Description of problem: I'd like to run custom pre/post scripts for ifup and ifdown, to make advanced network configuration with iproute and other tools. Currently there is no way to execute custom scripts on ifup/ifdown for an ethernet interface. Default networking scripts look for /sbin/ifup-local, and execute it if it exists, but it would be much more convenient to have something under /etc/ instead, and be able to have a script per interface useable out-of-the-box without any manual hacks under /sbin/. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): rhel5 Currently in rhel5 you can do this: 1. create /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-zscripts with contents DEVICE=dummy0 ONBOOT=yes 2. create /sbin/ifup-local executable with for example: #!/bin/bash if [ "$1" == "dummy0" ]; then echo "running scripts" ip... arp... fi It will be executed for every interface, others that dummy0 are skipped. But this is not very nice method.. Debian/Ubuntu allows the user to specify custom commands directly from /etc/network/interfaces file, configured per interface.
I'm cloning this for our development stream as bug 600489. However, this is the sort of change of interfaces that isn't really appropriate to add to an existing RHEL stream, where we're trying to keep the interfaces and documentation as stable as possible. Closing as WONTFIX for RHEL 5 at this stage of its lifecycle.