ios cli network config get and set

ios_cli_netconfig.md

Although iOS (and macOS) is based on a flavor of nix, changing the network settings from the command line is not as simple as executing ifconfig. Changing system wide persistent proxy settings, for example, is not done by modifying a file.

System Configuration Utility

To persist network configuration changes, use the Apple scutil cli tool (see man scutil).

...
NAME
     scutil – Manage system configuration parameters

SYNOPSIS
     scutil
     scutil --prefs [preference-file]
     scutil -r [-W] { nodename | address | local-address remote-address }
     scutil -w dynamic-store-key [-t timeout]
     scutil --get pref
     scutil --set pref [newval]
     scutil --dns
     scutil --proxy
     scutil --nc nc-arguments
...

Changing Network Proxy Settings

scutil --proxy gives information about the current configuration for the network proxy.

A key observation is to scutil is that entries are stored as dictionary entries. It is similar to JSON maps.

To set a proxy, you will need to create a new dictionary entry and set the entry.

You need to create dictionaries (d.init) if one didn't exist before, add key-values to dictionaries (d.add), use get State:/Network/Global/Proxies and d.show to get the current running config, and set State:/Network/Global/Proxies to change the current running config.

Likewise, to remove a proxy, you would need to use get State:/Network/Global/Proxies to get the current running config, use d.remove to remove dictionary keys, and use set State:/Network/Global/Proxies to set the current running config.

Persisted configuration (i.e., not the current running configuration) is stored under the keys starting with Setup:. Use the scutil's list command to enumerate all the subkeys.

Example:

#!/bin/sh
proxy_host=$1
proxy_port=$2

# Find UUID of the primary IPv4 iface
output=$(scutil<< EOF
get State:/Network/Global/IPv4
d.show
quit
EOF)
iface_uuid=$(echo $output | grep -o -E '\b[0-9a-fA-F]{8}\-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}\-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}\-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}\-[0-9a-fA-F]{12}\b')

# Update proxy settings for the primary IPv4 iface
scutil<< EOF
get State:/Network/Global/Proxies
d.add HTTPEnable # 1
d.add HTTPPort # $proxy_port
d.add HTTPProxy $proxy_host
d.add HTTPSEnable # 1
d.add HTTPSPort # $proxy_port
d.add HTTPSProxy $proxy_host
set State:/Network/Global/Proxies
get Setup:/Network/Service/$iface_uuid/Proxies
d.add HTTPEnable # 1
d.add HTTPPort # $proxy_port
d.add HTTPProxy $proxy_host
d.add HTTPSEnable # 1
d.add HTTPSPort # $proxy_port
d.add HTTPSProxy $proxy_host
set Setup:/Network/Service/$iface_uuid/Proxies
quit
EOF

echo "done.. $?"