[SOLVED] Need help figuring out how to run these commands on boot

wolverene13 · 05-24-2010, 11:28 AM

Hi all,

I just started learning how to manipulate Linux (Debian Lenny) about a month ago with the intention of ditching Windows eventually and learning to configure servers in the process. But, I still need Windows for certain things. I downloaded and installed VirtualBox (I know, VMWare is better, but I didn't know that at the time and don't want to go through the process all over again) and got Windows XP working with a tap interface and bridge interface to get the guest OS to talk to the home OS and connect to the Internet. My only problem is that the tap interface and bridge interface disappear when I reboot and then I have to issue the commands to set them up all over again. I know there is a way to write a script to run on boot to create them and bring them up, but my whole technical career has been with CLI-based stuff, not scripting. I'd like to eventually learn it, but I'm a learn-by-doing type. Basically I need the following commands to be implemented at startup:

sudo tunctl -t tap1 -u allen
sudo brctl addbr br0
sudo ifconfig eth0 0.0.0.0 promisc
sudo brctl addif br0 eth0
sudo dhclient br0
sudo brctl addif br0 tap1
sudo ifconfig tap1 up
sudo chmod 0666 /dev/net/tun

I read somewhere that you can just add commands to your /etc/init.d/bootmisc.sh file in Debian, but I don't want to hose up my whole system somehow.

If someone could help me with this and tell me what the basic parts of the script accomplish (I'd like to learn this stuff, not just have people constantly do this for me b/c I don't know how), it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Allen

AlucardZero · 05-24-2010, 11:31 AM

One traditional way is to add your commands to /etc/rc.local (you won't need to prefix them with sudo).

wolverene13 · 05-24-2010, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlucardZero

One traditional way is to add your commands to /etc/rc.local (you won't need to prefix them with sudo).

Isn't /etc/rc.local only present in RedHat, Fedora, etc?

wolverene13 · 05-24-2010, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolverene13

Isn't /etc/rc.local only present in RedHat, Fedora, etc?

Nevermind, I found it, but where do I put the commands? Right now, it looks like this:

#!/bin/sh -e
#
# rc.local
#
# This script is executed at the end of each multiuser runlevel.
# Make sure that the script will "exit 0" on success or any other
# value on error.
#
# In order to enable or disable this script just change the execution
# bits.
#
# By default this script does nothing.

exit 0
/usr/local/bin/noip2

Thanks,
Allen

AlucardZero · 05-24-2010, 01:02 PM

Well.. before the exit.

catkin · 05-24-2010, 01:13 PM

Alternatively it could be done by writing the configuration in the /etc/network/interfaces file and letting the /etc/init.d/networking boot script do the work. Here is a sample interfaces file, taken from ubuntu 8.04 and used for VirtualBox before VirtualBox was enhanced to do it all itself. Change user c to allen and IP addresses as required

Code:

# eth0 is the physical interface.
# Bridging software will configure eth0 when it is added as a port to br0 (below)
# This minimal configuration avoids message "Ignoring unknown interface eth0=eth0"
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet manual
up ifconfig $IFACE 0.0.0.0 up
down ifconfig $IFACE down

# tap0 is a tap into the bridge defined below
# * tap0 is for use by VirtualBox
# * Guest OS will configure, hence "manual"
# * VirtualBox will be run by user c, hence user c
# * "ifconfig" is part of ifupdown package 
# * "tunctl_user" is part of tunctl package
auto tap0 
iface tap0 inet manual 
up ifconfig $IFACE 0.0.0.0 up 
down ifconfig $IFACE down 
tunctl_user c 

# br0 is a bridge connecting physical interface eth0 to OS and tap0
# * Stanzas for br0 ports must appear before the br0 stanza
# * Static configuration 
# * No need for spanning tree protocol (stp) because no other bridges on network
iface br0 inet static
address 192.168.0.11 
network 192.168.0.0
netmask 255.255.255.0 
broadcast 192.168.0.255
gateway 192.168.0.253
bridge_ports eth0 tap0
bridge_maxwait 0 
bridge_stp off

wolverene13 · 05-24-2010, 10:44 PM

Thanks AlucardZero and catkin for your help. I tried both methods and they worked. I've started looking into several shell scripting tutorials and stuff, so hopefully I can figure this stuff out on my own in the future. I'm not used to being a noob and it kinda bugs me. Thanks again!

catkin · 05-25-2010, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolverene13

I've started looking into several shell scripting tutorials and stuff, so hopefully I can figure this stuff out on my own in the future. I'm not used to being a noob and it kinda bugs me.

Glad you found a solution

Yes -- it's frustrating when you switch OS and go from being adept to having everything to learn. Although the specifics are different, many of the principles are the same so you are off to a head start compared with learning your first OS. Hope you enjoy the adventure