The kinds of brick

New Brick, in the Bricks tab, lists the kinds of brick in three groups. A new brick is named after its kind and the first free number, as sw1 or tap1, and its settings show at once.

When this computer lacks the program of a kind, its row says so after a warning sign. You can still make the brick: it starts once the program is installed. See The programs it needs.

Machines and switches

Virtual machine

A computer that QEMU runs, with its disks, its memory, and a network card for each switch it plugs into. See Virtual machines.

Switch

A VDE switch: the other bricks plug into its ports, as into an Ethernet switch. It can start as it is. It runs vde_switch.

Switch wrapper

A switch that another program runs. The bricks of this project plug into its socket, whose path its settings give. You don't start or stop it: it runs while that socket is there.

Router

A VDE router between switches. It has no settings yet: its console configures it. It runs vde_router.

Links

Wire

A cable between two switches, which its settings choose. It runs dpipe and vde_plug.

Netemu

A cable between two switches that emulates a network link: its bandwidth, delay, loss and more, in states that change over time. It runs vde-netemu.

Tunnel server

One end of an encrypted tunnel: it joins a switch here to a tunnel client on another computer, which connects to it. It runs vde_cryptcab.

Tunnel client

The other end of an encrypted tunnel: it joins a switch here to a tunnel server on another computer, whose address its settings give. It runs vde_cryptcab.

This computer

Tap

A network interface of this computer, plugged into a switch: this computer joins the lab through it. It runs vde_plug2tap as root, through sudo.

Capture interface

An interface of this computer, whose packets go to a switch. It runs vde_pcapplug as root, through sudo.

For what sudo needs, see A tap or a capture interface doesn't start.