How to get Network Interface Card names in Python?

Question

I am totally new to python programming so please be patient with me.

Is there anyway to get the names of the NIC cards in the machine etc. eth0, lo? If so how do you

Answer 1

Using python's ctypes you can make a call to the C library function getifaddrs:

#!/usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

from ctypes import *

class Sockaddr(Structure):
    _fields_ = [('sa_family', c_ushort), ('sa_data', c_char * 14)]

class Ifa_Ifu(Union):
    _fields_ = [('ifu_broadaddr', POINTER(Sockaddr)),
                ('ifu_dstaddr', POINTER(Sockaddr))]

class Ifaddrs(Structure):
    pass

Ifaddrs._fields_ = [('ifa_next', POINTER(Ifaddrs)), ('ifa_name', c_char_p),
                    ('ifa_flags', c_uint), ('ifa_addr', POINTER(Sockaddr)),
                    ('ifa_netmask', POINTER(Sockaddr)), ('ifa_ifu', Ifa_Ifu),
                    ('ifa_data', c_void_p)]


def get_interfaces():
    libc = CDLL('libc.so.6')
    libc.getifaddrs.restype = c_int
    ifaddr_p = pointer(Ifaddrs())
    ret = libc.getifaddrs(pointer((ifaddr_p)))
    interfaces = set()
    head = ifaddr_p
    while ifaddr_p:
        interfaces.add(ifaddr_p.contents.ifa_name)
        ifaddr_p = ifaddr_p.contents.ifa_next
    libc.freeifaddrs(head) 
    return interfaces

if __name__ == "__main__":
    print(get_interfaces())

Do note though this method is not portable.