🛜 Netplan CLI tool

Simplifying network configuration on Linux with a custom Netplan CLI tool

Netplan is a widely used tool for configuring networking on Linux, particularly on distributions like Ubuntu. It allows for YAML-based network configuration, which is then translated into backend-specific configurations during boot, controlling network interfaces and services. This is explained in more detail in the Netplan.io documentation.

Despite Netplan’s functionality, my client found it challenging to work with the YAML syntax for configuring their network. They required a more user-friendly solution, so I developed a custom CLI tool in Python to simplify the process.

Key Features

🔧 Easier Network Configuration – The tool provides an intuitive command-line interface to generate Netplan’s YAML files, making it easier to configure network settings without dealing directly with YAML syntax.

⚙️ Automation – It can also automate product installations, streamlining the setup of network configurations alongside other deployment tasks.

💡 Flexibility – The tool supports most network configurations but is not intended to fully replace the original Netplan.io CLI due to its complexity and the client’s specific needs.

Challenges & Learnings

⚙️ Custom Tool vs. Extending Netplan CLI – Instead of modifying the existing Netplan CLI, I opted to create a new tool because of the specific requirements and the complexity of Netplan’s original interface.

🔄 Balancing Flexibility & Simplicity – Ensuring the tool was simple to use while maintaining flexibility for complex network setups was a key challenge. I had to make design decisions that would allow the tool to handle the most common scenarios while leaving room for customization where needed.

🌐 Learning Networking – Throughout this project, I had to deepen my understanding of networking concepts, such as IP addressing, routing, network interfaces, subnetworks and VLANs. This was a steep learning curve, as networking can be a complex field. Understanding how network configurations are structured and how changes affect the network was essential for developing a reliable tool. The process of learning these concepts also helped me optimize the tool and better anticipate issues that users might encounter.

💡 Want to learn more? Feel free to contact me!