Legacy xtables tools: Difference between revisions
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user@machine:~$ sudo arptables | user@machine:~$ sudo arptables --help | ||
arptables v1.8.2 | arptables v1.8.2 | ||
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<pre> | <pre> | ||
user@machine:~$ sudo ebtables | user@machine:~$ sudo ebtables --help | ||
ebtables v2.0.10.4 (legacy) (December 2011) | ebtables v2.0.10.4 (legacy) (December 2011) | ||
Usage: | Usage: | ||
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user@machine:~$ sudo ebtables | user@machine:~$ sudo ebtables --help | ||
ebtables 1.8.2 | ebtables 1.8.2 | ||
Usage: | Usage: | ||
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We recommend that, for a while, distros keep building and distributing both the legacy tools and the new nft-based as have been happening until now. | We recommend that, for a while, distros keep building and distributing both the legacy tools and the new nft-based as have been happening until now. | ||
Since the name of the binaries has | Since the name of the binaries has changed, distros may need to provide a mechanism for users to freely switch back and forth from the legacy and the new tools. | ||
In Debian-based distros, for example, this is done by means of the ''update-alternatives'' mechanism. | In Debian-based distros, for example, this is done by means of the ''update-alternatives'' mechanism. | ||
Latest revision as of 12:33, 12 February 2021
This page offers information on the status of the legacy xtables tools.
All the xtables/setsockopt based tools are all now considered legacy. New, modern tools exist based on the nf_tables kernel backend. This was decided in the annual Netfilter Workshop held in 2018 in Berlin (link to a summary).
Naming
This is a list of affected binaries:
- iptables
- iptables-restore
- iptables-save
- ip6tables
- ip6tables-restore
- ip6tables-save
- arptables
- ebtables
These tools are now installed with a '-legacy' string in the name:
- iptables-legacy
- iptables-legacy-restore
- iptables-legacy-save
- ip6tables-legacy
- ip6tables-legacy-restore
- ip6tables-legacy-save
- arptables-legacy
- ebtables-legacy
The new tools contains now the '-nft' string in the name (formerly it was '-compat'):
- xtables-nft-multi (this binary runs all the tools by means of symlinks)
- arptables-nft-save (new binary, not a direct equivalent in arptables-legacy)
- arptables-nft-restore (new binary, not a direct equivalent in arptables-legacy)
- ebtables-nft-save (new binary, not a direct equivalent in ebtables-legacy)
- ebtables-nft-restore (new binary, not a direct equivalent in ebtables-legacy)
How to know which tools I'm running
In arptables-legacy, the string (legacy) has been included in the help output. Example:
user@machine:~$ sudo arptables --help
arptables v0.0.4 (legacy)
Usage: arptables -[AD] chain rule-specification [options]
arptables -[RI] chain rulenum rule-specification [options]
arptables -D chain rulenum [options]
arptables -[LFZ] [chain] [options]
[...]
In arptables-nft, the version is the same as in iptables, included in the help output. Example:
user@machine:~$ sudo arptables --help arptables v1.8.2 Usage: arptables -[AD] chain rule-specification [options] [...]
Something similar happens with ebtables-legacy:
user@machine:~$ sudo ebtables --help ebtables v2.0.10.4 (legacy) (December 2011) Usage: ebtables -[ADI] chain rule-specification [options] [...]
And with ebtables-nft:
user@machine:~$ sudo ebtables --help ebtables 1.8.2 Usage: ebtables -[ADI] chain rule-specification [options] [...]
In Linux distributions
Your Linux distribution/vendor must inform you in which capacity they are including legacy/nft tools.
We recommend that, for a while, distros keep building and distributing both the legacy tools and the new nft-based as have been happening until now. Since the name of the binaries has changed, distros may need to provide a mechanism for users to freely switch back and forth from the legacy and the new tools.
In Debian-based distros, for example, this is done by means of the update-alternatives mechanism.
Where to find each tool
Please refer to your Linux distribution on vendor for specific details. You should probably be using a packaged version of these tools.
The source code repositories are:
- (new tools) http://git.netfilter.org/iptables/ (same repo of the old legacy tools, it includes new arptables and ebtables)
- (iptables-legacy) http://git.netfilter.org/iptables/ (same repo of the new, nf_tables-based, tools)
- (arptables-legacy) http://git.netfilter.org/ebtables/
- (ebtables-legacy) http://git.netfilter.org/arptables/