nm-utils: libnm-util Reference Manual

## nm-utils nm-utils — Utility functions |

## Functions

gboolean | nm_utils_init ()
void | nm_utils_deinit ()
gboolean | nm_utils_is_empty_ssid ()
const char * | nm_utils_escape_ssid ()
gboolean | nm_utils_same_ssid ()
char * | nm_utils_ssid_to_utf8 ()
GHashTable * | nm_utils_gvalue_hash_dup ()
void | nm_utils_slist_free ()
gboolean | nm_utils_security_valid ()
gboolean | nm_utils_ap_mode_security_valid ()
gboolean | nm_utils_wep_key_valid ()
gboolean | nm_utils_wpa_psk_valid ()
GSList * | nm_utils_ip4_addresses_from_gvalue ()
void | nm_utils_ip4_addresses_to_gvalue ()
GSList * | nm_utils_ip4_routes_from_gvalue ()
void | nm_utils_ip4_routes_to_gvalue ()
guint32 | nm_utils_ip4_netmask_to_prefix ()
guint32 | nm_utils_ip4_prefix_to_netmask ()
guint32 | nm_utils_ip4_get_default_prefix ()
GSList * | nm_utils_ip6_addresses_from_gvalue ()
void | nm_utils_ip6_addresses_to_gvalue ()
GSList * | nm_utils_ip6_routes_from_gvalue ()
void | nm_utils_ip6_routes_to_gvalue ()
GSList * | nm_utils_ip6_dns_from_gvalue ()
void | nm_utils_ip6_dns_to_gvalue ()
char * | nm_utils_uuid_generate ()
char * | nm_utils_uuid_generate_from_string ()
GByteArray * | nm_utils_rsa_key_encrypt ()
GByteArray * | nm_utils_rsa_key_encrypt_aes ()
gboolean | nm_utils_file_is_pkcs12 ()
gboolean | (*NMUtilsFileSearchInPathsPredicate) ()
const char * | nm_utils_file_search_in_paths ()
guint32 | nm_utils_wifi_freq_to_channel ()
guint32 | nm_utils_wifi_channel_to_freq ()
guint32 | nm_utils_wifi_find_next_channel ()
gboolean | nm_utils_wifi_is_channel_valid ()
int | nm_utils_hwaddr_len ()
int | nm_utils_hwaddr_type ()
char * | nm_utils_hwaddr_ntoa ()
GByteArray * | nm_utils_hwaddr_atoba ()
guint8 * | nm_utils_hwaddr_aton ()
char * | nm_utils_hwaddr_ntoa_len ()
guint8 * | nm_utils_hwaddr_aton_len ()
gboolean | nm_utils_hwaddr_valid ()
char * | nm_utils_bin2hexstr ()
int | nm_utils_hex2byte ()
char * | nm_utils_hexstr2bin ()
gboolean | nm_utils_iface_valid_name ()
gboolean | nm_utils_is_uuid ()
const char * | nm_utils_inet4_ntop ()
const char * | nm_utils_inet6_ntop ()
gboolean | nm_utils_check_virtual_device_compatibility ()

## Types and Values

enum | NMUtilsSecurityType
#define | NM_UTILS_HWADDR_LEN_MAX
#define | NM_UTILS_INET_ADDRSTRLEN

## Object Hierarchy

        GEnum
        ╰── NMUtilsSecurityType

## Includes

    #include <nm-utils.h>

## Description

A collection of utility functions for working with SSIDs, IP addresses, Wi-Fi access points and devices, among other things.

## Functions

### nm_utils_init ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_init (GError **error);

Initializes libnm-util; should be called when starting any program that uses libnm-util. This function can be called more than once.

#### Parameters

error | location to store error, or `NULL` |

#### Returns

`TRUE` if the initialization was successful, `FALSE` on failure.

### nm_utils_deinit ()

    void
    nm_utils_deinit (void);

No-op. Although this function still exists for ABI compatibility reasons, it does not have any effect, and does not ever need to be called.

### nm_utils_is_empty_ssid ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_is_empty_ssid (const guint8 *ssid,
                            int len);

Different manufacturers use different mechanisms for not broadcasting the AP's SSID. This function attempts to detect blank/empty SSIDs using a number of known SSID-cloaking methods.

