---
name: "if_gem"
section: "4"
platform: "linux"
package: "freebsd-manpages"
version: "6.0-5"
release: "Debian 4.0 (Etch)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/if_gem"
---

# if\_gem(4)

ERI/GEM/GMAC Ethernet device driver

## NAME

**gem** – ERI/GEM/GMAC Ethernet device driver

## SYNOPSIS

**device miibus** **device gem**

## DESCRIPTION

The **gem** driver provides support for the GMac Ethernet hardware found mostly in the last Apple PowerBooks G3s and most G4-based Apple hardware, as well as many Sun UltraSPARCs.

## HARDWARE

Cards supported by **gem** driver include:

- Sun GEM gigabit Ethernet

- Sun ERI 10/100 Mbps Ethernet

- Apple GMAC

## NOTES

On sparc64 the **gem** driver respects the *local-mac-address?* system configuration variable which can be set in the Open Firmware boot monitor using the **setenv** command or by [eeprom(8)](/eeprom/8.md). If set to “false” (the default), the **gem** driver will use the system's default MAC address for all of its devices. If set to “true”, the unique MAC address of each interface is used if present rather than the system's default MAC address.

Supported interfaces having their own MAC address include the on-board Sun ERI 10/100 Mbps and GEM gigabit Ethernet Interfaces on boards equipped with more than one Ethernet interface and the Sun GEM gigabit Ethernet add-on cards.

## SEE ALSO

[hme(4)](/hme/4.md), [miibus(4)](/miibus/4.md), [netintro(4)](/netintro/4.md), [eeprom(8)](/eeprom/8.md), [ifconfig(8)](/ifconfig/8.md)

## HISTORY

The **gem** device driver appeared in NetBSD 1.6. The first FreeBSD version to include it was FreeBSD 5.0.

## AUTHORS

The **gem** driver was written by Eduardo Horvath ⟨eeh@NetBSD.org⟩. The man page was written by Thomas Klausner ⟨wiz@NetBSD.org⟩.