LO(4) Device Drivers Manual LO(4)

lo — software loopback network interface


loop

The loop interface is a software loopback mechanism which may be used for performance analysis, software testing, and/or local communication. As with other network interfaces, the loopback interface must have network addresses assigned for each address family with which it is to be used. These addresses may be set or changed with the SIOCSIFADDR ioctl(2). The loopback interface should be the last interface configured, as protocols may use the order of configuration as an indication of priority. The loopback should be configured first unless no hardware interfaces exist.

lo%d: can't handle af%d.
The interface was handed a message with addresses formatted in an unsuitable address family; the packet was dropped.

inet(4), intro(4), ns(4)

The lo device appeared in 4.2BSD.

Previous versions of the system enabled the loopback interface automatically, using a nonstandard Internet address (127.1). Use of that address is now discouraged; a reserved host address for the local network should be used instead.

June 5, 1993 BSD 4.2