#### Parameters

ssid | pointer to a buffer containing the SSID data |
len | length of the SSID data in `ssid` |

#### Returns

`TRUE` if the SSID is "empty", `FALSE` if it is not

### nm_utils_escape_ssid ()

    const char *
    nm_utils_escape_ssid (const guint8 *ssid,
                          guint32 len);

This function does a quick printable character conversion of the SSID, simply replacing embedded NULLs and non-printable characters with the hexadecimal representation of that character. Intended for debugging only, should not be used for display of SSIDs.

#### Parameters

ssid | pointer to a buffer containing the SSID data |
len | length of the SSID data in `ssid` |

#### Returns

pointer to the escaped SSID, which uses an internal static buffer and will be overwritten by subsequent calls to this function

### nm_utils_same_ssid ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_same_ssid (const GByteArray *ssid1,
                        const GByteArray *ssid2,
                        gboolean ignore_trailing_null);

Earlier versions of the Linux kernel added a NULL byte to the end of the SSID to enable easy printing of the SSID on the console or in a terminal, but this behavior was problematic (SSIDs are simply byte arrays, not strings) and thus was changed. This function compensates for that behavior at the cost of some compatibility with odd SSIDs that may legitimately have trailing NULLs, even though that is functionally pointless.

#### Parameters

ssid1 | first SSID data to compare |
ssid2 | second SSID data to compare |
ignore_trailing_null | `TRUE` to ignore one trailing NULL byte |

#### Returns

`TRUE` if the SSIDs are the same, `FALSE` if they are not

### nm_utils_ssid_to_utf8 ()

    char *
    nm_utils_ssid_to_utf8 (const GByteArray *ssid);

Wi-Fi SSIDs are byte arrays, they are _not_ strings. Thus, an SSID may contain embedded NULLs and other unprintable characters. Often it is useful to print the SSID out for debugging purposes, but that should be the _only_ use of this function. Do not use this function for any persistent storage of the SSID, since the printable SSID returned from this function cannot be converted back into the real SSID of the access point.

This function does almost everything humanly possible to convert the input into a printable UTF-8 string, using roughly the following procedure:

1) if the input data is already UTF-8 safe, no conversion is performed 2) attempts to get the current system language from the LANG environment variable, and depending on the language, uses a table of alternative encodings to try. For example, if LANG=hu_HU, the table may first try the ISO-8859-2 encoding, and if that fails, try the Windows-1250 encoding. If all fallback encodings fail, replaces non-UTF-8 characters with '?'. 3) If the system language was unable to be determined, falls back to the ISO-8859-1 encoding, then to the Windows-1251 encoding. 4) If step 3 fails, replaces non-UTF-8 characters with '?'.

Again, this function should be used for debugging and display purposes _only_.

#### Parameters

ssid | a byte array containing the SSID data |

#### Returns

an allocated string containing a UTF-8 representation of the SSID, which must be freed by the caller using `g_free()`. Returns `NULL` on errors.

[transfer full]

### nm_utils_gvalue_hash_dup ()

    GHashTable *
    nm_utils_gvalue_hash_dup (GHashTable *hash);

Utility function to duplicate a hash table of GValues.

#### Parameters

hash | a GHashTable mapping string:GValue |

#### Returns

a newly allocated duplicated GHashTable, caller must free the returned hash with `g_hash_table_unref()` or `g_hash_table_destroy()`.

[transfer container][element-type utf8 GObject.Value]

### nm_utils_slist_free ()

    void
    nm_utils_slist_free (GSList *list,
                         GDestroyNotify elem_destroy_fn);

`nm_utils_slist_free` is deprecated and should not be used in newly-written code.

use `g_slist_free_full()`.

Utility function to free a GSList.

[skip]

#### Parameters

list | a GSList |
elem_destroy_fn | user function called for each element in `list` |

### nm_utils_security_valid ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_security_valid (NMUtilsSecurityType type,
                             NMDeviceWifiCapabilities wifi_caps,
                             gboolean have_ap,
                             gboolean adhoc,
                             NM80211ApFlags ap_flags,
                             NM80211ApSecurityFlags ap_wpa,
                             NM80211ApSecurityFlags ap_rsn);

Given a set of device capabilities, and a desired security type to check against, determines whether the combination of device, desired security type, and AP capabilities intersect.

NOTE: this function cannot handle checking security for AP/Hotspot mode; use `nm_utils_ap_mode_security_valid()` instead.

