RTNETLINK(3)						     Linux Programmer's Manual						      RTNETLINK(3)

NAME

       rtnetlink - macros to manipulate rtnetlink messages

SYNOPSIS

       #include <asm/types.h>
       #include <linux/netlink.h>
       #include <linux/rtnetlink.h>
       #include <sys/socket.h>

       rtnetlink_socket = socket(AF_NETLINK, int socket_type, NETLINK_ROUTE);

       int RTA_OK(struct rtattr *rta, int rtabuflen);

       void *RTA_DATA(struct rtattr *rta);

       unsigned int RTA_PAYLOAD(struct rtattr *rta);

       struct rtattr *RTA_NEXT(struct rtattr *rta, unsigned int rtabuflen);

       unsigned int RTA_LENGTH(unsigned int length);

       unsigned int RTA_SPACE(unsigned int length);

DESCRIPTION

       All  rtnetlink(7) messages consist of a netlink(7) message header and appended attributes.  The attributes should be only manipulated using
       the macros provided here.

       RTA_OK(rta, attrlen) returns true if rta points to a valid routing attribute; attrlen is the running length of the attribute buffer.   When
       not true then you must assume there are no more attributes in the message, even if attrlen is nonzero.

       RTA_DATA(rta) returns a pointer to the start of this attribute's data.

       RTA_PAYLOAD(rta) returns the length of this attribute's data.

       RTA_NEXT(rta,  attrlen)	gets  the  next  attribute after rta.  Calling this macro will update attrlen.	You should use RTA_OK to check the
       validity of the returned pointer.

       RTA_LENGTH(len) returns the length which is required for len bytes of data plus the header.

       RTA_SPACE(len) returns the amount of space which will be needed in a message with len bytes of data.

CONFORMING TO

       These macros are nonstandard Linux extensions.

BUGS

       This manual page is incomplete.

EXAMPLE

       Creating a rtnetlink message to set the MTU of a device:
	   #include <linux/rtnetlink.h>

	   ...

	   struct {
	       struct nlmsghdr	nh;
	       struct ifinfomsg if;
	       char		attrbuf[512];
	   } req;

	   struct rtattr *rta;
	   unsigned int mtu = 1000;

	   int rtnetlink_sk = socket(AF_NETLINK, SOCK_DGRAM, NETLINK_ROUTE);

	   memset(&req, 0, sizeof(req));
	   req.nh.nlmsg_len = NLMSG_LENGTH(sizeof(struct ifinfomsg));
	   req.nh.nlmsg_flags = NLM_F_REQUEST;
	   req.nh.nlmsg_type = RTM_NEWLINK;
	   req.if.ifi_family = AF_UNSPEC;
	   req.if.ifi_index = INTERFACE_INDEX;
	   req.if.ifi_change = 0xffffffff; /* ??? */
	   rta = (struct rtattr *)(((char *) &req) +
				    NLMSG_ALIGN(req.nh.nlmsg_len));
	   rta->rta_type = IFLA_MTU;
	   rta->rta_len = sizeof(unsigned int);
	   req.n.nlmsg_len = NLMSG_ALIGN(req.nh.nlmsg_len) +
					 RTA_LENGTH(sizeof(mtu));
	   memcpy(RTA_DATA(rta), &mtu, sizeof(mtu));
	   send(rtnetlink_sk, &req, req.nh.nlmsg_len);

SEE ALSO

       netlink(3), netlink(7), rtnetlink(7)

COLOPHON

       This page is part of release 3.27 of the Linux man-pages project.  A description of the project, and information about reporting bugs,  can
       be found at http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.

GNU
								    2010-01-11							      RTNETLINK(3)