slirp4netns

{
  "aliases": [],
  "alternatives": [
    "veth",
    "slirp",
    "podman-network"
  ],
  "build_dependencies": [
    "autoconf",
    "automake",
    "pkgconf"
  ],
  "categories": [
    "container-runtime",
    "networking",
    "virtualization"
  ],
  "caveats": null,
  "conflicts_with": [],
  "dependencies": [
    "glib",
    "libcap",
    "libseccomp",
    "libslirp"
  ],
  "deprecated": 0,
  "deprecation_reason": null,
  "desc": "User-mode networking for unprivileged network namespaces",
  "disable_reason": null,
  "disabled": 0,
  "enrichment_fetched_at": "2026-06-20T23:41:06+00:00",
  "first_seen": "2026-06-20T23:34:18+00:00",
  "full_name": "slirp4netns",
  "github_default_branch": "master",
  "github_last_commit_at": "2026-05-26T13:57:21Z",
  "github_readme_excerpt": "# slirp4netns: User-mode networking for unprivileged network namespaces \n\nslirp4netns provides user-mode networking (\"slirp\") for unprivileged network namespaces.\n\n\u003c!-- START doctoc generated TOC please keep comment here to allow auto update --\u003e\n\u003c!-- DON\u0027T EDIT THIS SECTION, INSTEAD RE-RUN doctoc TO UPDATE --\u003e\n\n\n- [Motivation](#motivation)\n- [Projects using slirp4netns](#projects-using-slirp4netns)\n- [Maintenance policy](#maintenance-policy)\n- [Quick start](#quick-start)\n  - [Install](#install)\n  - [Usage](#usage)\n- [Manual](#manual)\n- [Benchmarks](#benchmarks)\n  - [iperf3 (netns -\u003e host)](#iperf3-netns---host)\n- [Install from source](#install-from-source)\n- [Acknowledgement](#acknowledgement)\n- [License](#license)\n\n\u003c!-- END doctoc generated TOC please keep comment here to allow auto update --\u003e\n\n## Motivation\n\nStarting with Linux 3.8, unprivileged users can create [`network_namespaces(7)`](http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/network_namespaces.7.html) along with [`user_namespaces(7)`](http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/user_namespaces.7.html).\nHowever, unprivileged network namespaces had not been very useful, because creating [`veth(4)`](http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man4/veth.4.html) pairs across the host and network namespaces still requires the root privileges. (i.e. No internet connection)\n\nslirp4netns allows connecting a network namespace to the Internet in a completely unprivileged way, by connecting a TAP device in a network namespace to the usermode TCP/IP stack ([\"slirp\"](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/slirp/libslirp)).\n\n## Projects using slirp4netns\n\nKubernetes distributions:\n* [Usernetes](https://github.com/rootless-containers/usernetes) (via RootlessKit)\n* [k3s](https://k3s.io) (via RootlessKit)\n\nContainer engines:\n* [Podman](https://github.com/containers/libpod)\n* [Buildah](https://github.com/containers/buildah)\n* [ctnr](https://github.com/mgoltzsche/ctnr) (via slirp-cni-plugin)\n* [Docker \u0026 Moby](https://get.docker.com/rootless) (optionally, via Ro",
  "github_repo": "rootless-containers/slirp4netns",
  "github_stars": 919,
  "github_topics": [
    "rootless-containers",
    "slirp",
    "usermode-networking"
  ],
  "homepage": "https://github.com/rootless-containers/slirp4netns",
  "homepage_og_description": null,
  "homepage_og_image": null,
  "homepage_title": null,
  "installs_30d": 3064,
  "installs_365d": 51126,
  "installs_90d": 13056,
  "keg_only": 0,
  "keg_only_reason": null,
  "last_seen": "2026-06-20T23:34:18+00:00",
  "license": "GPL-2.0-or-later",
  "llm_generated_at": "2026-06-20T23:47:04+00:00",
  "llm_model": "claude-haiku-4-5",
  "name": "slirp4netns",
  "oldnames": [],
  "one_liner": "User-mode networking for unprivileged Linux network namespaces, enabling rootless containers to access the network without root privileges.",
  "optional_dependencies": [],
  "rank_30d": 790,
  "rank_365d": 673,
  "rank_90d": 703,
  "raw_hash": "a4a774e499edb8af",
  "recommended_dependencies": [],
  "revision": 0,
  "ruby_source_path": "Formula/s/slirp4netns.rb",
  "tap": "homebrew/core",
  "test_dependencies": [
    "jq"
  ],
  "uses_from_macos": [],
  "version_head": null,
  "version_stable": "1.3.4",
  "versioned_formulae": [],
  "why_use_this": "Essential for rootless container runtimes like Podman and crun that need network connectivity without elevated privileges. Implements a user-space TCP/IP stack (slirp) to bridge namespace-isolated processes to the host network, avoiding the need for privileged veth setup. Primary runtime dependency for rootless container tooling."
}