PPPDUMP(8)

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💖 PPPDUMP — like, the pppdump(8) page but make it cute 💖

okay bestie, welcome to pppdump from the System Manager's Manual section 8, and no cap this lil tool is lowkey iconic. it's the glow-up your raw PPP record files have been begging for ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

pppdump — convert PPP record file to readable format

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

pppdump [ -h | -p [ -d ]] [ -r ] [ -a ] [ -m mru ] [ file ...  ]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so the way that this works 💅 — the pppdump utility converts the files written using the record option of pppd into a human-readable format. it's giving translator, it's giving "let me decode your mysterious little byte pile for you".

if one or more filenames are specified, pppdump will read each in turn 🫶 otherwise it will read its standard input. and in each case the result is written to standard output. periodt.

the options are as follows:

✨ OPTIONS ✨

  • -h — prints the bytes sent and received in hexadecimal. but listen: if neither this option nor the -p option is specified, the bytes are printed as the characters themselves, with non-printing and non-ASCII characters printed as escape sequences. iykyk 🔥
  • -p — collects the bytes sent and received into PPP packets, interpreting the async HDLC framing and escape characters and checking the FCS (frame check sequence) of each packet 👑 the packets are printed as hex values and as characters (non-printable characters are printed as `.').
  • -d — with the -p option, this option causes pppdump to decompress packets which have been compressed with the BSD-Compress or Deflate methods. she unzips, she serves 💅
  • -r — reverses the direction indicators, so that sent is printed for bytes or packets received, and rcvd is printed for bytes or packets sent. yes bestie, it's backwards on purpose, don't @ me 🙈
  • -a — prints absolute times ⭐
  • -m mru — use mru as the MRU (maximum receive unit) for both directions of the link when checking for over-length PPP packets (with the -p option). both directions, no favourites 🫶

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

okay that's the whole vibe, go forth and dump those packets bestie 💜

signing off with love — this is the pppdump(8) page from the System Manager's Manual, dated 1 April 1999. mwah 🎀✨

📦 where this page comes from