Enter: How to Assign an IP Address on a Linux Computer

This updated guide examines Enter: How to Assign an IP Address on a Linux Computer and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

Method 1of 2:

On Debian-Based Linux

1. Verify your Linux version. Popular Debian-based Linux distributions include Ubuntu, Mint, and Raspbian versions.
2. Open Terminal. This is the command line app that's the basis of all Linux distributions. Depending on your Linux version, you may have several ways of opening Terminal:
   • PressCtrl+Alt+TorCtrl+Alt+F1(if you're on a Mac, substitute the⌘Commandkey forCtrl.
   • Click the text box at the top or bottom of the screen if possible.
   • Open the Menu window and find the "Terminal" application, then click on it.
3. Switch to root. If you aren't already logged into the "root" user directory, type insuand press↵Enter, then type in your root user password when prompted and press↵Enter.
   • A "root" account is the Linux equivalent of an Administrator account on a Windows or Mac computer.
4. Bring up a list of your current Internet items. Type inifconfigand press↵Enterto do so. You should see a list of item names appear on the left side of the window with their details listed on the right.
   • The top item should be your current router or Ethernet connection. This item's name is "eth0" (Ethernet) or "wifi0" (Wi-Fi) in Linux.
5. Find the item to which you want to assign an IP address. Note the name of the item that you want to change. You'll find the name on the left side of the window.
   • In most cases, this is the "eth0" or "wifi0" item.
6. Change the item's IP address. Type insudo ifconfig name ipaddress netmask 255.255.255.0 up—making sure to replace name with your item's name and ipaddress with your preferred IP address—and press↵Enter.
   • To assign an IP of "192.168.2.100" to your ethernet connection ("eth0"), for example, you'd entersudo ifconfig eth0 192.168.0.100 netmask 255.255.255.0here.
7. Assign a default gateway. Type inroute add default gw 192.168.1.1and press↵Enter.^[1]
8. Add a DNS server. Type inecho "nameserver 8.8.8.8" > /etc/resolv.confand press↵Enter.
   • If you have a different DNS server address that you would rather use, enter that in the place of8.8.8.8.
9. Check your item's new IP address. Enter theifconfigcommand again, find your item, and look at the address to the right of the item's name. You should see the IP address that you just assigned.

Method 2of 2:

On RPM-Based Linux

1. Verify your Linux version. Popular RPM-based Linux distributions include CentOS, Red Hat, and Fedora versions.
2. Open Terminal. This is the command line app that's the basis of all Linux distributions. Depending on your Linux version, you may have several ways of opening Terminal:
   • PressCtrl+Alt+TorCtrl+Alt+F1(if you're on a Mac, substitute the⌘Commandkey forCtrl.
   • Click the text box at the top or bottom of the screen if possible.
   • Open the Menu window and find the "Terminal" application, then click on it.
3. Switch to root. If you aren't already logged into the "root" user directory, type insuand press↵Enter, then type in your root user password when prompted and press↵Enter.
   • A "root" account is the Linux equivalent of an Administrator account on a Windows or Mac computer.
4. Bring up a list of your current Internet items. Type inip ato view your network connections.
5. Find the network connection that you want to change. This will normally be the Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection, which has an IP address currently listed on the right side of the window.
6. Switch to the network scripts directory. Type incd /etc/sysconfig/network-scriptsand press↵Enter.
7. Display the network options. Type inlsand press↵Enter. You should see your current connection's name in the upper-left side of the network option results.
8. Open the network options for your connection. Type invi ifcfg- network name and press↵Enter. Doing so will open the network's properties in your Vi editor.
   • For a network named "eno12345678", for example, you'd entervi ifcfg-eno12345678here.
9. Edit the network's information. Change the following values:
   • BOOTPROTO - Changedhcptonone
   • Any IPV6 entry - Delete any IPV6 entries entirely by moving the cursor to theIon the left and pressingDel.
   • ONBOOT - Changenotoyes
10. Enter a new IP category. Press↵Enterto jump down one line from the ONBOOT category, type inIPADDR=and enter the IP address that you want to use, and then press↵Enter.
    • For example: to use "192.168.2.23" as your IP address, you'd type inIPADDR=192.168.2.23and press↵Enter.
11. Enter netmask, gateway, and DNS information. To do so:^[2]
    • Type inPREFIX=24and press↵Enter. You can also enterNETMASK=255.255.255.0here.
    • Type inGATEWAY=192.168.2.1and press↵Enter. Substitute your preferred gateway address if different.
12. Save and exit the file. You can use the File menu to do this, or you can type in:wqand press↵Enter.