Python bindings for the ethtool kernel interface

The Python ethtool module allows querying and partially controlling network interfaces, driver, and hardware settings.

The easiest way to install ethtool is to use your distribution packages repositories. For example:

Fedora: sudo dnf install python3-ethtool or sudo dnf install python2-ethtool

Ubuntu: sudo apt install python-ethtool

In order to install ethtool from source or PyPI install its dependencies first:

Fedora: sudo dnf install libnl3-devel gcc redhat-rpm-config python3-devel

Ubuntu: sudo apt install python3 python3-setuptools libpython3.6-dev libnl-route-3-dev

And then install ethtool:

from PyPI: pip3 install ethtool

from source: python3 setup.py install

ethtool may be used as a Python library:

>>> import ethtool
>>> ethtool.get_active_devices()
['lo', 'enp0s31f6', 'wlp4s0', 'virbr0', 'docker0', 'virbr1', 'eth0', 'tun0']
>>> ethtool.get_ipaddr('lo')
'127.0.0.1'

The ethtool package also provides the pethtool and pifconfig utilities. More example usage may be gathered from their sources, pethtool.py and pifconfig.py.

pethtool mimics behavior of the ethtool utility, but does not support all options.

e.g., to get driver information on the eth0 interface:

$ pethtool -i eth0
driver: cdc_ether
bus-info: usb-0000:00:14.0-4.1.3

Analogically, pifconfig mimics ifconfig in usage. It may be used to view information on an interface:

$ pifconfig lo
lo
      inet addr:127.0.0.1   Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope: host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING

Further usage information may be found in the respective manpages for pethtool and pifconfig.

Tests may be run by tox.

• Andy Grover
• Antoni S. Puimedon
• Arnaldo Carvalho de Melo
• Bohuslav Kabrda
• Braňo Náter
• Dave Malcolm
• David S. Miller
• David Sommerseth
• Harald Hoyer
• Charalampos Stratakis
• Jeff Garzik
• Lumir Balhar
• Miro Hrončok
• Miroslav Suchý
• Ruben Kerkhof
• Sanqui
• Yaakov Selkowitz

• Lumír Balhar <[email protected]>
• Miro Hrončok <[email protected]>
• Charalampos Stratakis <[email protected]>

Feel free to help us with improving test coverage, porting to Python 3 or anything else. Issues and PRs on GitHub are welcome.

The Python ethtool project is free software distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2.0, see COPYING.