networkd

networkd, short for systemd-networkd, is a lightweight network configuration daemon that is part of the systemd project. It is designed to manage network interfaces, addresses, routes, and related settings on Linux systems, particularly in server and embedded environments where a simple, daemon-based approach is preferred over full-featured desktop network managers.

Configuration is file-based. Network settings are defined in text unit files located in /etc/systemd/network (and, on some systems, /usr/lib/systemd/network for defaults). The three primary unit types are .network, which applies to individual network interfaces; .netdev, which defines virtual or logical devices such as bridges, bonds, VLANs, or MACVLANs; and .link, which controls per-link options. Each interface is matched via a [Match] section and then configured with a [Network] section for addresses, DNS, routes, and DHCP, with optional [DHCP4]/[DHCP6] blocks.

Variants and capabilities include IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, static addresses, DHCP clients, and the ability to configure gateways, routes, and DNS servers. It can integrate with systemd-resolved for DNS resolution, and can be used to implement common topologies such as bridges, VLANs, bonds, and simple IP tunnels through netdev definitions.

Networkd is designed for minimalism and reliability, making it a popular choice on servers, containers, and headless systems. It contrasts with more feature-rich, GUI-oriented managers such as NetworkManager, which may run alongside networkd but are often not used together on servers. networkctl provides commands to inspect the status of devices and network links, including status and list outputs.

Networkd has been part of systemd since the early 2010s and is adopted by many Linux distributions as the default lightweight networking backend in server-oriented installations.