VDE_PLUG(1)						      General Commands Manual						       VDE_PLUG(1)

NAME

       vde_plug - Virtual Distributed Ethernet plug (two plugs creates a vde cable)

SYNOPSIS

       vde_plug [ -p portnum ] [ -g group ] [ -m octal-mode ] [ socketdir ]

DESCRIPTION

       A  vde_plug  is a plug to be connected into a VDE switch.  All the data that is catched by the plug is written in its stdout and everything
       from stdin is injected in the switch.

       This tool has been designed to be used together with dpipe (1) to interconnect a second vde_plug to another switch, working  as	a  virtual
       ethernet crossed cable between the two switches.

       The command
	      dpipe vde_plug = vde_plug /tmp/vde2.ctl
       connects two local switches: the former is using the standard control socket /tmp/vde.ctl while the latter is using /tmp/vde2.ctl.

       The command
	      dpipe vde_plug = ssh remote.machine.org vde_plug
       connects two remote switches.  If the two vde_switches run as daemon and they are connected to tap interfaces a level 2 encrypted tunnel is
       established.

       vde_plug can also be established as a login shell for users.  The following command works as in the previous example
	      dpipe vde_plug = ssh vdeuser@remote.machine.org vde_plug
       where vdeuser is the user with vde_plug as standard shell.  All the remote accesses are logged by syslog at the beginning and at the end of
       each  session.  Attempt to login without the command vde_plug at the end or trying to execute something else are blocked and the attempt is
       logged into syslog.

OPTIONS

       -p portnum
	      It is possible to decide which port of the switch to use.  When this option is not specified the switch assigns the first  available
	      unused  port  (if  any).	It is possible to connect several cables in the same switch port: in this way all this cables work concur-
	      rently.  It means that packet can result as duplicate but no ARP table loops are generated.  Is useful when vde is used  for  mobil-
	      ity. Several physical interfaces can be used at a time during handoffs to prevent hichups in connectivity.

       -g group
	      group  ownership	of the communication socket. For security when more want to share a switch it is better to use a unix group to own
	      the comm sockets so that the network traffic cannot be sniffed.

       -m octal-mode
	      octal chmod like permissions for the comm sockets

       socketdir
	      (This option can be also set as: -sock socketdir ) specify the directory which contains the UNIX socket to be used by local programs
	      for  joining  the VDE.  The default value is "/tmp/vde.ctl", which corresponds to the socket "/tmp/vde.ctl/ctl" (or /var/run/vde.ctl
	      when the vde_switch runs as a shared daemon).  It is possible for users to redefine their  default  switch  as  ".vde-2/stdsock"	in
	      their home directory. If exist, this directory (or symbolic link to the actual directory) is used as the default value for the user.

NOTICE

       Virtual	Distributed  Ethernet is not related in any way with www.vde.com ("Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik und Informationstechnik"
       i.e. the German "Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies").

SEE ALSO

       vde_switch(1), vde_plug2tap(1), vdeq(1), dpipe(1).

AUTHOR

       VDE is a project by Renzo Davoli <renzo@cs.unibo.it>

Virtual Distributed Ethernet					 December 6, 2006						       VDE_PLUG(1)