RANDPKTDUMP(1)

📦
version 4.7.4 · 16 versions
, in arch rolling

💅 RANDPKTDUMP(1) — the randpktdump girlies' guide ✨

okay so real talk, this is the manual page for randpktdump, and it lives in section 1 of the manual, bestie. it's a Wireshark-adjacent extcap situation and it's honestly iconic for testing vibes. let's get into it 🎀

🌸 NAME 🌸

randpktdump — it gives you an interface to generate random captures using randpkt. that's the whole gig. it's giving "chaos, but make it a pcap file" 💖

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

randpktdump [ --help ] [ --version ] [ --extcap-interfaces ]
[ --extcap-dlts ] [ --extcap-interface=<interface> ] [ --extcap-config ]
[ --capture ] [ --fifo=<path to file or pipe> ] [ --maxbytes=<bytes> ]
[ --count=<num> ] [ --delay=<ms> ] [ --random-type=<true|false> ]
[ --all-random=<true|false> ] [ --type=<packet type> ]

that's a lot of brackets and we respect every single one of them. no skipping, no cap 💅

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

randpktdump is an extcap tool that hands you access to the random packet generator, which is called randpkt. lowkey its whole personality is testing and educational purposes — it's not out here doing production traffic, she's out here doing science 🌈

think of her as the friend who shows up to the study session with a bag of random props. mainly testing, mainly educational, entirely chaotic. 🧚

👑 OPTIONS 👑

here's every single flag, and yes we're doing them all, because that's what main character energy looks like 🫶

  • --help — prints the program arguments. the "what even are you" button.
  • --version — prints the program version. the "how old are you" button.
  • --extcap-interfaces — lists the available interfaces. show me the menu, bestie 🍓
  • --extcap-interface=<interface> — use the interface you specified.
  • --extcap-dlts — lists the DLTs of the specified interface.
  • --extcap-config — lists the configuration options of the specified interface.
  • --capture — starts capturing from the specified interface and saves it in the location specified by --fifo. this is the actual doing-the-thing flag 🔥
  • --fifo=<path to file or pipe> — saves the captured packet to a file, or sends it through a pipe. pick your vibe.
  • --maxbytes=<bytes> — sets the max number of bytes per packet.
  • --count=<num> — the number of packets to generate. -1 means infinite, so like… be so serious before you type that one 😭
  • --delay=<ms> — wait a number of milliseconds after writing each packet. little breather, she deserves it.
  • --random-type — chooses a random packet type for all packets if set to true. one type to rule them all, but the type is random.
  • --all-random — chooses a different random packet type for each packet if set to true. full chaos mode, every packet a new era 💀
  • --type=<packet type> — use the selected packet type. and listen: to list all the available packet types, run randpktdump --help. that's the cheat code, iykyk.

🎀 EXAMPLES 🎀

okay so here's where it gets fun. we're gonna walk through these one by one 💖

see the program arguments

randpktdump --help

see the program version

randpktdump --version

see the interfaces

randpktdump --extcap-interfaces

example output, look at her go:

interface {value=randpkt}{display=Random packet generator}

see the interface DLTs

randpktdump --extcap-interface=randpkt --extcap-dlts

example output:

dlt {number=1}{name=randpkt}{display=Ethernet}

see the interface configuration options

randpktdump --extcap-interface=randpkt --extcap-config

example output — yes, this whole thing, we're not truncating anything:

arg {number=0}{call=--maxbytes}{display=Max bytes in a packet}{type=unsigned}{range=1,5000}{default=5000}{tooltip=The max number of bytes in a packet}
arg {number=1}{call=--count}{display=Number of packets}{type=long}{default=1000}{tooltip=Number of packets to generate (-1 for infinite)}
arg {number=2}{call=--delay}{display=Packet delay (ms)}{type=long}{default=0}{tooltip=Milliseconds to wait after writing each packet}
arg {number=3}{call=--random-type}{display=Random type}{type=boolflag}{default=false}{tooltip=The packets type is randomly chosen}
arg {number=4}{call=--all-random}{display=All random packets}{type=boolflag}{default=false}{tooltip=Packet type for each packet is randomly chosen}
arg {number=5}{call=--type}{display=Type of packet}{type=selector}{tooltip=Type of packet to generate}
value {arg=5}{value=arp}{display=Address Resolution Protocol}
[...]
value {arg=5}{value=usb-linux}{display=Universal Serial Bus with Linux specific header}

that [...] is literally in the output, it's the manpage saying "there's more, i'm not typing it all out". respect honestly 🦋

to capture

randpktdump --extcap-interface=randpkt --fifo=/tmp/randpkt.pcapng --capture
Note — to stop capturing, use CTRL+C, kill, or terminate the application. she does not stop on her own, bestie, you gotta be the one to end it 💀

🔍 SEE ALSO 🔍

wireshark(1), tshark(1), dumpcap(1), extcap(4), randpkt(1)

the whole friend group. go say hi 👋

📝 NOTES 📝

randpktdump is part of the Wireshark distribution. the latest version of Wireshark can be found at https://www.wireshark.org — go check, she's always evolving ✨

HTML versions of the Wireshark project man pages are available at https://www.wireshark.org/docs/man-pages — for the girlies who prefer reading in a browser, we see you 🫶

💜 AUTHORS 💜

Original Author Dario Lombardo <lomato[AT]gmail.com>

and that's the whole page! footer tea: this beauty is dated 2026-10-08 and it's RANDPKTDUMP(1) all day long. stay random, generate responsibly, and remember — infinite packets is a choice, not a personality 😭💅💖

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