net

Super lightweight network manager.

Usage

RTFM:

$ net help
usage: net [<command>] [<args>] [--config=<config>] [--iface=<interface>]
           [--no-vpn] [--verbose] [-h] [--help]

Shorthands:
  If no positional arguments are given the command is "list".
  If one positional argument is given the command is "connect".

Commands:
  list:
    List available connections.
  scan:
    Scan for access points.
  connect <connection> [<password>]:
    If <connection> is present in the configuration file then use that,
    otherwise connect to an access point with SSID <connection>, using the
    password <password> if specified.
  stop [<interface> [<interface> ...]]:
    Bring down the connection.  Brings down all interfaces if called with no
    arguments.
  dns [<dns> [<dns> ...]]:
    Change DNS server.  No argument or "dhcp" requests DNS servers via DHCP.
  mac [<mac>]:
    Change the MAC address of the interface specified by --iface.  If no address
    is given, one is chosen at random.
  vpn <name> [stop]:
    Connect to, or disconnect from, VPN.
  genkey:
    Generate a WireGuard key pair.
  show [<connection>]:
    Show configuration options.  If no connection is specified, all are show.
  help:
    You're reading it.

Options:
  --config=<config>:
    Select configurations file.  If <config> is "-" no configuration file is
    used.  Defaults to "~/.net.conf".
  --iface=<interface>:
    Select networking interface.  Overridden by configuration file if specified.
    Defaults to first WiFi capable interface found.
  --no-vpn:
    Don't connect to a VPN.  Acts as if the connection configuration did not
    have a `vpn` field.
  --verbose:
    Print every executed command (and the result) to stdout.

The simplest usage is probably connecting to a wireless network:

$ net connect MyWirelessNetwork MySecretPassphrase
Connecting
Sending DHCP request
DONE (addr: 192.168.1.42)

Configuration

The file ~/.net.conf holds a list of configured networks (in YAML). An example is included in .net.conf.example:

common: # Default settings
  mac: 00:??:??:??:??:?? # Make last 5 bytes random
  dns: 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4
  hostname: <name>s-MacBook-Pro # <name> is a table of generic names
  vpn: myvpn

ignored:
  interfaces:
  - br[0-9]+
  - tap[0-9]+
  - tun[0-9]+
  - docker[0-9]+ # Docker
  - vboxnet[0-9]+ # Virtualbox
  - vmnet[0-9]+ # VMWare

vpn:
  myvpn:
    type: openvpn
    config: |
      client
      dev tun

      proto udp
      remote my-server-1 1194

      resolv-retry infinite
      nobind
      persist-key
      persist-tun

      ca ca.crt
      cert client.crt
      key client.key

      comp-lzo
      verb 3
  myvpn2:
    type: wireguard
    address: 10.0.0.1/8
    interface: wg0
    gateway: True
    config: |
      [Interface]
      ListenPort = 51820
      PrivateKey = QLa1x8ttCEl23cCIGpndDv9CIZ7Al7G7Kuj9yG0PIVk=

      [Peer]
      Endpoint = 198.51.100.1:51820
      PublicKey = cPybMYBdfrj0wp+FlvWoFfL2fI1kc7dhtKB+cqvNPCA=
      AllowedIPs = 0.0.0.0/0

office:
  vpn: myvpn
  routes:
    - 192.168.0.0/16 -> 192.168.1.1 # Local network

crappy-hotel-wifi:
  ssid: FreeWiFi
  # Pin access point address to avoid switching between a gazillion equally
  # crappy ones.  This tends to give a more reliable connection.
  ap-addr: 00:11:22:33:44:55
  vpn: myvpn # Connect to VPN when away from home

wired:
  dns: dhcp
  mac: default # The default is to pick a random Macbook Pro MAC address
  hostname: # Do not send a hostname

static:
  interface: eth0
  addr: 192.168.0.42/24
  gateway: 192.168.0.1
  routes:
    - default

eduroam:
  ssid: eduroam
  wpa: |
    network={
      identity="YOUR-ID-HERE"
      password="YOUR-PASSPHRASE-HERE"
      key_mgmt=WPA-EAP
    }

my-home-network:
  ssid: SSID-HERE
  psk: PASSPHRASE-HERE
  vpn: # Do not connect to VPN when at home

Using this config file you can connect to my-home-network using the command:

$ net my-home-network

Notice that the section common does not define a network but rather settings common to all network configurations (in this case using Google's DNS servers, randomizing the MAC address and hostname [<name> will be replaced by an actual name] and connecting to a VPN).

The ignored and vpn sections do not define networks either. The ignored section contains a list of interfaces to be ignored by e.g. net stop and the vpn section contains the OpenVPN configurations for each VPN.

Installing

Put net in your PATH.

Bash completion

Put _net_bash_completion in your path and add the line

_net_bash_completion

to ~/.bash_completion.

Dependencies

Dependency	Debian package
/bin/ip	iproute2
/sbin/ethtool	ethtool
/sbin/iw	iw
/sbin/udhcpc	udhcpc
/sbin/wpa_cli	wpasupplicant
/sbin/wpa_supplicant	wpasupplicant
/usr/bin/chattr	e2fsprogs
/usr/bin/expand	coreutils
/usr/bin/cut	coreutils
/usr/bin/pkill	procps
/usr/sbin/openvpn	openvpn
/usr/bin/wg	https://www.wireguard.com/install/
Python package yaml	python-yaml / PyPI pyyaml

It is also a good idea to uninstall resolvconf, as it overwrites the DNS settings.

udhcpc is part of the busybox suite, and can be installed, and used, on non-Debian systems, which doesn't have a separate package, by:

• Install busybox with udhcpc compiled in
• Hard-link busybox as udhcpc

# ln /bin/busybox /usr/local/bin/udhcpc

• Install a client script somewhere and make it executable - udhcpc README
• Set udhcpc-config: under common:

common:
  udhcpc-config: /etc/udhcpc/default.script

Contributers

This script was developed by myself and Idolf.