CAPINFOS(1)

📦
version 4.7.4 · 17 versions
, in arch rolling

okay so bestie, this is the capinfos(1) manual — literally the whole vibe of printing info about capture files 💅✨ no cap, it’s giving “tell me everything about this capture, please and thank you.”

✨ NAME ✨

capinfos — prints information about capture files 🎀

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

capinfos [ -a ] [ -A ] [ -b ] [ -B ] [ -c ] [ -C ] [ -d ] [ -D ] [ -e ]
[ -E ] [ -F ] [ -h ] [ -H ] [ -i ] [ -I ] [ -k ] [ -K ] [ -l ] [ -L ]
[ -m ] [ -M ] [ -n ] [ -N ] [ -o ] [ -p ] [ -P ] [ -q ] [ -Q ] [ -r ]
[ -R ] [ -s ] [ -S ] [ -t ] [ -T ] [ -u ] [ -v ] [ -x ] [ -y ] [ -z ]
<infile> ...

capinfos -h|--help

capinfos -v|--version

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

Capinfos is literally a program that reads one or more capture files and returns some or all available statistics (infos) of each <infile> in one of two types of output formats: long or table 🫶

The long output is suitable for a human to read. The table output is useful for generating a report that can be easily imported into a spreadsheet or database. Iconic, honestly.

The user specifies what type of output (long or table) and which statistics to display by specifying flags (options) that correspond to the report type and desired infos. If no options are specified, Capinfos will report all statistics available in "long" format. It really said “give me everything” and meant it 💀

Options are processed from left to right order with later options superseding or adding to earlier options. So order matters, bestie — don’t just mash flags together and hope for the best 🙈

Capinfos is able to detect and read the same capture files that are supported by Wireshark. The input files don’t need a specific filename extension; the file format and an optional gzip, zstd or lz4 compression will be automatically detected. Near the beginning of the DESCRIPTION section of wireshark(1) or https://www.wireshark.org/docs/man-pages/wireshark.html is a detailed description of the way Wireshark handles this, which is the same way Capinfos handles this. Same energy, same magic ✨