#### Parameters

type | the security type to check AP flags and device capabilties against, e.g. NMU_SEC_STATIC_WEP |
wifi_caps | bitfield of the capabilities of the specific Wi-Fi device, e.g. NM_WIFI_DEVICE_CAP_CIPHER_WEP40 |
have_ap | whether the `ap_flags` , `ap_wpa` , and `ap_rsn` arguments are valid |
adhoc | whether the capabilities being tested are from an Ad-Hoc AP (IBSS) |
ap_flags | bitfield of AP capabilities, e.g. NM_802_11_AP_FLAGS_PRIVACY |
ap_wpa | bitfield of AP capabilties derived from the AP's WPA beacon, e.g. (NM_802_11_AP_SEC_PAIR_TKIP | NM_802_11_AP_SEC_KEY_MGMT_PSK) |
ap_rsn | bitfield of AP capabilties derived from the AP's RSN/WPA2 beacon, e.g. (NM_802_11_AP_SEC_PAIR_CCMP | NM_802_11_AP_SEC_PAIR_TKIP) |

#### Returns

`TRUE` if the device capabilities and AP capabilties intersect and are compatible with the desired `type` , `FALSE` if they are not

### nm_utils_ap_mode_security_valid ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_ap_mode_security_valid (NMUtilsSecurityType type,
                                     NMDeviceWifiCapabilities wifi_caps);

Given a set of device capabilities, and a desired security type to check against, determines whether the combination of device capabilities and desired security type are valid for AP/Hotspot connections.

#### Parameters

type | the security type to check device capabilties against, e.g. NMU_SEC_STATIC_WEP |
wifi_caps | bitfield of the capabilities of the specific Wi-Fi device, e.g. NM_WIFI_DEVICE_CAP_CIPHER_WEP40 |

#### Returns

`TRUE` if the device capabilities are compatible with the desired `type` , `FALSE` if they are not.

Since: 0.9.8

### nm_utils_wep_key_valid ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_wep_key_valid (const char *key,
                            NMWepKeyType wep_type);

Checks if `key` is a valid WEP key

#### Parameters

key | a string that might be a WEP key |
wep_type | the NMWepKeyType type of the WEP key |

#### Returns

`TRUE` if `key` is a WEP key, `FALSE` if not

Since: 0.9.8

### nm_utils_wpa_psk_valid ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_wpa_psk_valid (const char *psk);

Checks if `psk` is a valid WPA PSK

#### Parameters

psk | a string that might be a WPA PSK |

#### Returns

`TRUE` if `psk` is a WPA PSK, `FALSE` if not

Since: 0.9.8

### nm_utils_ip4_addresses_from_gvalue ()

    GSList *
    nm_utils_ip4_addresses_from_gvalue (const GValue *value);

Utility function to convert a GPtrArray of GArrays of guint32s representing a list of NetworkManager IPv4 addresses (which is a tuple of address, gateway, and prefix) into a GSList of NMIP4Address objects. The specific format of this serialization is not guaranteed to be stable and the GArray may be extended in the future.

#### Parameters

value | GValue containing a GPtrArray of GArrays of guint32s |

#### Returns

a newly allocated GSList of NMIP4Address objects.

[transfer full][element-type NMIP4Address]

### nm_utils_ip4_addresses_to_gvalue ()

    void
    nm_utils_ip4_addresses_to_gvalue (GSList *list,
                                      GValue *value);

Utility function to convert a GSList of NMIP4Address objects into a GPtrArray of GArrays of guint32s representing a list of NetworkManager IPv4 addresses (which is a tuple of address, gateway, and prefix). The specific format of this serialization is not guaranteed to be stable and may be extended in the future.

#### Parameters

list | a list of NMIP4Address objects. | [element-type NMIP4Address]
value | a pointer to a GValue into which to place the converted addresses, which should be unset by the caller (when no longer needed) with `g_value_unset()`. |

### nm_utils_ip4_routes_from_gvalue ()

    GSList *
    nm_utils_ip4_routes_from_gvalue (const GValue *value);

Utility function to convert a GPtrArray of GArrays of guint32s representing a list of NetworkManager IPv4 routes (which is a tuple of route, next hop, prefix, and metric) into a GSList of NMIP4Route objects. The specific format of this serialization is not guaranteed to be stable and may be extended in the future.

