OS Manuals

/usr/bin/keepalived

Failover and monitoring daemon for LVS clusters and VRRP routers

From keepalived 2.4.3-r7 (enterprise-packages), captured 2026-11-08 by running keepalived --help (exit 0). permalink

Usage: /usr/bin/keepalived [OPTION...]
  -f, --use-file=FILE          Use the specified configuration file
                                default '/etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf'
  -P, --vrrp                   Only run with VRRP subsystem
  -C, --check                  Only run with Health-checker subsystem
  -B, --no_bfd                 Don't run BFD subsystem
      --all                    Force all child processes to run, even if have no configuration
  -l, --log-console            Log messages to local console
  -D, --log-detail             Detailed log messages
  -S, --log-facility=([0-7]|local[0-7]|user|daemon)
                               Set syslog facility to LOG_LOCAL[0-7], user or daemon (default)
  -g, --log-file=FILE          Also log to FILE (default /tmp/keepalived.log)
      --flush-log-file         Flush log file on write
  -G, --no-syslog              Don't log via syslog
  -u, --umask=MASK             umask for file creation (in numeric form)
  -X, --release-vips           Drop VIP on transition from signal.
  -V, --dont-release-vrrp      Don't remove VRRP VIPs and VROUTEs on daemon stop
  -I, --dont-release-ipvs      Don't remove IPVS topology on daemon stop
  -R, --dont-respawn           Don't respawn child processes
  -n, --dont-fork              Don't fork the daemon process
  -d, --dump-conf              Dump the configuration data
  -p, --pid=FILE               Use specified pidfile for parent process
  -r, --vrrp_pid=FILE          Use specified pidfile for VRRP child process
  -T, --genhash                Enter into genhash utility mode (this should be the first option used).
  -c, --checkers_pid=FILE      Use specified pidfile for checkers child process
  -a, --address-monitoring     Report all address additions/deletions notified via netlink
  -b, --bfd_pid=FILE           Use specified pidfile for BFD child process
  -x, --snmp                   Enable SNMP subsystem
  -A, --snmp-agent-socket=FILE Use the specified socket for master agent
  -s, --namespace=NAME         Run in network namespace NAME (overrides config)
  -m, --core-dump              Produce core dump if terminate abnormally
  -M, --core-dump-pattern=PATN Also set /proc/sys/kernel/core_pattern to PATN (default 'core')
  -e, --all-config             Error if any configuration file missing (same as includet)
  -i, --config-id id           Skip any configuration lines beginning '@' that don't match id
                                or any lines beginning @^ that do match.
                                The config-id defaults to the node name if option not used
      --ignore-sigint          ignore SIGINT (default means terminate) - used for debugging with GDB
      --signum=SIGFUNC         Return signal number for STOP, RELOAD, DATA, STATS, STATS_CLEAR, JSON
  -t, --config-test[=LOG_FILE] Check the configuration for obvious errors, output to
                                stderr by default
  -v, --version                Display the version number
  -h, --help                   Display this help message
Options (35)
OptionDescriptionSource
-f, --use-file FILEUse the specified configuration file default '/etc/keepalived/keepalived.conf'help + man
-P, --vrrpOnly run with VRRP subsystemhelp + man
-C, --checkOnly run with Health-checker subsystemhelp + man
-B, --no_bfdDon't run the BFD subsystem.help + man
--allForce all child processes to run, even if have no configurationhelp + man
-l, --log-consoleLog messages to the local console.help + man
-D, --log-detailDetailed log messages.help + man
-S, --log-facility ([0-7]|local[0-7]|user|daemon)Set syslog facility to LOG_LOCAL[0-7], user or daemon (default)help + man
-g, --log-file FILEAlso log to FILE (default /tmp/keepalived.log)help + man
--flush-log-fileIf using the -g option, the log file stream will be flushed after each write.help + man
-G, --no-syslogDo not write log entries to syslog.help + man
-u, --umask MASKThe umask specified in the usual numeric way - see man umask(2)help + man
-X, --release-vipsDrop VIP on transition from signal.help + man
-V, --dont-release-vrrpDon't remove VRRP VIPs and VROUTEs on daemon stop.help + man
-I, --dont-release-ipvsDon't remove IPVS topology on daemon stop.help + man
-R, --dont-respawnDon't respawn child processes.help + man
-n, --dont-forkDon't fork the daemon process.help + man
-d, --dump-confDump the configuration data.help + man
-p, --pid FILEUse the specified pidfile for the parent keepalived process.help + man
-r, --vrrp_pid FILEUse the specified pidfile for the VRRP child process.help + man
-T, --genhashEnter into genhash utility mode (this should be the first option used).help + man
-c, --checkers_pid FILEUse the specified pidfile for checkers child process.help + man
-a, --address-monitoringReport all address additions/deletions notified via netlinkhelp + man
-b, --bfd_pid FILEUse the specified pidfile for the BFD child process.help + man
-x, --snmpEnable the SNMP subsystem.help + man
-s, --namespace NAMERun in network namespace NAME (overrides config)help + man
-m, --core-dumpOverride the RLIMIT_CORE hard and soft limits to enable keepalived to produce a coredump in the event of a segfault or other failure.help + man
-e, --all-configDon't load if any configuration file is missing or cannot be read.help + man
-i, --config-id idSkip any configuration lines beginning '@' that don't match id or any lines beginning @^ that do match.help + man
--ignore-sigintignore SIGINT (default means terminate) - used for debugging with GDBhelp + man
--signum SIGFUNCReturns the signal number to use for STOP, RELOAD, DATA, STATS, STATS_CLEAR, JSON and TDATA.help + man
-v, --versionDisplay the version and exit.help + man
-h, --helpDisplay this help message and exit.help + man
-A, --snmp-agent-socket FILEUse the specified socket for connection to SNMP master agent. (in the manual page but not in --help)man
--no-mem-checkDisable malloc() etc mem-checks if they have been compiled into keepalived. (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.