geoipupdate(1)

📦
version 8.0.0 · 6 versions
, in arch rolling

💅 geoipupdate — like, the actual manual page bestie

okay so real quick before we dive in: this page is geoipupdate(1) from the General Commands Manual, and it's genuinely one of those tools you set up once and then it just quietly slays in the background forever. come learn her with me 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

geoipupdate — the GeoIP and GeoLite Update Program. yes that's her whole name, she's iconic like that 👑

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

geoipupdate [-Vvh] [-f CONFIG_FILE] [-d TARGET_DIRECTORY]

like, you can just run geoipupdate with zero flags and she'll do her thing, but if you wanna be extra there's room to be extra 💅

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so here's the vibe: geoipupdate automatically updates your GeoIP and GeoLite databases. no cap. the program connects to the MaxMind GeoIP Update server, checks whether there are new databases, and — if a new database is available — it will download and install it for you. fully hands-off, main character energy ✨

⚠️ bestie listen: if you're using a firewall, you must have the DNS and HTTPS ports open. no ports, no downloads, and then she just sits there vibing sadly 😭

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

  • -d, --database-directory — install databases into a custom directory of your choosing. this one's optional! and if you do pass it, it overrides the DatabaseDirectory value from the config file and the GEOIPUPDATE_DB_DIR environment variable. so like, she's the boss of the directory situation, fr fr 📁
  • -f, --config-file — which configuration file to use. check out GeoIP.conf and its documentation for more on that. optional again! it defaults to the environment variable GEOIPUPDATE_CONF_FILE if that's set, or /etc/GeoIP.conf otherwise. iykyk 🗂️
  • --parallelism — set the number of parallel database downloads. more downloads at once, more chaos, more slay 🔥
  • -h, --help — display help and exit. the classic "help me help you" 🫶
  • -V, --version — display version information and exit. just a lil flex 💁‍♀️
  • -v, --verbose — enable verbose mode, which prints out the steps that geoipupdate takes. and if you provide it, it overrides any GEOIPUPDATE_VERBOSE environment variable. she's gonna narrate her whole life to you 💬
  • -o, --output — output download/update results in JSON format. for the data girlies who want it structured 🌈

💀 EXIT STATUS 💀

  • 0 when it all worked out — success 💖
  • 1 when something went wrong — error 😭

that's it. binary. no in-between. she's either thriving or she's not.

👑 NOTES 👑

okay so the typical advice: you should run geoipupdate at least twice a week. for the full story, consult the database release schedule. no cap, twice a week minimum 🗓️

on most Unix-like systems, you can achieve this with cron — there's an example crontab file over on the Developer Portal if you need a template 💅

and to use a proxy server with her? update your GeoIP.conf file as specified in the GeoIP.conf man page. alternatively — and this is the shortcut — set the GEOIPUPDATE_PROXY or http_proxy environment variable 🌐

🙈 BUGS 🙈

found a bug? report it to support@maxmind.com. be nice, they're trying 🫶

🌟 AUTHORS 🌟

written by William Storey.

this software is Copyright (c) 2018-2026 by MaxMind, Inc.

and it's free software, licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 or the MIT License, at your option. pick your fighter, both are valid ⭐

🧚 MORE INFORMATION 🧚

visit the website to learn more about the GeoIP databases, or to sign up for a subscription. go on, treat yourself 💜

🍓 SEE ALSO 🍓

  • GeoIP.conf(5) — go read her next, she's the whole personality of the config 💖

and that's the whole page bestie, geoipupdate(1) from the General Commands Manual — courtesy of the MaxMind crew, dated like a lil vintage drop from the source/version footer, signed off with love and a <rainbow>slay</rainbow> 💅✨🎀🦋

📦 where this page comes from