Which Linux command historically shows network interface configuration when invoked with no arguments, though it is deprecated in many distributions?

• A. Ifconfig
• B. Ip
• C. Netstat
• D. Ethtool

Answer: (A)

Viewing network interface configuration with a legacy tool is being tested here. Ifconfig is the classic command used to display per-interface settings, and when run without any arguments it lists active interfaces along with their addresses, netmask, broadcast, and flags. This behavior made it the go-to way to quickly inspect how interfaces are configured.

Why this is the best answer now is that ifconfig comes from the older net-tools package and represents the traditional method students learn for quick visibility into interface configuration. It’s also why you’ll often see it described as showing interface configuration by default. However, it’s deprecated in many distributions because there’s a newer, more capable standard: the ip command from the iproute2 suite. The modern approach is to use ip addr (or ip a) to view addresses and ip link to see interfaces, with broader, more consistent control over network settings.

The other tools don’t fit this specific behavior. The ip command is the modern replacement, but it doesn’t typically display configuration with no arguments in the same straightforward way. Netstat reports on connections, routing tables, and statistics rather than per-interface configuration. Ethtool is for querying and tuning hardware-specific driver settings, not general interface configurations.