# mdlayher/netlink

Package netlink provides low-level access to Linux netlink sockets (AF_NETLINK). MIT Licensed.

Repository: https://github.com/mdlayher/netlink
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/mdlayher-netlink
Language: Go
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: netlink, golang, linux, go, af-netlink
Last push: 2026-08-14T16:48:47+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 93/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 97, release rhythm 84, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3543, "days_push": 19, "days_rel": 109, "gap_med": 29, "n_releases_24m": 6}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1076, forks 112 (observed 2026-08-28T04:03:29.491332+00:00)

## What it is
A Go library providing low-level access to Linux netlink sockets (AF_NETLINK). It offers an idiomatic, well-tested API for building netlink family packages such as NETLINK_ROUTE and NETLINK_GENERIC.

## Use cases
- interact with linux netlink sockets from go
- query network interfaces and routes programmatically
- build a netlink family package like genetlink or rtnetlink
- monitor kernel network events without root
- implement low-level linux networking tools in go

## When to choose
- you need a stable, idiomatic Go API for AF_NETLINK sockets
- you want a building block for higher-level netlink family packages
- you prefer well-tested, documented code without global state

## When to avoid
- you need cross-platform socket APIs beyond Linux
- you want a high-level network configuration library rather than low-level netlink access

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: networking, developer-tools
- domain: networking, developer-tools, operating-systems
- platform: go
- tags: netlink, af-netlink, sockets, system-programming, kernel-interface, linux

## Member repositories
- mdlayher/netlink (main) score 93

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:29.491332+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T06:53:23.151594+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/mdlayher/netlink (fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:29.491332+00:00, sha 9e1658faa03c)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.