about all network interfaces currently active on the system. However, please note that ifconfig is becoming obsolete and being replaced by ip, which offers more features and capabilities.