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

  • -a — displays the timestamp of the earliest packet in the capture. The earliest packet in the capture is not necessarily the first packet in the capture — if packets exist "out-of-order", time-wise, in the capture, Capinfos detects this. Detective behavior, lowkey 👑
  • -A — generate all infos. By default Capinfos will display all infos values for each input file, but enabling any of the individual display infos options will disable the generate all option. So it’s all-or-nothing-ish, bestie 🎀
  • -b — separate infos with ASCII SPACE (0x20) characters. This option is only useful when generating a table style report (-T). The various info values will be separated (delimited) from one another with a single ASCII SPACE character.
Note: since some of the header labels as well as some of the value fields contain SPACE characters, this option is of limited value unless one of the quoting options (-q or -Q) is also specified. Like, it’s cute but chaotic without quotes 💀
  • -B — separate the infos with ASCII TAB characters. This option is only useful when generating a table style report (-T). The various info values will be separated (delimited) from one another with a single ASCII TAB character. The TAB character is the default delimiter when -T style report is enabled. Tabs are the main character here, fr fr 🌈
  • -c — displays the number of packets in the capture file. Packet count, slay 🧚
  • -C — cancel processing any additional files if and when Capinfos fails to open an input file or gets an error reading an input file. By default Capinfos will continue processing files even if it gets an error opening or reading a file.
Note: an error message will be written to stderr whenever Capinfos fails to open a file or gets an error reading from a file regardless whether the -C option is specified or not. Upon exit, Capinfos will return an error status if any errors occurred during processing. So yes, it will absolutely tell on the error 💅
  • -d — displays the total length of all packets in the file, in bytes. This counts the size of the packets as they appeared in their original form, not as they appear in this file. For example, if a packet was originally 1514 bytes and only 256 of those bytes were saved to the capture file (if packets were captured with a snaplen or other slicing option), Capinfos will consider the packet to have been 1514 bytes. It remembers the original form, no cap 😭
  • -D — displays a count of the number of decryption secrets in the file. This information is not available in table format. Secrets count, but no table for this one 🙈
  • -e — displays the timestamp of the latest packet in the capture. The latest packet in the capture is not necessarily the last packet in the capture.
    • if packets exist "out-of-order", time-wise, in the capture, Capinfos detects this. Again with the detective work 🔍
  • -E — displays the per-file encapsulation of the capture file. Encapsulation info, periodt 🦋
  • -F — displays additional capture file information. Extra lore, basically 📚
  • -h|--help — print the version number and options and exit. Help mode: activated 🫶
  • -H — displays the SHA256 and SHA1 hashes for the file. SHA1 output may be removed in the future. Crypto-ish fingerprints, but SHA1 is on notice ⚠️
  • -i — displays the average data rate, in bits/sec 💨
  • -I — displays detailed capture file interface information. This information is not available in table format. Interface lore, but not in table form 🎀
  • -k — displays the capture comment. For pcapng files, this is the comment from the section header block. Comment reveal 👀
  • -K — use this option to suppress printing capture comments. By default capture comments are enabled. Capture comments are relatively freeform and might contain embedded new-line characters and/or other delimiting characters making it harder for a human or machine to easily parse the Capinfos output. Excluding capture comments can aid in post-processing of output. Clean output era 💅
  • -l — display the snaplen (if any) for a file. snaplen (if available) is determined from the capture file header and by looking for truncated records in the capture file. Snip snip, mystery solved ✂️
  • -L — generate long report. Capinfos can generate two different styles of reports. The "long" report is the default style of output and is suitable for a human to use. Human-readable and thriving 🌸
  • -m — separate the infos with comma (,) characters. This option is only useful when generating a table style report (-T). The various info values will be separated (delimited) from one another with a single comma "," character. Comma moment, bestie 🍓
  • -M — print raw (machine readable) values in long reports. By default Capinfos prints numeric values with human-readable SI suffixes, and shows human-readable file type and encapsulation. Table reports (-T) always print raw values. Machine mode: unlocked 🤖
  • -n — displays a count of the number of resolved IPv4 addresses and a count of the number of resolved IPv6 addresses in the file. This information is not available in table format. Address count with no table option, iykyk 🌐
  • -N — do not quote the infos. This option is only useful when generating a table style report (-T). Excluding any quoting characters around the various values and using a TAB delimiter produces a very "clean" table report that is easily parsed with CLI tools. By default infos are NOT quoted. Clean girl output aesthetic ✨
  • -o — displays "True" if packets exist in strict chronological order or "False" if one or more packets in the capture exists "out-of-order" time-wise. Chronological vibe check ✅
  • -p — display individual packet comments. It is recommended to print raw values (-M) when using this option as packet comments may include newlines and other special characters. Comments can be messy, so raw values are the move 🫶
  • -P — disable displaying individual packet comments. No packet comments, no problems 🙅‍♀️
  • -q — quote infos with single quotes ('). This option is only useful when generating a table style report (-T). When this option is enabled, each value will be encapsulated within a pair of single quote (') characters. This option (when used with the -m option) is useful for generating one type of CSV style file report. Single-quote couture 💅
  • -Q — quote infos with double quotes ("). This option is only useful when generating a table style report (-T). When this option is enabled, each value will be encapsulated within a pair of double quote (") characters. This option (when used with the -m option) is useful for generating the most common type of CSV style file report. Double-quote deluxe, the classic CSV serve 🎀
  • -r — do not generate header record. This option is only useful when generating a table style report (-T). If this option is specified then no header record will be generated within the table report. No header, no intro, straight to the data 💀
  • -R — generate header record. This option is only useful when generating a table style report (-T). A header is generated by default. A header record (if generated) is the first line of data reported and includes labels for all the columns included within the table report. Header rights restored 👑
  • -s — displays the size of the file, in bytes. This reports the size of the capture file itself. File size, not packet size — important distinction, bestie 🦋
  • -S — display the earliest and latest packet timestamps as seconds since January 1, 1970. Handy for synchronizing dumps using editcap -t. Epoch time slay ⏰
  • -t — displays the capture type of the capture file. Capture type reveal 🎬
  • -T — generate a table report. A table report is a text file that is suitable for importing into a spreadsheet or database. Capinfos can build a tab delimited text file (the default) or several variations on Comma-separated values (CSV) files. Spreadsheet girlies, this one’s for you 📊
  • -u — displays the capture duration, in seconds. This is the difference in time between the earliest packet seen and latest packet seen. Time span tea ☕
  • -v|--version — print the full version information and exit. Version info, periodt 🫡
  • -x — displays the average packet rate, in packets/sec 🚀
  • -y — displays the average data rate, in bytes/sec 🌈
  • -z — displays the average packet size, in bytes. Packet size average, cute 🍓

✨ DIAGNOSTIC OPTIONS ✨

Okay so these are the nerdy little knobs that control capinfos' inner monologue 🧠✨ — logs, warnings, the whole vibe. Lowkey powerful, highkey useful when something's acting sus.

