Which command is used to display the status of a specific network interface?

The command that displays the status of a specific network interface is "ip link show." This command is part of the iproute2 package, which is a powerful set of utilities for network configuration in Linux. When you run this command, it provides detailed information about the network interfaces on the system, including the interface name, its status (up or down), the MAC address, and other pertinent details.

This command is particularly useful for network administrators and users who need to monitor or troubleshoot network configurations, as it allows for quick insights into the state of network interfaces. In contrast, other commands listed do not serve the same purpose:

• "ping" is used primarily for testing connectivity to another network host by sending ICMP echo request packets.

• "netstat" provides a variety of networking statistics, such as open connections and listening ports, but does not focus on the status of individual network interfaces.

• "curl" is a tool for transferring data from or to a server using various protocols, and it is not designed to display network interface status.

Thus, the correct choice is the one that specifically focuses on displaying details about network interfaces, which is precisely what "ip link show" does.