For the simplest start, use Mininet’s prebuilt Ubuntu virtual machine. Choose a source install if you need Mininet directly on Ubuntu or want to select a source revision; use apt only after confirming your Ubuntu release offers a suitable package. The project documents all three routes, but its explicit Ubuntu package examples are for 18.04 and 20.04, so they do not establish package availability on newer releases.
What Mininet does—and what it does not
Mininet emulates a network of virtual hosts, switches, controllers, and links. Its hosts run standard Linux networking software, and its switches support OpenFlow. That makes it useful for learning, prototyping, testing, and debugging network designs without building the same topology from physical equipment. The Mininet project describes its scope in its overview.
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An emulation is not a guarantee that a design will behave identically on physical hardware. A real deployment uses physical hosts, links, and switches in place of the emulated components; the sample workflow explains the relationship between the virtual topology and a physical network: Mininet Sample Workflow.
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Which Mininet installation method should you choose?
| Method | Best fit | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Prebuilt Mininet VM | Beginners, quick setup, or users whose host is not Linux | Requires virtualization and runs Mininet inside a guest Ubuntu system |
| Install from source | Native Ubuntu setup, choosing a source revision, or selecting components | Requires cloning the repository and running an installer |
| Ubuntu distribution package | A short, system-managed install when the release repository has a suitable package | Availability and version depend on the Ubuntu release; the package may lag behind |
The Mininet project calls its pre-packaged Ubuntu VM the easiest way to get started. Its download guidance also describes source installation and distribution packages, while cautioning that distribution packages may be older: Mininet Download/Get Started.
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Method 1: Start with the prebuilt Mininet VM
Choose the VM when convenience matters more than installing Mininet into your existing Ubuntu system. The image bundles Mininet, OpenFlow tools, and kernel configuration changes intended to support larger Mininet networks. You download the image, install a virtualization platform, import and start the VM, then follow its setup notes and walkthrough.
The project’s setup notes list VirtualBox, VMware, QEMU, and KVM as virtualization options: Mininet VM Setup Notes. Those notes are historical, so confirm that the currently offered image imports and runs with your host operating system and virtualization software rather than assuming compatibility.
Method 2: Install Mininet natively from source
Use a source install if Mininet should run directly in your Ubuntu environment or if you need to choose a source revision and installation components. The official instructions assume a fresh Ubuntu or Debian system and recommend recent releases because they include newer Open vSwitch versions. They show this full installation sequence:
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git clone https://github.com/mininet/mininet
cd mininet
sudo util/install.sh -aThe -a option installs the full set of components included in the VM. For Mininet, the user switch, and Open vSwitch, the page lists sudo util/install.sh -nfv instead. The installer also supports choosing a source/build directory; consult the project’s current installation instructions for options before running it.
Selecting a source revision and Python expectations
The project’s instructions show checking out a tagged version before running the installer, which is useful when a project depends on a particular Mininet revision. Mininet 2.3.0, announced by the Mininet Project Contributors on February 28, 2021, added Python 3 support alongside Python 2 and source installation on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and Debian 10+: Mininet 2.3.0 announcement. That release note is not a statement that 2.3.0 is the latest release today, and older user scripts may have their own Python requirements; check those requirements before choosing an interpreter or revision.
Method 3: Install the Ubuntu package with apt
A package install is the shortest route when your Ubuntu release’s repositories include Mininet and the available version meets your needs. The project gives this command:
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sudo apt-get install mininetIts Ubuntu examples name releases 18.04 and 20.04, and the page warns that distribution packages may provide an older version. Those examples do not verify availability or version for Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04, or another current release. Before installing, check your release’s configured repositories and package version; after installation, the project suggests checking Mininet with:
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Once installation finishes, run the project’s basic Mininet/Open vSwitch connectivity test:
sudo mn --switch ovsbr --test pingallThis starts a simple emulated network and checks whether its hosts can reach one another. A successful result is a useful smoke test, not a benchmark of performance on your machine or a validation of a physical network design.
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If Mininet reports that Open vSwitch is not working
The test depends on Open vSwitch. The Mininet download page’s troubleshooting guidance says to ensure openvswitch-switch is installed and running, and gives the following example commands:
sudo apt-get install openvswitch-switch
sudo service openvswitch-switch startThese are examples from the project page, not universal instructions for every Ubuntu release. Check the current package and service-management guidance for your release before using them.
What to do after the smoke test
After the basic test passes, the Mininet Walkthrough introduces the Mininet CLI and topologies. It assumes you already have either the Mininet VM or a native Ubuntu installation with Mininet and OpenFlow tools installed.
The project’s sample workflow illustrates a topology with 64 hosts and 9 switches and reports that its pingall example took about 45 seconds on the author’s laptop. That is a single example from that machine, not a general performance expectation: Mininet Sample Workflow.
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