README

= What is libmnl? =

libmnl is a minimalistic user-space library oriented to Netlink developers.
There are a lot of common tasks in parsing, validating, constructing of
both the Netlink header and TLVs that are repetitive and easy to get wrong.
This library aims to provide simple helpers that allows you to re-use code
and to avoid re-inventing the wheel. The main features of this library are:

* Small: the shared library requires around 30KB for an x86-based computer.
* Simple: this library avoids complexity and elaborated abstractions that
tend to hide Netlink details.
* Easy to use: the library simplifies the work for Netlink-wise developers.
It provides functions to make socket handling, message building, validating,
parsing and sequence tracking, easier.
* Easy to re-use: you can use the library to build your own abstraction layer
on top of this library.
* Decoupling: the interdependency of the main bricks that compose the library
is reduced, i.e. the library provides many helpers, but the programmer is not
forced to use them.

= Example files =

You can find several example files under examples/ that you can compile by
invoking `make check'.

--
08/sep/2010
Pablo Neira Ayuso <pablo@netfilter.org>