---
name: "Orthanc"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "orthanc"
version: "1.12.7+dfsg-4"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Orthanc/8"
---

# Orthanc(8)

Lightweight, RESTful DICOM server for healthcare and medical research

## NAME

Orthanc - Lightweight, RESTful DICOM server for healthcare and medical research

## SYNOPSIS

**Orthanc** \[*OPTION*\]... \[*CONFIGURATION*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Orthanc, lightweight, RESTful DICOM server for healthcare and medical research.

The "CONFIGURATION" argument can be a single file or a directory. In the case of a directory, all the JSON files it contains will be merged. If no configuration path is given on the command line, a set of default parameters is used. Please refer to the Orthanc Book for the full instructions about how to use Orthanc \<https://orthanc.uclouvain.be/book/\>.

Pay attention to the fact that the order of the options is important. Options are read left to right. In particular, options such as "--verbose" can reset the value of other log-related options that were read before.

The recommended set of options to debug DICOM communications is "--verbose **--trace-dicom** **--logfile**=*dicom*.log"

### Command-line options:

- **--help**

  display this help and exit

- **--logdir**=*\[dir\]*

  directory where to store the log files (by default, the log is dumped to stderr)

- **--logfile**=*\[file\]*

  file where to store the log of Orthanc (by default, the log is dumped to stderr)

- **--config**=*\[file\]*

  create a sample configuration file and exit (if "file" is "-", dumps to stdout)

- **--errors**

  print the supported error codes and exit

- **--verbose**

  be verbose in logs

- **--trace**

  highest verbosity in logs (for debug)

- **--upgrade**

  allow Orthanc to upgrade the version of the database (beware that the database will become incompatible with former versions of Orthanc)

- **--no-jobs**

  don't restart the jobs that were stored during the last execution of Orthanc

- **--openapi**=*\[file\]*

  write the OpenAPI documentation and exit (if "file" is "-", dumps to stdout)

- **--cheatsheet**=*\[file\]*

  write the cheat sheet of REST API as CSV and exit (if "file" is "-", dumps to stdout)

- **--version**

  output version information and exit

### Fine-tuning of log categories:

- **--verbose-generic**

  be verbose in logs of category "generic"

- **--trace-generic**

  use highest verbosity for logs of category "generic"

- **--verbose-plugins**

  be verbose in logs of category "plugins"

- **--trace-plugins**

  use highest verbosity for logs of category "plugins"

- **--verbose-http**

  be verbose in logs of category "http"

- **--trace-http**

  use highest verbosity for logs of category "http"

- **--verbose-sqlite**

  be verbose in logs of category "sqlite"

- **--trace-sqlite**

  use highest verbosity for logs of category "sqlite"

- **--verbose-dicom**

  be verbose in logs of category "dicom"

**--trace-dicom** use highest verbosity for logs of category "dicom"

- **--verbose-jobs**

  be verbose in logs of category "jobs"

- **--trace-jobs**

  use highest verbosity for logs of category "jobs"

**--verbose-lua** be verbose in logs of category "lua"

- **--trace-lua**

  use highest verbosity for logs of category "lua"

### Exit status:

- 0

  if success,

- **-1**

  if error (have a look at the logs).

## AUTHOR

Written by Sebastien Jodogne \<s.jodogne@orthanc-labs.com\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2012-2016 Sebastien Jodogne, Medical Physics Department, University Hospital of Liege (Belgium)\
 Copyright © 2017-2023 Osimis S.A. (Belgium)\
 Copyright © 2024-2025 Orthanc Team SRL (Belgium)\
 Copyright © 2021-2025 Sebastien Jodogne, ICTEAM UCLouvain (Belgium) Licensing GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later \<http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>.\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.