try something like this - code by rstewart www.linuxquestions.org
Code:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <net/if.h>
#include <sys/ioctl.h>
//
// Global public data
//
unsigned char cMacAddr[8]; // Server's MAC address
static int GetSvrMacAddress( char *pIface )
{
int nSD; // Socket descriptor
struct ifreq sIfReq; // Interface request
struct if_nameindex *pIfList; // Ptr to interface name index
struct if_nameindex *pListSave; // Ptr to interface name index
//
// Initialize this function
//
pIfList = (struct if_nameindex *)NULL;
pListSave = (struct if_nameindex *)NULL;
#ifndef SIOCGIFADDR
// The kernel does not support the required ioctls
return( 0 );
#endif
//
// Create a socket that we can use for all of our ioctls
//
nSD = socket( PF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0 );
if ( nSD < 0 )
{
// Socket creation failed, this is a fatal error
printf( "File %s: line %d: Socket failed\n", __FILE__, __LINE__ );
return( 0 );
}
//
// Obtain a list of dynamically allocated structures
//
pIfList = pListSave = if_nameindex();
//
// Walk thru the array returned and query for each interface's
// address
//
for ( pIfList; *(char *)pIfList != 0; pIfList++ )
{
//
// Determine if we are processing the interface that we
// are interested in
//
if ( strcmp(pIfList->if_name, pIface) )
// Nope, check the next one in the list
continue;
strncpy( sIfReq.ifr_name, pIfList->if_name, IF_NAMESIZE );
//
// Get the MAC address for this interface
//
if ( ioctl(nSD, SIOCGIFHWADDR, &sIfReq) != 0 )
{
// We failed to get the MAC address for the interface
printf( "File %s: line %d: Ioctl failed\n", __FILE__, __LINE__ );
return( 0 );
}
memmove( (void *)&cMacAddr[0], (void *)&sIfReq.ifr_ifru.ifru_hwaddr.sa_data[0], 6 );
break;
}
//
// Clean up things and return
//
if_freenameindex( pListSave );
close( nSD );
return( 1 );
}
int main( int argc, char * argv[] )
{
//
// Initialize this program
//
bzero( (void *)&cMacAddr[0], sizeof(cMacAddr) );
if ( !GetSvrMacAddress("eth0") )
{
// We failed to get the local host's MAC address
printf( "Fatal error: Failed to get local host's MAC address\n" );
}
printf( "HWaddr %02X:%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X:%02X\n",
cMacAddr[0], cMacAddr[1], cMacAddr[2],
cMacAddr[3], cMacAddr[4], cMacAddr[5] );
//
// And exit
//
exit( 0 );
}