What command displays or sets the IP address and netmask values for a network interface?

The command that displays or sets the IP address and netmask values for a network interface in a Linux environment is ifconfig. Originally part of many Unix-like operating systems, ifconfig is used to configure, control, and query TCP/IP network interface parameters. When executed, this command can show detailed information about all active interfaces or just a specific one if an interface name is provided.

Specifically, ifconfig allows you to set the IP address and netmask for a network interface directly, making it a powerful tool for network management. This is particularly relevant in scenarios where manual configuration of network settings is required or when troubleshooting network connectivity.

While other commands exist for network configuration and management, such as ipconfig (which is used in Windows environments), networkctl (which is part of systemd for managing networking on Linux), and service config (which is not a standard command for network configurations), they do not directly fulfill the function of displaying or setting IP addresses and netmasks in a manner typical of ifconfig. Thus, ifconfig is the most relevant and appropriate command for this specific task in a Linux context.