IPFM(8)

📦 version 0.11.5, in debian bookworm, ubuntu jammy, ubuntu noble

💖 IPFM(8) — bestie's guide to the IP Flow Meter 💖

okay so you found ipfm in the System Manager's Manual section and you're like "what is this girlypop doing" — let me hold your hand through it, no cap. ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

ipfm — the IP Flow Meter, aka your lil bandwidth bestie 🎀

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

ipfm [-c config-file ][--config config-file ] [-h][--help]
[-n][--nodaemon] [-p pid-file ][--pid pid-file ]

look at her, she's literally just vibing with a handful of flags 💅

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

ipfm is a bandwidth analysis tool, periodt. She counts how much data was send and received by specified hosts through an Internet link. (yes, "send", that's the original wording, we don't touch the lore 💖)

She's based on the libpcap (ftp://ftp.ee.lbl.gov/libpcap-0.4.tar.Z — and if you want newer versions, see http://www.tcpdump.org/ for those 👀) and she should be portable. iconic behaviour honestly.

ipfm is developed under Linux libc6 (Debian sid). 🐧

She's been reported to work under Linux libc5 (slackware) and libc6 (RedHat, SuSE), FreeBSD, OpenBSD, IRIX, Solaris, HP-UX and AIX. BUT — and this is the important part, bestie — since we can't test new versions under these OSes, there might be problems. 😭 If you hit any, please report them at ipfm@via.ecp.fr. She wants the feedback, fr fr.

💅 OPTIONS 💅

heads up queen: depending on the OS, long options may no be supported. that's the original typo and honestly? it ate. we're keeping it.
  • -c config-file, --config config-file — config-file lets you point at an alternate configuration file to use. By default, /etc/ipfm.conf is used. 🗂️
  • -n, --nodaemon — does not run as a daemon. she stays in the foreground with you. 🫶
  • -h, --help — displays an help message on standard output and exit. classic. ✨
  • -p pid-file, --pid pid-file — pid-file lets you point at an alternate pid file to use. By default, /var/run/ipfm.pid is used. 📍

🚨 SIGNALS 🚨

ipfm reacts to certain signals. she's very emotionally available like that.

  • SigHUP — This causes ipfm to dump (and clear) its data tables in the log file (see ipfm.conf(8)), close pcap descriptor, reload configuration file and restart. glow-up moment, she's reborn. 🦋
  • SigTERM — This causes ipfm to dump (and clear) its data tables in the log file (see ipfm.conf(8)) and exit. she logs off gracefully. 👑
  • SigKILL — This causes ipfm to exit. that's it. no dump, no clear, no goodbye. brutal, no notes, she simply ✨ceases✨ 💀
  • SigINT (ctrl-c) — This causes ipfm to exit after having dumped and cleared its buffers. the polite lil interrupt. 😌
  • SigUSR1 — This causes ipfm to dump its data tables in the log file without exiting or clearing them. she peeks at the receipts but keeps them. 🙈

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

  • ipfm.conf(8)

🫶 AUTHORS 🫶

Robert CHERAMY <tibob@via.ecp.fr>, Andres KRAPF <dae@via.ecp.fr>

The IPFM home page can be found at http://www.via.ecp.fr/~tibob/ipfm/ 🌈

and that's the whole page, bestie — every last detail preserved, zero crumbs dropped. 💖

last change: 06 october 2002 — yeah she's vintage, she's an heirloom, she's IPFM(8) and she ate. 🎀✨
📦 where this page comes from