#### Parameters

value | GValue containing a GPtrArray of GArrays of guint32s |

#### Returns

a newly allocated GSList of NMIP4Route objects.

[transfer full][element-type NMIP4Route]

### nm_utils_ip4_routes_to_gvalue ()

    void
    nm_utils_ip4_routes_to_gvalue (GSList *list,
                                   GValue *value);

Utility function to convert a GSList of NMIP4Route objects into a GPtrArray of GArrays of guint32s representing a list of NetworkManager IPv4 routes (which is a tuple of route, next hop, prefix, and metric). The specific format of this serialization is not guaranteed to be stable and may be extended in the future.

#### Parameters

list | a list of NMIP4Route objects. | [element-type NMIP4Route]
value | a pointer to a GValue into which to place the converted routes, which should be unset by the caller (when no longer needed) with `g_value_unset()`. |

### nm_utils_ip4_netmask_to_prefix ()

    guint32
    nm_utils_ip4_netmask_to_prefix (guint32 netmask);

#### Parameters

netmask | an IPv4 netmask in network byte order |

#### Returns

the CIDR prefix represented by the netmask

### nm_utils_ip4_prefix_to_netmask ()

    guint32
    nm_utils_ip4_prefix_to_netmask (guint32 prefix);

#### Parameters

prefix | a CIDR prefix |

#### Returns

the netmask represented by the prefix, in network byte order

### nm_utils_ip4_get_default_prefix ()

    guint32
    nm_utils_ip4_get_default_prefix (guint32 ip);

When the Internet was originally set up, various ranges of IP addresses were segmented into three network classes: A, B, and C. This function will return a prefix that is associated with the IP address specified defining where it falls in the predefined classes.

#### Parameters

ip | an IPv4 address (in network byte order) |

#### Returns

the default class prefix for the given IP

### nm_utils_ip6_addresses_from_gvalue ()

    GSList *
    nm_utils_ip6_addresses_from_gvalue (const GValue *value);

Utility function to convert a GPtrArray of GValueArrays of (GArray of guchars) and guint32 representing a list of NetworkManager IPv6 addresses (which is a tuple of address, prefix, and gateway), into a GSList of NMIP6Address objects. The specific format of this serialization is not guaranteed to be stable and the GValueArray may be extended in the future.

#### Parameters

value | gvalue containing a GPtrArray of GValueArrays of (GArray of guchars) and guint32 |

#### Returns

a newly allocated GSList of NMIP6Address objects.

[transfer full][element-type NMIP6Address]

### nm_utils_ip6_addresses_to_gvalue ()

    void
    nm_utils_ip6_addresses_to_gvalue (GSList *list,
                                      GValue *value);

Utility function to convert a GSList of NMIP6Address objects into a GPtrArray of GValueArrays representing a list of NetworkManager IPv6 addresses (which is a tuple of address, prefix, and gateway). The specific format of this serialization is not guaranteed to be stable and may be extended in the future.

#### Parameters

list | a list of NMIP6Address objects. | [element-type NMIP6Address]
value | a pointer to a GValue into which to place the converted addresses, which should be unset by the caller (when no longer needed) with `g_value_unset()`. |

### nm_utils_ip6_routes_from_gvalue ()

    GSList *
    nm_utils_ip6_routes_from_gvalue (const GValue *value);

Utility function GPtrArray of GValueArrays of (GArray of guchars), guint32, (GArray of guchars), and guint32 representing a list of NetworkManager IPv6 routes (which is a tuple of destination, prefix, next hop, and metric) into a GSList of NMIP6Route objects. The specific format of this serialization is not guaranteed to be stable and may be extended in the future.

#### Parameters

value | GValue containing a GPtrArray of GValueArrays of (GArray of guchars), guint32, (GArray of guchars), and guint32 |

#### Returns

a newly allocated GSList of NMIP6Route objects.

[transfer full][element-type NMIP6Route]

### nm_utils_ip6_routes_to_gvalue ()

    void
    nm_utils_ip6_routes_to_gvalue (GSList *list,
                                   GValue *value);

Utility function to convert a GSList of NMIP6Route objects into a GPtrArray of GValueArrays of (GArray of guchars), guint32, (GArray of guchars), and guint32 representing a list of NetworkManager IPv6 routes (which is a tuple of destination, prefix, next hop, and metric). The specific format of this serialization is not guaranteed to be stable and may be extended in the future.

