ip-mgr.sh

ip-mgr.sh is a configuration manager for Linux networking that brings both a standardized syntactic command style, and the commit/rollback workflow, of enterprise network appliances to standard CLI-oriented Linux servers, while managing / generating the underlying native systemd-networkd configuration.

Unlike NetworkManager or netplan, ip-mgr does not own the networking stack:

It stages intended configuration as JSON, validates it, renders native systemd-networkd configuration, applies it, and keeps rollback history. The resulting system remains standard Linux.

It provides a staged, reviewable, rollback-capable workflow for managing Linux network policy using plain JSON and native systemd networking components.

Instead of editing scattered files by hand or handing control to a daemon, ip-mgr.sh lets you:

stage changes → validate → diff → compile → apply → confirm or rollback

A valuable feature that it supports is a timed, automatic, configuration roll-back (which it uses by default whenever changes are pushed from an SSH session):

When used, deployed changes have to be confirmed within 60 seconds of being committed, or they are automatically rolled back with the prior settings being restored (so a broken connection can be re-established again).

Why this exists

Linux networking is powerful, but the management surface is fragmented:

• ip
• resolvectl
• networkctl
• systemd-networkd
• systemd-resolved
• routing tables
• DNS state
• interface files
• rollback files
• service restarts

ip-mgr.sh tries to make that manageable from one command structure without hiding the system underneath it.

The goal is not to replace Linux networking.

The goal is to make Linux networking safer to operate.

Design principles

• Plain Bash
• Plain JSON state files
• No database
• No persistent daemon
• No hidden control plane
• Native systemd-networkd output
• Review before apply
• Rollback as a normal operation
• Live-state inspection remains available
• Config files remain human-readable

Project status

ip-mgr.sh is under active development.

Current focus:

• JSON schema stabilization
• staged configuration workflow
• compile/apply behavior
• rollback handling
• manpage and documentation
• command consistency

Do not assume this is production-safe without reviewing and testing it in your own environment.

Basic workflow

ip-mgr status
ip-mgr edit
ip-mgr diff
ip-mgr validate
ip-mgr compile
ip-mgr apply --confirm
ip-mgr confirm

If the change breaks connectivity:

ip-mgr rollback

If staged changes should be abandoned:

ip-mgr discard

Configuration model

ip-mgr.sh separates intended network state from live system state.

The main state concepts are:

State Meaning

---

active Current detected/live network condition expected Intended saved configuration candidate Temporary staged change log rollback Prior known-good expected states

A candidate is not a full copy of expected state. It is a temporary command log. On compile, the log is replayed against the current expected state, reducing stale-candidate pollution.

Example

Stage an interface address:

ip-mgr set interface eth0 address 192.0.2.10/24

Review the pending change:

ip-mgr diff

Compile and apply:

ip-mgr compile
ip-mgr apply --confirm

Confirm the change:

ip-mgr confirm

Or roll back:

ip-mgr rollback

Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/Bleus/ip-mgr.git
cd ip-mgr

Install the script somewhere in root's path:

sudo install -m 0755 ip-mgr.sh /usr/local/sbin/ip-mgr

Install the manpage:

sudo install -m 0644 ip-mgr.8 /usr/local/share/man/man8/ip-mgr.8
sudo mandb

Read the manual:

man ip-mgr

Requirements

• Linux
• Bash
• jq
• systemd-networkd
• systemd-resolved
• root privileges for apply/commit operations

Safety notes

This tool manages network configuration.

A bad configuration can disconnect the host.

Use console access, VM snapshots, out-of-band management, or apply --confirm when testing remote systems.

Repository layout

ip-mgr.sh              Main script
ip-mgr.schema.json     Current JSON schema
ip-mgr.8               Manual page
README.md              Project overview
Principles.md          Design philosophy
Roadmap.md             Development roadmap
json-schema.md         Schema notes

Documentation

Start here:

man ip-mgr

Additional project documents:

• Principles.md
• Roadmap.md
• json-schema.md
• ip-mgr.schema.json

License

GPL-3.0

Author

Brett Leuszler / Net-Xpert Consulting