SWANCTL(8)

✨ NAME — SWANCTL(8) ✨

Okay bestie, swanctl is the strongSwan configuration, control and monitoring command line interface. This page is literally SWANCTL(8), section 8, and it's here to hand you the CLI for all that strongSwan configuration, control, and monitoring main character energy 💅.

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

swanctl command [option ...]

swanctl -h | --help

🌈 DESCRIPTION 🌈

So swanctl is a cross-platform command line utility to configure, control and monitor the strongSwan IKE daemon. It's a replacement for the aging starter, ipsec and stroke tools — out with the old, in with the iconic ✨.

It uses a configuration file called swanctl.conf(5) to parse configurations and credentials. Private keys, certificates and other PKI-related credentials are read from specific directories. Very organized, no cap 🎀.

To communicate with the IKE daemon, swanctl uses the VICI protocol, the Versatile IKE Configuration Interface. This stable interface is usable by other tools and is often preferable than scripting swanctl and parsing its output. Iykyk — stable interface vibes are lowkey superior 🦋.

💅 COMMANDS 💅

• -i, --initiate — initiate a connection. Go, connection, go ✨
• -t, --terminate — terminate a connection. Bye bestie 💀
• -R, --rekey — rekey an SA. Do the rekey thing 🔁
• -d, --redirect — redirect an IKE_SA. Send it on its little journey 🦋
• -p, --install — install a trap or shunt policy. Set that policy up 🫶
• -U, --uninstall — uninstall a trap or shunt policy. Take it right back out 🙈
• -l, --list-sas — list currently active IKE_SAs. Stalk the active list, respectfully 👀
• -P, --list-pols — list currently installed policies
• -b, --load-authorities — (re-)load certification authorities information. Authority info reload moment 👑
• -L, --list-conns — list loaded configurations
• -B, --list-authorities — list loaded certification authorities information
• -x, --list-certs — list stored certificates. Cert inventory check 🎀
• -A, --list-pools — list loaded pool configurations
• -g, --list-algs — list loaded algorithms and their implementation
• -q, --load-all — (re-)load credentials, pools, authorities and connections. The full reload combo meal 🍓
• -c, --load-conns — (re-)load connection configuration
• -s, --load-creds — (re-)load credentials
• -a, --load-pools — (re-)load pool configuration
• -T, --log — trace logging output (levels 0 and 1 only). Levels 0 and 1 only, bestie ⭐
• -S, --stats — show daemon infos and statistics. Number-crunching main character energy 🔥
• -f, --flush-certs — flush cached certificates
• -r, --reload-settings — reload strongswan.conf(5) configuration
• -V, --version — show daemon version information
• -h, --help — show usage, version and plugin information. Helpful icon behavior 🫶

🧚 GENERAL OPTIONS 🧚

• -v, --debug — set debug level, default: 1
• -+, --options — read command line options from file. Yes, that's -+, not a typo 💅
• -u, --uri — service URI to connect to

💖 SEE ALSO 💖

• swanctl.conf(5) — the config file bestie, go off 👑

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That's the whole SWANCTL(8) page, bestie — strongSwan 6.1.0, dated 2015-11-20, signing off with a sparkle and a little manual-page bow 🎀💫