SS-MANAGER(1)

🌸 SS-MANAGER(1) — the Shadowsocks-libev manual, bestie edition 🌸

okay so this is ss-manager(1) from the Shadowsocks-libev Manual, and honestly? it's kind of a big deal. it's the manager. the girlboss of the whole operation. let's get into it 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

ss-manager — the ss-server controller for multi-user management and traffic statistics. yes, she manages. yes, she counts bytes. main character energy fr fr 👑

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

ss-manager [-AuUv] [-h|--help] [-s <server_host>] [-p <server_port>] [-l
<local_port>] [-k <password>] [-m <encrypt_method>] [-f <pid_file>] [-t
<timeout>] [-c <config_file>] [-i <interface>] [-b <local_addr>] [-a
<user_name>] [-D <path>] [--manager-address <path_to_unix_domain>]
[--executable <path_to_server_executable>] [--fast-open] [--reuse-port]
[--plugin <plugin_name>] [--plugin-opts <plugin_options>]

it's giving many flags. lowkey a lot. but we'll get through them all together, don't worry 🫶

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✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so Shadowsocks-libev is a lightweight and secure socks5 proxy. it's a port of the original shadowsocks created by clowwindy. Shadowsocks-libev is written in pure C and takes advantage of libev to achieve both high performance and low resource consumption. like... she's fast AND she's lowkey. iconic combo ✨

Shadowsocks-libev consists of five components. ss-manager(1) is a controller for multi-user management and traffic statistics, using UNIX domain socket to talk with ss-server(1). also — and this is the fun part — it provides a UNIX domain socket or IP based API for other software. wanna know the details of this API? the PROTOCOL section below has you covered, bestie 💖

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✨ OPTIONS ✨

• -s <server_host> — sets the server's hostname or IP. the who and where of it all 🌈
• -k <password> — sets the password. the server and the client should use the same password. no cap, they gotta match or it's not happening 🔑
• -m <encrypt_method> — sets the cipher.

Shadowsocks-libev accepts 19 different ciphers:

aes-128-gcm, aes-192-gcm, aes-256-gcm, rc4-md5, aes-128-cfb, aes-192-cfb, aes-256-cfb, aes-128-ctr, aes-192-ctr, aes-256-ctr, bf-cfb, camellia-128-cfb, camellia-192-cfb, camellia-256-cfb, chacha20-ietf-poly1305, xchacha20-ietf-poly1305, salsa20, chacha20 and chacha20-ietf.

the default cipher is chacha20-ietf-poly1305. she's the default for a reason 💅

heads up bestie: if built with PolarSSL or custom OpenSSL libraries, some of these ciphers may not work. not every cipher makes it to the party 😭

• -a <user_name> — run as a specific user. identity: specified 🎀
• -f <pid_file> — start shadowsocks as a daemon with specific pid file. background mode, she's busy 💜
• -t <timeout> — sets the socket timeout in seconds. the default value is 60. so like, a whole minute of patience ⏳
• -c <config_file> — use a configuration file.

you may use "port_password" field inside this configuration file to bring up multiple ss-server instances together. group chat but for servers, obsessed 🦋

• -i <interface> — send traffic through specific network interface.

for example, there are three interfaces in your device, which is lo (127.0.0.1), eth0 (192.168.0.1) and eth1 (192.168.0.2). meanwhile, you configure ss-local to listen on 0.0.0.0:8388 and bind to eth1. that results the traffic go out through eth1, but not lo nor eth0. this option is useful to control traffic in multi-interface environment. literally traffic directing, it's giving air traffic controller ✈️

• -u — enable UDP relay. udp girlies rise 🌸
• -U — enable UDP relay and disable TCP relay. udp only, tcp found dead 💀
• -A — enable onetime authentication. one time only, like a special guest appearance 🎤
• -d <addr> — setup name servers for internal DNS resolver (libc-ares). the default server is fetched from /etc/resolv.conf. it knows where to look 🧚
• --fast-open — enable TCP fast open.

only available with Linux kernel > 3.7.0. check your kernel, bestie 🔥

• --reuse-port — enable port reuse.

only available with Linux kernel > 3.9.0. newer kernel, newer perks ⭐

• --acl <acl_config> — enable ACL (Access Control List) and specify config file. gatekeeping, but make it configurable 🙈
• --manager-address <path_to_unix_domain> — specify UNIX domain socket address for the communication between ss-manager(1) and ss-server(1).

only available in server and manager mode. this is their private line 📞

• --executable <path_to_server_executable> — specify the executable path of ss-server.

only available in manager mode. tell her where her friends live 🫶

• -D <path>, --workdir <path> — specify the working directory of ss-manager.

only available in manager mode. home base 🏠

• --plugin <plugin_name> — enable SIP003 plugin. (Experimental) 🧪
• --plugin-opts <plugin_options> — set SIP003 plugin options. (Experimental) 🧪
• -v — enable verbose mode. she talks. a lot. we love her for it 🗣️
• -h|--help — print help message. when in doubt, ask for help 💖

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✨ PROTOCOL ✨

ss-manager(1) provides several APIs through UDP protocol:

send UDP commands in the following format to the manager-address provided to ss-manager(1):

command: [JSON data]

to add a port:

add: {"server_port": 8001, "password":"7cd308cc059"}

to remove a port:

remove: {"server_port": 8001}

to receive the traffic statistics:

ping

the format of the traffic statistics:

stat: {"8001":11370}

🚨 real talk: there is no way to reset the traffic statistics, unless you remove the port and add it again. that's the only undo button, sorry bestie 😭

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✨ EXAMPLE ✨

to use ss-manager(1), first start it and specify necessary information.

then communicate with ss-manager(1) through UNIX Domain Socket using UDP protocol:

# Start the manager. Arguments for ss-server will be passed to generated
# ss-server process(es) respectively.
ss-manager --manager-address /tmp/manager.sock --executable $(which ss-server) -s example.com -m aes-256-cfb -c /path/to/config.json

# Connect to the socket. Using netcat-openbsd as an example.
# You should use scripts or other programs for further management.
nc -Uu /tmp/manager.sock

after that, you may communicate with ss-manager(1) as described above in the PROTOCOL section. you're basically a sysadmin now, slay 💅✨

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✨ SEE ALSO ✨

ss-local(1), ss-server(1), ss-tunnel(1), ss-redir(1), shadowsocks-libev(8), iptables(8), /etc/shadowsocks-libev/config.json — the whole friend group, go say hi 🫶💖

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and that's the page!! this was Shadowsocks-libev 3.3.6, dated 10/11/2026 — mwah, drink water, and remember: she's a manager, she manages 🎀👑💜