InterfaceLED

What is it?

InterfaceLED is a program that uses the keyboard LEDs to indicated various things about a specified interface. For example if a network card is sending or receiving data.

How do i install it?

Put it into /usr/bin, /usr/sbin or some other directory.

How do i use it?

Just run ifled [tty here] [interface here] to use the default settings. Use console as tty to use the current tty, as interface use the interface you would like to monitor eg: eth0, ppp0. To run the ifled in background add -f to the command line.

Example command:

ifled console eth0 -f 

You will probably need to run ifled as root user.

How do i config the LEDs? / How do i get ifled not to touch my num-lock etc?

Look in the list of options from the help (start ifled with no arguments). For example -c crt will make num-lock indicate collisions, caps-lock indicate receiving of data and scroll-lock indicate transmitting of data.

A popular LED config is -c nna this will make num-lock and caps-lock work as normal (hopefully) and scroll-lock indicate activity (the interface is receiving or transmitting data)

Note: You can't use arguments like -ic nna, use -i -c nna instead.

How do i get the none option to work in console?

If you can't use your (num,caps,scroll)-lock as normal when you use the none option on them, try the -a option it may work.

How do i get the none option to work in X?

Run ifled before you start X with the same terminal and same user that you will start X with, this seams to work. Any other solution, open a discussion.

The keyboard is weird, keys get stuck etc

Try to increase the LED update delay by use the -d parameter. 100ms should solve the problem, if not try to increase even more. Note that the LEDs will flash slower at higher LED update delays.

How to i monitor more then one interface?

Use the n option with the -c parameter for example:

./ifled console eth0 -c nna -f  # Scroll-lock will flash on activity on eth0
./ifled console eth1 -c nan -f  # Caps-lock will flash on activity on eth1
./ifled console eth2 -c ann -f  # Num-lock will flash on activity on eth2

The LEDs does not work on some terminals

A user in most cases can't change the LED status on a terminal owned by another user even if you run ifled as root user, and I don't know why.

Do you know more about this? Open a discussion.

The terminal LEDs gets fu*ked up after i have run ifled

Try to type reset, this will do a terminal initialization.

Have fun!, and remember to look away every half hour.