OS Manuals

/usr/bin/zeek

The Zeek network security monitor, its scripts and runtime libraries

From zeek-core 9.0.1-r1 (enterprise-packages), captured 2026-11-08 by running zeek --help (exit 0). permalink

zeek version 9.0.1
usage: /usr/bin/zeek [options] [file ...]
usage: /usr/bin/zeek --test [doctest-options] -- [options] [file ...]
    <file>                          | Zeek script file, or read stdin (-)
    -a|--parse-only                 | exit immediately after parsing scripts
    -b|--bare-mode                  | don't load scripts from the base/ directory
    -c|--capture-unprocessed <file> | write unprocessed packets to a tcpdump file
    -d|--debug-script               | activate Zeek script debugging
    -e|--exec <zeek code>           | augment loaded scripts by given code
    -f|--filter <filter>            | tcpdump filter
    -h|--help                       | command line help
    -i|--iface <interface>          | read from given interface (only one allowed)
    -p|--prefix <prefix>            | add given prefix to Zeek script file resolution
    -r|--readfile <readfile>        | read from given tcpdump file (only one allowed, pass '-' as the filename to read from stdin)
    -s|--rulefile <rulefile>        | read rules from given file
    -t|--tracefile <tracefile>      | activate execution tracing
    -u|--usage-issues               | find variable usage issues and exit
       --no-unused-warnings         | suppress warnings of unused functions/hooks/events
    -v|--version                    | print version and exit
    -V|--build-info                 | print build information and exit
    -w|--writefile <writefile>      | write to given tcpdump file
    -C|--no-checksums               | ignore checksums
    -D|--deterministic              | initialize random seeds to zero
    -E|--event-trace <file>         | generate a replayable event trace to the given file
    -F|--force-dns                  | force DNS
    -G|--load-seeds <file>          | load seeds from given file
    -H|--save-seeds <file>          | save seeds to given file
    -I|--print-id <ID name>         | print out given ID
    -N|--print-plugins              | print available plugins and exit (-NN for verbose)
    -O|--optimize <option>          | enable script optimization (use -O help for options)
    -0|--optimize-files=<pat>       | enable script optimization for all functions in files with names containing the given pattern
       --no-optimize-files=<pat>    | skip script optimization for all functions in files with names containing the given pattern
    -o|--optimize-funcs=<pat>       | enable script optimization for functions with names fully matching the given pattern
       --no-optimize-funcs=<pat>    | skip script optimization for functions with names fully matching the given pattern
    -P|--prime-dns                  | prime DNS
    -Q|--time                       | print execution time summary to stderr
    -S|--debug-rules                | enable rule debugging
    -T|--re-level <level>           | set 'RE_level' for rules
    -U|--status-file <file>         | Record process status in file
    -W|--watchdog                   | activate watchdog timer
    -X|--zeekygen <cfgfile>         | generate documentation based on config file; implies -a
    --profile-scripts[=file]        | profile scripts to given file (default stdout)
    --profile-script-call-stacks    | add call stacks to profile output (requires --profile-scripts)
    --pseudo-realtime[=<speedup>]   | enable pseudo-realtime for performance evaluation (default 1)
    -j|--jobs                       | enable supervisor mode
    --test                          | run unit tests ('--test -h' for help, not available when built without ENABLE_ZEEK_UNIT_TESTS)
    $ZEEKPATH                       | file search path (.:/usr/share/zeek:/usr/share/zeek/policy:/usr/share/zeek/site:/usr/share/zeek/builtin-plugins:/usr/share/zeek/builtin-plugins/Zeek_JavaScript:/usr/share/zeek/builtin-plugins/Zeek_PacketSourceUDP)
    $ZEEK_PLUGIN_PATH               | plugin search path (/usr/lib/zeek/plugins)
    $ZEEK_PLUGIN_ACTIVATE           | plugins to always activate ()
    $ZEEK_PREFIXES                  | prefix list ()
    $ZEEK_DNS_FAKE                  | disable DNS lookups (off)
    $ZEEK_SEED_VALUES               | list of space separated seeds (not set)
    $ZEEK_SEED_FILE                 | file to load seeds from (not set)
    $ZEEK_LOG_SUFFIX                | ASCII log file extension (.log)
    $ZEEK_PROFILER_FILE             | Output file for script execution statistics (not set)
    $ZEEK_DISABLE_ZEEKYGEN          | Disable Zeekygen documentation support (not set)
    $ZEEK_DNS_RESOLVER              | IPv4/IPv6 address of DNS resolver to use (not set, will use first IPv4 address from /etc/resolv.conf)
    $ZEEK_DEBUG_LOG_STDERR          | Use stderr for debug logs generated via the -B flag
    $ZEEK_DEBUG_LOG_STREAMS         | Enable debugging output for selected streams (see the -B flag)
Options (38)
OptionDescriptionSource
--no-unused-warnings| suppress warnings of unused functions/hooks/eventshelp
--no-optimize-files pat| skip script optimization for all functions in files with names containing the given patternhelp
--no-optimize-funcs pat| skip script optimization for functions with names fully matching the given patternhelp
--profile-scripts file| profile scripts to given file (default stdout)help
--profile-script-call-stacks| add call stacks to profile output (requires --profile-scripts)help
--pseudo-realtime speedup| enable pseudo-realtime for performance evaluation (default 1)help
--test| run unit tests ('--test -h' for help, not available when built without ENABLE_ZEEK_UNIT_TESTS)help
-a, --parse-onlyexit immediately after parsing scripts (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-b, --bare-modedon't load scripts from the base/ directory (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-d, --debug-policyactivate policy file debugging (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-e, --exec zeekaugment loaded policies by given code (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-f, --filter filtertcpdump filter (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-hcommand line help (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-i, --iface interfaceread from given interface (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-p, --prefix prefixadd given prefix to policy file resolution (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-r, --readfile readfileread from given tcpdump file (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-s, --rulefile rulefileread rules from given file (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-t, --tracefile tracefileactivate execution tracing (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-w, --writefile writefilewrite to given tcpdump file (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-v, --versionprint version and exit (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-x, --print-state file.bstprint contents of state file (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-C, --no-checksumsWhen this option is set, Zeek ignores invalid packet checksums and does process the packets. (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-F, --force-dnsforce DNS (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-I, --print-id IDprint out given ID (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-N, --print-pluginsprint available plugins and exit (-NN for verbose) (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-P, --prime-dnsprime DNS (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-Q, --timeprint execution time summary to stderr (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-R, --replay events.bstreplay events (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-S, --debug-rulesenable rule debugging (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-T, --re-level levelset 'RE_level' for rules (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-U, --status-file fileRecord process status in file (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-W, --watchdogactivate watchdog timer (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-X, --zeekygen cfgfilegenerate documentation based on config file (in the manual page but not in --help)man
--load-seeds fileload seeds from given file (in the manual page but not in --help)man
--save-seeds filesave seeds to given file (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-B, --debug dbgstreamsEnable debugging output for selected streams ('-B help' for help) (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-m, --mem-leaksshow leaks (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-M, --mem-profilerecord heap (in the manual page but not in --help)man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.