#### Parameters

list | a list of NMIP6Route objects. | [element-type NMIP6Route]
value | a pointer to a GValue into which to place the converted routes, which should be unset by the caller (when no longer needed) with `g_value_unset()`. |

### nm_utils_ip6_dns_from_gvalue ()

    GSList *
    nm_utils_ip6_dns_from_gvalue (const GValue *value);

Converts a GValue containing a GPtrArray of IP6 DNS, represented as GByteArrays into a GSList of `struct in6_addr`s.

[skip]

#### Parameters

value | a GValue |

#### Returns

a GSList of IP6 addresses.

### nm_utils_ip6_dns_to_gvalue ()

    void
    nm_utils_ip6_dns_to_gvalue (GSList *list,
                                GValue *value);

Utility function to convert a GSList of `struct in6_addr` structs into a GPtrArray of GByteArrays representing each server's IPv6 addresses in network byte order. The specific format of this serialization is not guaranteed to be stable and may be extended in the future.

[skip]

#### Parameters

list | a list of NMIP6Route objects |
value | a pointer to a GValue into which to place the converted DNS server addresses, which should be unset by the caller (when no longer needed) with `g_value_unset()`. |

### nm_utils_uuid_generate ()

    char *
    nm_utils_uuid_generate (void);

#### Returns

a newly allocated UUID suitable for use as the NMSettingConnection object's “id”: property. Should be freed with `g_free()`

### nm_utils_uuid_generate_from_string ()

    char *
    nm_utils_uuid_generate_from_string (const char *s);

For a given `s` , this function will always return the same UUID.

#### Parameters

s | a string to use as the seed for the UUID |

#### Returns

a newly allocated UUID suitable for use as the NMSettingConnection object's “id”: property

### nm_utils_rsa_key_encrypt ()

    GByteArray *
    nm_utils_rsa_key_encrypt (const GByteArray *data,
                              const char *in_password,
                              char **out_password,
                              GError **error);

Encrypts the given RSA private key data with the given password (or generates a password if no password was given) and converts the data to PEM format suitable for writing to a file. It uses Triple DES cipher for the encryption.

#### Parameters

data | RSA private key data to be encrypted |
in_password | existing password to use, if any. | [allow-none]
out_password | if `in_password` was `NULL`, a random password will be generated and returned in this argument. | [out][allow-none]
error | detailed error information on return, if an error occurred |

#### Returns

on success, PEM-formatted data suitable for writing to a PEM-formatted certificate/private key file.

[transfer full]

### nm_utils_rsa_key_encrypt_aes ()

    GByteArray *
    nm_utils_rsa_key_encrypt_aes (const GByteArray *data,
                                  const char *in_password,
                                  char **out_password,
                                  GError **error);

Encrypts the given RSA private key data with the given password (or generates a password if no password was given) and converts the data to PEM format suitable for writing to a file. It uses AES cipher for the encryption.

#### Parameters

data | RSA private key data to be encrypted |
in_password | existing password to use, if any. | [allow-none]
out_password | if `in_password` was `NULL`, a random password will be generated and returned in this argument. | [out][allow-none]
error | detailed error information on return, if an error occurred |

#### Returns

on success, PEM-formatted data suitable for writing to a PEM-formatted certificate/private key file.

[transfer full]

### nm_utils_file_is_pkcs12 ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_file_is_pkcs12 (const char *filename);

Utility function to find out if the `filename` is in PKCS#12 format.

#### Parameters

filename | name of the file to test |

#### Returns

`TRUE` if the file is PKCS#12, `FALSE` if it is not

### NMUtilsFileSearchInPathsPredicate ()

    gboolean
    (*NMUtilsFileSearchInPathsPredicate) (const char *filename,
                                          gpointer user_data);

### nm_utils_file_search_in_paths ()

    const char *
    nm_utils_file_search_in_paths (const char *progname,
                                   const char *try_first,
                                   const char *const *paths,
                                   GFileTest file_test_flags,
                                   NMUtilsFileSearchInPathsPredicate predicate,
                                   gpointer user_data,
                                   GError **error);

Searches for a `progname` file in a list of search `paths` .

