diff -Nur iproute2-2.6.16-060323.orig/ip/ipaddress.c iproute2-2.6.16-060323/ip/ipaddress.c
--- iproute2-2.6.16-060323.orig/ip/ipaddress.c	2005-09-21 21:33:18.000000000 +0200
+++ iproute2-2.6.16-060323/ip/ipaddress.c	2006-07-07 12:09:50.000000000 +0200
@@ -127,6 +127,28 @@
 		printf("qlen %d", ifr.ifr_qlen);
 }
 
+void print_description(char *name)
+{
+	struct ifreq ifr;
+	int s;
+
+	s = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+	if (s < 0)
+		return;
+
+	memset(&ifr, 0, sizeof(ifr));
+	strcpy(ifr.ifr_name, name);
+	if (ioctl(s, SIOCGIFDESCR, &ifr) < 0) { 
+		perror("SIOCGIFDESCR");
+		close(s);
+		return;
+	}
+	close(s);
+
+	if (ifr.ifr_description[0])
+		printf("\n    descr %s", ifr.ifr_description);
+}
+
 int print_linkinfo(const struct sockaddr_nl *who, 
 		   struct nlmsghdr *n, void *arg)
 {
@@ -192,6 +214,8 @@
 	if (filter.showqueue)
 		print_queuelen((char*)RTA_DATA(tb[IFLA_IFNAME]));
 	
+	print_description((char*)RTA_DATA(tb[IFLA_IFNAME]));
+
 	if (!filter.family || filter.family == AF_PACKET) {
 		SPRINT_BUF(b1);
 		fprintf(fp, "%s", _SL_);
diff -Nur iproute2-2.6.16-060323.orig/ip/iplink.c iproute2-2.6.16-060323/ip/iplink.c
--- iproute2-2.6.16-060323.orig/ip/iplink.c	2006-03-22 00:57:50.000000000 +0100
+++ iproute2-2.6.16-060323/ip/iplink.c	2006-07-07 11:46:17.000000000 +0200
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 	fprintf(stderr, "	                     trailers { on | off } |\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "	                     txqueuelen PACKETS |\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "	                     name NEWNAME |\n");
+	fprintf(stderr, "	                     descr NEWDESCR |\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "	                     address LLADDR | broadcast LLADDR |\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "	                     mtu MTU }\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "       ip link show [ DEVICE ]\n");
@@ -130,6 +131,27 @@
 	return err;
 }
 
+static int do_changedescr(const char *dev, const char *newdescr)
+{
+	struct ifreq ifr;
+	int fd;
+	int err;
+
+	strncpy(ifr.ifr_name, dev, IFNAMSIZ);
+	strncpy(ifr.ifr_description, newdescr, NET_DEV_DESCR_LEN);
+	fd = get_ctl_fd();
+	if (fd < 0)
+		return -1;
+	err = ioctl(fd, SIOCSIFDESCR, &ifr);
+	if (err) {
+		perror("SIOCSIFDESCR");
+		close(fd);
+		return -1;
+	}
+	close(fd);
+	return err;
+}
+
 static int set_qlen(const char *dev, int qlen)
 {
 	struct ifreq ifr;
@@ -262,6 +284,7 @@
 	char *newbrd = NULL;
 	struct ifreq ifr0, ifr1;
 	char *newname = NULL;
+	char *newdescr = NULL;
 	int htype, halen;
 
 	while (argc > 0) {
@@ -274,6 +297,9 @@
 		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "name") == 0) {
 			NEXT_ARG();
 			newname = *argv;
+		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "descr") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			newdescr = *argv;
 		} else if (matches(*argv, "address") == 0) {
 			NEXT_ARG();
 			newaddr = *argv;
@@ -388,6 +414,10 @@
 			return -1;
 		dev = newname;
 	}
+	if (newdescr) {
+		if (do_changedescr(dev, newdescr) < 0)
+			return -1;
+	}
 	if (qlen != -1) { 
 		if (set_qlen(dev, qlen) < 0)
 			return -1;