How to display IP address in a more readable format

Display IP address in a more readable format.

By default, the IP or IPv6 address blends with the rest of the information.

$ ip address

1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
    inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 ::1/128 scope host 
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
2: eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast state UP group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 7a:17:50:23:15:79 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
    inet 157.230.120.30/20 brd 157.230.127.255 scope global eth0
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet 10.19.0.5/16 brd 10.19.255.255 scope global eth0:1
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 fe80::7817:50ff:fe23:1579/64 scope link 
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
3: eth1: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast state UP group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 6e:dd:ee:b2:1a:88 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
    inet 10.135.0.2/16 brd 10.135.255.255 scope global eth1
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 fe80::6cdd:eeff:feb2:1a88/64 scope link 
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever

This situation also applies to the link state information.

$ ip link

1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
2: eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast state UP mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 7a:17:50:23:15:79 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
3: eth1: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast state UP mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 6e:dd:ee:b2:1a:88 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

Use brief mode for better readability.

$ ip -brief address

lo               UNKNOWN        127.0.0.1/8 ::1/128 
eth0             UP             157.230.120.30/20 10.19.0.5/16 fe80::7817:50ff:fe23:1579/64 
eth1             UP             10.135.0.2/16 fe80::6cdd:eeff:feb2:1a88/64 

$ ip -brief link

lo               UNKNOWN        00:00:00:00:00:00 <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> 
eth0             UP             7a:17:50:23:15:79 <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> 
eth1             UP             6e:dd:ee:b2:1a:88 <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> 

$ ip -brief address show eth1

eth1             UP             10.135.0.2/16 fe80::6cdd:eeff:feb2:1a88/64

Add some colors, and readability skyrockets.

It’s just a little thing, but it makes a difference.