#### Parameters

progname | the helper program name, like "iptables" Must be a non-empty string, without path separator (/). |
try_first | a custom path to try first before searching. It is silently ignored if it is empty or not an absolute path. | [allow-none]
paths | a `NULL` terminated list of search paths. Can be empty or `NULL`, in which case only `try_first` is checked. | [allow-none]
file_test_flags | the flags passed to `g_file_test()` when searching for `progname` . Set it to 0 to skip the `g_file_test()`. |
predicate | if given, pass the file name to this function for additional checks. This check is performed after the check for `file_test_flags` . You cannot omit both `file_test_flags` and `predicate` . | [scope call]
user_data | (allow-none): user data for `predicate` function. | [closure]
error | on failure, set a "not found" error `G_IO_ERROR` `G_IO_ERROR_NOT_FOUND`. | [allow-none]

#### Returns

the full path to the helper, if found, or `NULL` if not found. The returned string is not owned by the caller, but later invocations of the function might overwrite it.

[transfer none]

### nm_utils_wifi_freq_to_channel ()

    guint32
    nm_utils_wifi_freq_to_channel (guint32 freq);

Utility function to translate a Wi-Fi frequency to its corresponding channel.

#### Parameters

freq | frequency |

#### Returns

the channel represented by the frequency or 0

### nm_utils_wifi_channel_to_freq ()

    guint32
    nm_utils_wifi_channel_to_freq (guint32 channel,
                                   const char *band);

Utility function to translate a Wi-Fi channel to its corresponding frequency.

#### Parameters

channel | channel |
band | frequency band for wireless ("a" or "bg") |

#### Returns

the frequency represented by the channel of the band, or -1 when the freq is invalid, or 0 when the band is invalid

### nm_utils_wifi_find_next_channel ()

    guint32
    nm_utils_wifi_find_next_channel (guint32 channel,
                                     int direction,
                                     char *band);

Utility function to find out next/previous Wi-Fi channel for a channel.

#### Parameters

channel | current channel |
direction | whether going downward (0 or less) or upward (1 or more) |
band | frequency band for wireless ("a" or "bg") |

#### Returns

the next channel in the specified direction or 0

### nm_utils_wifi_is_channel_valid ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_wifi_is_channel_valid (guint32 channel,
                                    const char *band);

Utility function to verify Wi-Fi channel validity.

#### Parameters

channel | channel |
band | frequency band for wireless ("a" or "bg") |

#### Returns

`TRUE` or `FALSE`

### nm_utils_hwaddr_len ()

    int
    nm_utils_hwaddr_len (int type);

Returns the length in octets of a hardware address of type `type` .

#### Parameters

type | the type of address; either `ARPHRD_ETHER` or `ARPHRD_INFINIBAND` |

#### Returns

the positive length, or -1 if the type is unknown/unsupported.

### nm_utils_hwaddr_type ()

    int
    nm_utils_hwaddr_type (int len);

`nm_utils_hwaddr_type` is deprecated and should not be used in newly-written code.

This could not be extended to cover other types, since there is not a one-to-one mapping between types and lengths. This was mostly only used to get a type to pass to `nm_utils_hwaddr_ntoa()` or `nm_utils_hwaddr_aton()` when you only had a length; but you can just use `nm_utils_hwaddr_ntoa_len()` or `nm_utils_hwaddr_aton_len()` now instead.

Returns the type (either `ARPHRD_ETHER` or `ARPHRD_INFINIBAND`) of the raw address given its length.

#### Parameters

len | the length of hardware address in bytes |

#### Returns

the type, either `ARPHRD_ETHER` or `ARPHRD_INFINIBAND`. If the length is unexpected, return -1 (unsupported type/length).

### nm_utils_hwaddr_ntoa ()

    char *
    nm_utils_hwaddr_ntoa (gconstpointer addr,
                          int type);

Converts `addr` to textual form.

See also `nm_utils_hwaddr_ntoa_len()`, which takes a length instead of a type.

#### Parameters

addr | a binary hardware address |
type | the type of address; either `ARPHRD_ETHER` or `ARPHRD_INFINIBAND` |

#### Returns

the textual form of `addr` .

[transfer full]

### nm_utils_hwaddr_atoba ()

    GByteArray *
    nm_utils_hwaddr_atoba (const char *asc,
                           int type);

Parses `asc` and converts it to binary form in a GByteArray. See `nm_utils_hwaddr_aton()` if you don't want a GByteArray.

