I've been using a computer as a router for over a decade, currently I'm using a very clean install of Debian 9 with ip(6)tables for that. If I update it to Debian 10, nftables will become the standard firewall.

Since I'm new with nftables (though I've read quite a bit), what would be the best way to switch from ip(6)tables to nftables?

You may have already looked at it, but I would simply advise following the advice provided in the nftables wiki: https://wiki.nftables.org/wiki-nftab...es_to_nftables

Unfortunately the translation tool doesn't recognize everything, something as simple as -P INPUT DROP for example, iptables-translate doesn't have a clue... The forwarding ports rules are translated without problems.

This morning I installed Debian Buster in a virtual machine, for some reason it still accepts iptables rules, thought nftables was default.

You can definitely still use iptables if you don’t want to learn nftables. The syntax is much different as you know but if your iptables config works, why change it?

If I’m not mistaken the biggest difference (aside from syntax of course) is that nftables includes arptables, ipv6tables and ebtables. Unless you’re using those other ones and having to configure those apart from iptables I see no huge advantage in switching. But I’m not super familiar with what else nftables does that iptables doesn’t.

Well, if nftables ends up becoming the only option at some point, I might as well be prepared. Otherwise I would just be postponing the switch.

Anyway, I think I've found nftables-translations for all the rules, now I just have to figure out how to put every thing together. Since it's not a client firewall but for a router, it seems I need tables for ip, ip6 and nat. Using inet seems pointless since IPv4 and IPv6 don't use the same interface, got an IPv6-tunnel.

edit: Hmm, found a command that saves the rules into the file that's automatically loaded when nftables is, but keep getting permission denied: (sudo doesn't make a difference)

edit2: Rewrote that to See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...le-doesnt-work