iproute2 / rt_tables missing - does not exist [Resolved]

Message

lostinspace2011 · Post by **lostinspace2011** » Fri Feb 13, 2026 12:37 am

Just looking at implementing policy based routing (https://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/72095.html) and following the steps described https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Policy_based_routing

However on both my Gentoo servers the /etc/iproute2 folder does not exist. It must be something I missed in the setup.

I have confirmed that my kernel is configured as described in the Gentoo wiki and the iproute2 package is installed.

Any pointers what do look at or what I might have missed

lostinspace2011 · Post by **lostinspace2011** » Fri Feb 13, 2026 12:49 am

I did try and create the folder / files manually

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# cat /etc/iproute2/rt_tables
1 wireguard

Code: Select all

# ip route show table wireguard
Error: ipv4: FIB table does not exist.
Dump terminated

lostinspace2011 · Post by **lostinspace2011** » Fri Feb 13, 2026 12:57 am

Kernel settings

│ │ [*] TCP/IP networking │ │
│ │ [*] IP: multicasting │ │
│ │ [*] IP: advanced router │ │
│ │ [ ] FIB TRIE statistics │ │
│ │ [*] IP: policy routing │ │
│ │ [*] IP: equal cost multipath │ │
│ │ [*] IP: verbose route monitoring │ │
│ │ [*] IP: kernel level autoconfiguration │ │
│ │ [*] IP: DHCP support │ │
│ │ [*] IP: BOOTP support │ │
│ │ [*] IP: RARP support │ │
│ │ < > IP: tunneling │ │
│ │ < > IP: GRE demultiplexer │ │
│ │ [*] IP: multicast routing │ │
│ │ [ ] IP: multicast policy routing │ │
│ │ [*] IP: PIM-SM version 1 support │ │
│ │ [*] IP: PIM-SM version 2 support

lostinspace2011 · Post by **lostinspace2011** » Fri Feb 13, 2026 1:06 am

Found the file in /usr/share/iproute2/rt_tables

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# cat /usr/share/iproute2/rt_tables
#
# reserved values
#
255     local
254     main
253     default
0       unspec
#
# local
#
#1      inr.ruhep
1       wireguard

However something is still not quite right

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# ip route show table 1
Error: ipv4: FIB table does not exist.
Dump terminated
# ip route show table wireguard
Error: ipv4: FIB table does not exist.
Dump terminated

salahx · Post by **salahx** » Fri Feb 13, 2026 1:10 am

/etc/iproute2 isn't present on my system later
.
Note that adding an entry there doesn't DEFINE a table, it just creates an alias. You have to use define the table first. If you are using some kind of network manager, like netifrc, NetworkMAnager or systemd-networkd, I recommend you do it there.

lostinspace2011 · Post by **lostinspace2011** » Fri Feb 13, 2026 1:31 am

Once I started configuring wireguard to use the extra routing table, it all started working nicely