#### Parameters

asc | the ASCII representation of a hardware address |
type | the type of address; either `ARPHRD_ETHER` or `ARPHRD_INFINIBAND` |

#### Returns

a new GByteArray, or `NULL` if `asc` couldn't be parsed.

[transfer full]

### nm_utils_hwaddr_aton ()

    guint8 *
    nm_utils_hwaddr_aton (const char *asc,
                          int type,
                          gpointer buffer);

Parses `asc` and converts it to binary form in `buffer` . See `nm_utils_hwaddr_atoba()` if you'd rather have the result in a GByteArray.

See also `nm_utils_hwaddr_aton_len()`, which takes an output length instead of a type.

#### Parameters

asc | the ASCII representation of a hardware address |
type | the type of address; either `ARPHRD_ETHER` or `ARPHRD_INFINIBAND` |
buffer | buffer to store the result into |

#### Returns

`buffer` , or `NULL` if `asc` couldn't be parsed

### nm_utils_hwaddr_ntoa_len ()

    char *
    nm_utils_hwaddr_ntoa_len (gconstpointer addr,
                              gsize length);

Converts `addr` to textual form.

#### Parameters

addr | a binary hardware address |
length | the length of `addr` |

#### Returns

the textual form of `addr` .

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Since: 0.9.10

### nm_utils_hwaddr_aton_len ()

    guint8 *
    nm_utils_hwaddr_aton_len (const char *asc,
                              gpointer buffer,
                              gsize length);

Parses `asc` and converts it to binary form in `buffer` . Bytes in `asc` can be sepatared by colons (:), or hyphens (-), but not mixed.

#### Parameters

asc | the ASCII representation of a hardware address |
buffer | buffer to store the result into |
length | the expected length in bytes of the result and the size of the buffer in bytes. |

#### Returns

`buffer` , or `NULL` if `asc` couldn't be parsed or would be shorter or longer than `length` .

Since: 0.9.10

### nm_utils_hwaddr_valid ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_hwaddr_valid (const char *asc);

Parses `asc` to see if it is a valid hardware address of some type.

#### Parameters

asc | the ASCII representation of a hardware address |

#### Returns

`TRUE` if `asc` appears to be a valid hardware address of some type, `FALSE` if not.

Since: 0.9.10

### nm_utils_bin2hexstr ()

    char *
    nm_utils_bin2hexstr (const char *bytes,
                         int len,
                         int final_len);

Converts a byte-array `bytes` into a hexadecimal string. If `final_len` is greater than -1, the returned string is terminated at that index (returned_string[final_len] == '\0'),

#### Parameters

bytes | an array of bytes |
len | the length of the `bytes` array |
final_len | an index where to cut off the returned string, or -1 |

#### Returns

the textual form of `bytes` .

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Since: 0.9.10

### nm_utils_hex2byte ()

    int
    nm_utils_hex2byte (const char *hex);

Converts a hex string (2 characters) into its byte representation.

#### Parameters

hex | a string representing a hex byte |

#### Returns

a byte, or -1 if `hex` doesn't represent a hex byte

Since: 0.9.10

### nm_utils_hexstr2bin ()

    char *
    nm_utils_hexstr2bin (const char *hex,
                         size_t len);

Converts a hexadecimal string `hex` into a byte-array. The returned array length is `len` /2.

#### Parameters

hex | an hex string |
len | the length of the `hex` string (it has to be even) |

#### Returns

a array of bytes, or `NULL` on error.

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Since: 0.9.10

### nm_utils_iface_valid_name ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_iface_valid_name (const char *name);

This function is a 1:1 copy of the kernel's interface validation function in net/core/dev.c.

#### Parameters

name | Name of interface |

#### Returns

`TRUE` if interface name is valid, otherwise `FALSE` is returned.

Since: 0.9.8

### nm_utils_is_uuid ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_is_uuid (const char *str);

Checks if `str` is a UUID

#### Parameters

str | a string that might be a UUID |

#### Returns

`TRUE` if `str` is a UUID, `FALSE` if not

Since: 0.9.8

### nm_utils_inet4_ntop ()

    const char *
    nm_utils_inet4_ntop (in_addr_t inaddr,
                         char *dst);

Wrapper for inet_ntop.

