NETSTART(8)

NAME
netstart - command script for network startup

SYNOPSIS
/etc/netstart [interface ...]

DESCRIPTION
netstart is the command script that is invoked by rc(8) during an automatic reboot and after single user mode is exited; it performs network initialization.

The netstart script can also be used to start newly created bridges or interfaces, or reset existing interfaces to their default state. The behaviour of this script is (or can be) controlled to some extent by variables defined in /etc/rc.conf, which specifies which daemons and services are to be run.

During the system boot, netstart is executed. netstart performs the following operations, in the sequence given:

•   Set the machine's name.
•   Configure the loopback interface.
•   Configure all the physical interfaces.
•   Configure the following non-physical interfaces: trunk(4), vlan(4), pfsync(4), and carp(4).
•   Initialize the routing table and set up the default routes.
•   Configure the remaining non-physical interfaces: pppoe(4), gif(4), and gre(4).
•   Configure all bridge(4) interfaces.

After the system is completely initialized, it is possible to start a newly created interface or bridge(4), or reset an existing interface to its default state, by invoking the following, where foo0 is the interface or bridge name:

    # sh /etc/netstart foo0

MULTICAST ROUTING
To enable multicast(4) routing, the net.inet.ip.mforwarding and/or net.inet.ip6.mforwarding sysctl(8) variables should be set to 1. Routing to the 224.0.0.0/4 net is set up using values from /etc/rc.conf according to these rules:

•   The default. If the multicast settings are as follows then multicast routing will not be enabled.

        multicast_host=NO
        multicast_router=NO

•   If the multicast settings are as follows then multicast routing will be enabled, but no multicast route will be set up. It is expected that a routing daemon, such as mrouted(8), will be started as well.

        multicast_host=NO
        multicast_router=YES

•   If the multicast settings are as follows then multicast routing will be enabled, using the default interface, or the interface name specified by multicast_host.

        multicast_host=YES
        multicast_router=NO

    or:
        multicast_host=foo0	# interface name
        multicast_router=NO

•   Other cases are configuration errors and will cause multicast routing not to be enabled.

SEE ALSO
multicast(4), defaultdomain(5), hostname.if(5), myname(5), ifconfig(8), rc(8), rc.conf(8)

HISTORY
The netstart command first appeared in 4.0BSD.