rtnetlink -- definition wanted

[Derek Broughton]

Detlef Lechner wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> who can explain to me the sentence
> "NAME: rtnetlink - macros to manipulate rtnetlink messages"
> from man 3 rtnetlink?
> And the sentence " Rtnetlink  allows the kernel’s routing tables to be
> read and altered." from man 7 rtnetlink?
> What is 'rtnetlink'?

As it says - a facility to view and modify the routing tables.  What do you 
want to do?  [the rtnetlink(3) man page (or any page in section 3) reallly 
isnt applicable to us mere mortals - we use 1, 8, and sometimes 5, iirc]