[skip]

#### Parameters

inaddr | the address that should be converted to string. |
dst | the destination buffer, it must contain at least `INET_ADDRSTRLEN` or `NM_UTILS_INET_ADDRSTRLEN` characters. If set to `NULL`, it will return a pointer to an internal, static buffer (shared with `nm_utils_inet6_ntop()`). Beware, that the internal buffer will be overwritten with ever new call of `nm_utils_inet4_ntop()` or `nm_utils_inet6_ntop()` that does not provied it's own `dst` buffer. Also, using the internal buffer is not thread safe. When in doubt, pass your own `dst` buffer to avoid these issues. |

#### Returns

the input buffer `dst` , or a pointer to an internal, static buffer. This function cannot fail.

Since: 0.9.10

### nm_utils_inet6_ntop ()

    const char *
    nm_utils_inet6_ntop (const struct in6_addr *in6addr,
                         char *dst);

Wrapper for inet_ntop.

[skip]

#### Parameters

in6addr | the address that should be converted to string. |
dst | the destination buffer, it must contain at least `INET6_ADDRSTRLEN` or `NM_UTILS_INET_ADDRSTRLEN` characters. If set to `NULL`, it will return a pointer to an internal, static buffer (shared with `nm_utils_inet4_ntop()`). Beware, that the internal buffer will be overwritten with ever new call of `nm_utils_inet4_ntop()` or `nm_utils_inet6_ntop()` that does not provied it's own `dst` buffer. Also, using the internal buffer is not thread safe. When in doubt, pass your own `dst` buffer to avoid these issues. |

#### Returns

the input buffer `dst` , or a pointer to an internal, static buffer. `NULL` is not allowed as `in6addr` , otherwise, this function cannot fail.

Since: 0.9.10

### nm_utils_check_virtual_device_compatibility ()

    gboolean
    nm_utils_check_virtual_device_compatibility
                                   (GType virtual_type,
                                    GType other_type);

Determines if a connection of type `virtual_type` can (in the general case) work with connections of type `other_type` .

If `virtual_type` is `NM_TYPE_SETTING_VLAN`, then this checks if `other_type` is a valid type for the parent of a VLAN.

If `virtual_type` is a "master" type (eg, `NM_TYPE_SETTING_BRIDGE`), then this checks if `other_type` is a valid type for a slave of that master.

Note that even if this returns `TRUE` it is not guaranteed that every connection of type `other_type` is compatible with `virtual_type` ; it may depend on the exact configuration of the two connections, or on the capabilities of an underlying device driver.

#### Parameters

virtual_type | a virtual connection type |
other_type | a connection type to test against `virtual_type` |

#### Returns

`TRUE` or `FALSE`

Since: 0.9.10

## Types and Values

### enum NMUtilsSecurityType

Describes generic security mechanisms that 802.11 access points may offer. Used with `nm_utils_security_valid()` for checking whether a given access point is compatible with a network device.

#### Members

NMU_SEC_INVALID | unknown or invalid security, placeholder and not used |
NMU_SEC_NONE | unencrypted and open |
NMU_SEC_STATIC_WEP | static WEP keys are used for encryption |
NMU_SEC_LEAP | Cisco LEAP is used for authentication and for generating the dynamic WEP keys automatically |
NMU_SEC_DYNAMIC_WEP | standard 802.1x is used for authentication and generating the dynamic WEP keys automatically |
NMU_SEC_WPA_PSK | WPA1 is used with Pre-Shared Keys (PSK) |
NMU_SEC_WPA_ENTERPRISE | WPA1 is used with 802.1x authentication |
NMU_SEC_WPA2_PSK | WPA2/RSN is used with Pre-Shared Keys (PSK) |
NMU_SEC_WPA2_ENTERPRISE | WPA2 is used with 802.1x authentication |

### NM_UTILS_HWADDR_LEN_MAX

    #define NM_UTILS_HWADDR_LEN_MAX 20 /* INFINIBAND_ALEN */

The maximum length of hardware addresses handled by NetworkManager itself, `nm_utils_hwaddr_len()`, and `nm_utils_hwaddr_aton()`.

### NM_UTILS_INET_ADDRSTRLEN

    #define NM_UTILS_INET_ADDRSTRLEN     INET6_ADDRSTRLEN

Defines the minimal length for a char buffer that is suitable as `dst` argument for both `nm_utils_inet4_ntop()` and `nm_utils_inet6_ntop()`.