RADVD(8)

🎀 okay bestie, this is radvd — section 8 🎀

Welcome to the manual page for radvd, the router advertisement daemon for IPv6. It's giving main character energy in the IPv6 world, no cap. 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

radvd — router advertisement daemon for IPv6

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

radvd [ -hsvc ] [ -d debuglevel ] [ -C configfile ] [ -p pidfile ] [ -m
logmethod ] [ -l logfile ] [ -n nodaemon ] [ -f facility ] [ -t chrootdir
] [ -u username ]

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

Okay so radvd is the router advertisement daemon for IPv6. It listens to router solicitations and sends router advertisements as described in "Neighbor Discovery for IP Version 6 (IPv6)" (RFC 4861). With these advertisements hosts can automatically configure their addresses and some other parameters. It also defines "Neighbor Discovery Optimization for IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPANs)" (RFC6775). They also can choose a default router based on these advertisements. Periodt. 🦋

⚠️ The configuration file must not be writable by others, and if non-root operation is requested, not even by self/own group. This is a big security vibe check, bestie — don't skip it. 🔥

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

For every one character option there is also a long option, which is listed right next to the "short" option name:

• -v, --version — Displays the version of radvd and then aborts. Literally just peeks at the version and dips. 👋
• -h, --help — Displays a short usage description and then aborts. The classic "help me bestie" move. 🫶
• -c, --configtest — Test configuration and do startup tests and then exit. It's giving "vibe check before the real thing." ✨
• -n, --nodaemon — Prevent the daemonizing — no disappearing act, bestie. 🙈
• -d debuglevel, --debug debuglevel — With this option you turn on debugging information. The debugging level is an integer in the range from 1 to 5, from quiet to very verbose. A debugging level of 0 completely turns off debugging. If a debugging level greater than 0 is used, radvd doesn't background itself on start. The default debugging level is 0. Debug girlies stay seated. 💀
• -C configfile, --config configfile — Specifies an alternate config file. Normally the compiled in default /etc/radvd.conf is used. Custom config? We love to see it. 🎀
• -p pidfile, --pidfile pidfile — Specifies an alternate pidfile. Normally the compiled in default /run/radvd/radvd.pid is used. Pidfile but make it personalized. 🦋
• -m method, --logmethod method — Specifies the logging method to use. Possibly values are:
  • none — Completely disables any logging. Silence is golden, apparently. 🤫
  • logfile — Logs to the logfile which is specified by the -l option. If no logfile is specified on the command line, then a compiled in default is used (see next option). Logs, but make it a file. 🍓
  • stderr — Logs to standard error. Straight to stderr, no filter. 💅
  • stderr_syslog — Logs only the high messages (of at least LOG_ERR priority) to standard error, and everything to syslog (default method). This is the default, bestie — split logging, main character energy. 👑
  • syslog — Logs to syslog. Classic syslog slay. 🌈
• -l logfile, --logfile logfile — Specifies the logfile to use when using the logging method logfile. The default logfile is /var/log/radvd.log. Drop the log location, periodt. 📝
• -f facility, --facility facility — Specifies the facility (as an integer) when using syslog logging. Default is LOG_DAEMON. Facility but make it integer, iykyk. 🔢
• -t chrootdir, --chrootdir chrootdir — If specified, switches to chrootdir before doing anything else. This directory and its subdirectories must have been populated first. For security reasons, -u must always be used when using chrootdir. Note: on Linux radvd requires access to the /proc filesystem, so it is more challenging to set up the chroot environment. Chroot jail but make it complicated, lol. 🔒
• -u username, --username username — If specified, drops root privileges and changes user ID to username and group ID to the primary group of username. This is recommended for security reasons. You might also need to use -p to point to a file in a username-writable directory (e.g. /var/run/radvd/radvd.pid). Security bestie behavior, we stan. 🛡️

🦋 FILES 🦋

• /usr/sbin/radvd
• /etc/radvd.conf
• /run/radvd/radvd.pid
• /var/log/radvd.log

These are the file paths, bestie. Don't lose them. 💖

💀 BUGS 💀

There certainly are some bugs. If you find them or have other suggestions please send to https://github.com/radvd-project/radvd/issues. Not me saying it's buggy — the manpage said it first. 😭 But fr fr, report them there.

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• radvd.conf(5)
• radvdump(8)

Go read these too, bestie. iykyk. 📚

👑 AUTHORS 👑

• Pedro Roque <roque@di.fc.ul.pt> — wrote first version for Linux
• Lars Fenneberg <lf@elemental.net> — previous maintainer
• Nathan Lutchansky <lutchann@litech.org> — previous maintainer
• Pekka Savola <pekkas@netcore.fi> — previous maintainer
• Craig Metz <cmetz@inner.net> — port to NRL's IPv6 code for BSD4.4
• Marko Myllynen <myllynen@lut.fi> — RFC 2461 update, Mobile IPv6 support
• Jim Paris <jim@jtan.com> — Privilege separation support
• Reuben Hawkins <reubenhwk@gmail.com> — previous maintainer
• Pierre Ossman <pierre@ossman.eu> — RFC6106 (DNSSL) support
• Varka Bhadram <varkabhadram@gmail.com> — 6LoWPAN-ND (RFC6775) support
• Robin H. Johnson <robbat2@gentoo.org> — current maintainer, RA splitting per RFC 6980 & RFC4861#6.2.3
• Radek Zajic <radek@zajic.v.pytli.cz> — NAT64 pref64 support (RFC8781)
• Geert Stappers <stappers@stappers.it> — contributor

This iconic manual page is from radvd version 2.21, dated 30 Dec 2024, and it's RADVD(8) — periodt. 💅✨