Operating system tools must fulfil the requirements generated by the advances in networking paradigms. To understand the current state of the Free, Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) ecosystem, we present a survey on the main tools used to manage and interact with the network, and how they are organized in Linux-based operating systems. Based on the survey results, we present a reference Linux network stack that can serve as the basis for future heterogeneous network environments, contributing towards a standardized approach in Linux. Using this stack, and focusing on dynamic and spontaneous network interactions, we present an evolution path for network related technologies, contributing to Linux as a network research operating system and to FLOSS as a whole.