Lab of network - netkit

2011

Installing netkit

wget http://wiki.netkit.org/download/netkit/netkit-2.7.tar.bz2
wget http://wiki.netkit.org/download/netkit-filesystem/netkit-filesystem-i386-F5.1.tar.bz2
wget http://wiki.netkit.org/download/netkit-kernel/netkit-kernel-i386-K2.8.tar.bz2

Unpack all the archives in the same folder named netkit. Edit the ~/.bashrc file:

export NETKIT_HOME=/home/apps/local/netkit
export MANPATH=:$NETKIT_HOME/man
export PATH=$NETKIT_HOME/bin:$PATH

Useful commands

Netkit provides two groups of commands.

  • vcommands, prefixed with v

  • lcommands, prefixed with l

The `vcommands`` used to manipulate isolated VMs:

  • vstart: start from a virtual machine

  • vlist: list virtual machines to start

  • vconfig: assign an interface on the fly to a virtual machine. (vconfig –eth0=dc1 pc1 - assign eth0 to VM pc1, in collision domain dc1)

  • vhalt: shut down a virtual machine

  • vcrash: triggers a virtual crash

  • vclean: cleans processes and configurations

The lcommands used on complex scenarios of several VMs (lab) in netkit terminology.

  • lstart: start the netkit laboratory

  • lhalt: stop the laboratory

  • lcrach: trigger a crash of all VMs

  • lclean: delete temporary files

  • linfo: information about the laboratory

  • ltest: verification of the proper functioning of the laboratory