# jpetazzo/pipework

Software-Defined Networking tools for LXC (LinuX Containers)

Repository: https://github.com/jpetazzo/pipework
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/pipework
Language: Shell
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2024-11-04T17:31:57+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 32/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4829, "days_push": 667, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 4253, forks 718 (observed 2026-08-28T04:08:40.466059+00:00)

## What it is
Pipework is a shell-based Software-Defined Networking tool for connecting Linux containers (LXC and Docker) into arbitrary network topologies using veth pairs, bridges, VLANs, macvlan, and Open vSwitch. It was written in the early days of Docker and is explicitly no longer maintained.

## Use cases
- connect docker containers to a custom bridge network
- assign a static ip address to a container
- put containers on a vlan
- connect a container to a physical network interface
- create complex network topologies between lxc containers
- use open vswitch with docker containers
- configure macvlan networking for containers

## When to choose
- you maintain legacy Docker/LXC setups from the pre-2020 era that already use pipework
- you need a quick shell script to plumb containers into unusual topologies on old kernels
- you're studying how container networking plumbing works

## When to avoid
- starting any new project - it is unmaintained and will break with modern Docker networking
- you need supported container networking - use Docker's native networking, CNI, or Cilium/Calico instead
- you need security fixes or compatibility with recent kernel/Docker changes

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: abandoned
- function: networking, developer-tools, cli
- domain: networking
- platform: cli
- tags: sdn, lxc, docker-networking, shell, veth, openvswitch, vlan, macvlan, dhcp, containers, devops, linux, docker

## Member repositories
- jpetazzo/pipework (main) score 32

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:40.466059+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 2026-08-29T18:22:10.159498+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/jpetazzo/pipework (fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:40.466059+00:00, sha e41c903752c2)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.