Bridge-Utils

I am using MS Windows XP, and have a CentOS on VMWare.

I downloaded and installed Bridge-Utils from: linuxfoundation[dot]org/collaborate/workgroups/networking/bridge

(I am sorry, I don't allow to post URL)

I can build it now, but I have some questions:

1. I want to save all my commands result to next computer start. Now, after restart, I have to type from beginning
2. How to test and show the result of Bridge runs? How to send some frames to this switch and see how does this switch process?

Thank you very much

I should think most distros have the bridge-utils package, Fedora/CentOS - yum install bridge-utils, Ubuntu and offshoots - apt-get install bridge-utils, openSUSE - zypper in bridge-utils.
NetworkManager should make it easier still.
Before setting up bridging "ifconfig eth0 down", "ifconfig eth1 down", "ifconfig wlan0 down" etc. for as many interfaces you want to add to the bridge.
If done manually, "/etc/init.d/network restart" should activate the bridge.
Lower down the page on the URL you quoted there are explanations.
"brctl addbr br0" to add a bridge called br0
"brctl addif br0 eth0" to add eth0 or any network cards to the bridge.

Better still here is the example on the page:-
Showing devices in a bridge

The brctl show command gives you a summary about the overall bridge status, and the instances running as shown below:

# brctl addbr br549
# brctl addif br549 eth0
# brctl addif br549 eth1
# brctl show
bridge name bridge id STP enabled interfaces
br549 8000.00004c9f0bd2 no eth0
eth1

Dear Siddly,

Thanks for your help.

Can you explain more details?

For example, I have 1 real computer, and 1 CentOS runs on VMWare. CentOS has Bridge Network Card, so it is a computer on LAN.

Now, I want this CentOS runs as a switch for the LAN (the LAN include my real computer, my CentOS-VMWare, and some other computers). How can I do that?

Again, thank you very much

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hannibal2010

Dear Siddly,

Thanks for your help.

Can you explain more details?

For example, I have 1 real computer, and 1 CentOS runs on VMWare. CentOS has Bridge Network Card, so it is a computer on LAN.

Now, I want this CentOS runs as a switch for the LAN (the LAN include my real computer, my CentOS-VMWare, and some other computers). How can I do that?

Again, thank you very much

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I'm not sure what the base OS is on your hardware on top of which you run CentOS and VMWare.
My typical setup is a Linux distro running on the PC and other OS's in VM's. I have an outboard firewall/router that the VM's get an IP address and route from using DHCP.
Without the external firewall/router, everything would have to go through the base OS with IP forwarding enabled so the main OS acts as a router for all the other VM's.
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward

If your are running Windows as the base OS, I won't have the slightest idea as I haven't run Windows since 1995.

BTW I haven't used VMWare since the late 1990's as it's always way behind current kernels and I test the latest vanilla kernel releases to provide feedback to the kernel maintainers and others such as NVidia and VirtualBox that will respond speedily with patches if I can't supply a patch myself. I at least act as early warning of impending problems so they can be fixed before the next stable kernel comes out. I never found VMWare to be concerned with other than stable kernels.