---
name: "mn"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "mininet"
version: "2.3.0-1.1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mn"
---

# mn(1)

create a Mininet network.

## NAME

mn - create a Mininet network.

## SYNOPSIS

**mn** \[*options*\]

## DESCRIPTION

(type mn **-h** for details)

The mn utility creates Mininet network from the command line. It can create parametrized topologies, invoke the Mininet CLI, and run tests.

## OPTIONS

- **-h**, **--help**

  show this help message and exit

- **--switch**=*SWITCH*

  default\|ivs\|lxbr\|ovs\|ovsbr\|ovsk\|user\[,param=value...\] user=UserSwitch ovs=OVSSwitch ovsbr=OVSBridge ovsk=OVSSwitch ivs=IVSSwitch lxbr=LinuxBridge default=OVSSwitch

- **--host**=*HOST*

  cfs\|proc\|rt\[,param=value...\] proc=Host rt=CPULimitedHost{'sched': 'rt'} cfs=CPULimitedHost{'sched': 'cfs'}

- **--controller**=*CONTROLLER*

  default\|none\|nox\|ovsc\|ref\|remote\|ryu\[,param=value...\] ref=Controller ovsc=OVSController nox=NOX remote=RemoteController ryu=Ryu default=DefaultController none=NullController

- **--link**=*LINK*

  default\|ovs\|tc\|tcu\[,param=value...\] default=Link tc=TCLink tcu=TCULink ovs=OVSLink

- **--topo**=*TOPO*

  linear\|minimal\|reversed\|single\|torus\|tree\[,param=value ...\] minimal=MinimalTopo linear=LinearTopo reversed=SingleSwitchReversedTopo single=SingleSwitchTopo tree=TreeTopo torus=TorusTopo

- **-c**, **--clean**

  clean and exit

- **--custom**=*CUSTOM*

  read custom classes or params from .py file(s)

- **--test**=*TEST*

  pingall\|pingpair\|iperf\|iperfudp\|all\|none\|build

- **-x**, **--xterms**

  spawn xterms for each node

- **-i** IPBASE, **--ipbase**=*IPBASE*

  base IP address for hosts

- **--mac**

  automatically set host MACs

- **--arp**

  set all-pairs ARP entries

- **-v** VERBOSITY, **--verbosity**=*VERBOSITY*

  debug\|info\|output\|warning\|warn\|error\|critical

- **--innamespace**

  sw and ctrl in namespace?

- **--listenport**=*LISTENPORT*

  base port for passive switch listening

- **--nolistenport**

  don't use passive listening port

- **--pre**=*PRE*

  CLI script to run before tests

- **--post**=*POST*

  CLI script to run after tests

- **--pin**

  pin hosts to CPU cores (requires **--host** cfs or **--host** rt)

- **--nat**

  \[option=val...\] adds a NAT to the topology that connects Mininet hosts to the physical network. Warning: This may route any traffic on the machine that uses Mininet's IP subnet into the Mininet network. If you need to change Mininet's IP subnet, see the **--ipbase** option.

- **--version**

  prints the version and exits

- **-w**, **--wait**

  wait for switches to connect

- **-t** WAIT, **--twait**=*WAIT*

  timed wait (s) for switches to connect

- **--cluster**=*server1*,server2...

  run on multiple servers (experimental!)

- **--placement**=*block*\|random

  node placement for **--cluster** (experimental!)