  • --log-level <level> — Sets the active log level, bestie. Levels from lowest to highest are "noisy", "debug", "info", "message", "warning", "critical", and "error". Messages at each level and higher get printed — so like, "warning" prints "warning", "critical", and "error" messages, and "noisy" prints literally everything 🌈. Levels are case insensitive, so don't stress about caps 💅.
  • --log-fatal <level> — Aborts the whole program if any messages get logged at the specified level or higher 😭. Example: "warning" means it aborts on any "warning", "critical", or "error" messages. It's giving "I'm done, we're leaving" energy 💀.
  • --log-fatal-count <count> — The amount of fatal log messages that can pass before the program is aborted 🎀. A little grace period, a little buffer, y'know?
  • --log-domains <list> — Only prints messages for the specified log domains, e.g. "GUI,Epan,sshdump" 👑. The list of domains must be comma-separated (not optional, fr fr). Can be negated with "!" as the first character — that inverts the match 🔄.
  • --log-debug <list> — Forces the specified domains to log at the "debug" level 🦋. List of domains must be comma-separated. Can be negated with "!" as the first character (inverts the match). Same rules, different level, slay.
  • --log-noisy <list> — Forces the specified domains to log at the "noisy" level 📢. List of domains must be comma-separated. Can be negated with "!" as the first character (inverts the match). Maximum yapping mode unlocked.
  • --log-fatal-domains <list> — Aborts the program if any messages get logged for the specified log domains 💀🔥. List of domains must be comma-separated. Note: no "!" negation mentioned here, so don't get cute with it.
  • --log-file <path> — Writes log messages and stderr output to the specified file 📝. Both. Together. Into one file. Iconic.

🌸 EXAMPLES 🌸

Bestie, these are the whole point. Steal them, remix them, live your truth 💖

To see a description of the options, use:

capinfos -h

To generate a long form report for the capture file mycapture.pcap, use:

capinfos mycapture.pcap

To generate a TAB delimited table form report for the capture file mycapture.pcap, use:

capinfos -T mycapture.pcap

To generate a CSV style table form report for the capture file mycapture.pcap, use:

capinfos -T -m -Q mycapture.pcap

or, because we love a shortcut 🎀:

capinfos -TmQ mycapture.pcap

To generate a TAB delimited table style report with just the filenames, capture type, capture encapsulation type and packet count for all the pcap files in the current directory, use:

capinfos -T -t -E -c *.pcap

or:

capinfos -TtEc *.pcap
Note: the ability to use filename globbing characters is a feature of *nix style command shells 🐧 — that's the shell doing the work, not capinfos. iykyk.

To generate a CSV delimited table style report of all infos for all pcap files in the current directory and write it to a text file called mycaptures.csv, use:

capinfos -TmQ *.pcap >mycaptures.csv

The resulting mycaptures.csv file can be easily imported into spreadsheet applications 📊✨. Yes, even that spreadsheet app. Go off.

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

pcap(3), wireshark(1), mergecap(1), editcap(1), tshark(1), dumpcap(1), captype(1), pcap-filter(7) or tcpdump(8) — the whole friend group, honestly 💜

👑 NOTES 👑

This is the manual page for Capinfos 4.7.4. Capinfos is part of the Wireshark distribution. The latest version of Wireshark can be found at https://www.wireshark.org.

HTML versions of the Wireshark project man pages are available at https://www.wireshark.org/docs/man-pages.

🎀 AUTHORS 🎀

Original Author

Ian Schorr <ian[AT]ianschorr.com>

Contributors

Gerald Combs <gerald[AT]wireshark.org> Jim Young <jyoung[AT]gsu.edu>

Okay that's the whole page, bestie — you made it to the end, I'm so proud 🫶✨ This beauty is dated 2026-10-08 and it's the CAPINFOS(1) man page, from the Wireshark fam. Now go run capinfos on something and feel iconic 💅💖

📦 where this page comes from