---
name: "auditdistd"
section: "8"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/auditdistd"
---

# auditdistd(8)

Audit trail files distribution daemon

## NAME

**auditdistd** – Audit trail files distribution daemon

## SYNOPSIS

**auditdistd** \[**-dFhl**\] \[**-c** *config*\] \[**-P** *pidfile*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **auditdistd** daemon is responsible for distributing audit trail files over a TCP/IP network in a secure and reliable way.

The **auditdistd** daemon can be started with the following command line arguments:

- **-c** *config*

  Specify an alternative location of the configuration file. The default location is */etc/security/auditdistd.conf*. Note: the configuration file may contain passwords. Care should be taken to configure proper permissions on this file (eg. 0600).

- **-d**

  Print or log debugging information. This option can be specified multiple times to raise the verbosity level.

- **-F**

  Start the **auditdistd** daemon in the foreground. By default **auditdistd** starts in the background.

- **-h**

  Print the **auditdistd** usage message.

- **-l**

  Start in a launchd-friendly mode, ie. do not use [daemon(3)](/daemon/3.md).

- **-P** *pidfile*

  Specify an alternative location of a file where main process PID will be stored. The default location is */var/run/auditdistd.pid*.

## FILES

- */etc/security/auditdistd.conf*

  The configuration file for **auditdistd**.

- */var/run/auditdistd.pid*

  The default location of the **auditdistd** PID file.

## EXIT STATUS

Exit status is 0 on success, or one of the values described in [sysexits(3)](/sysexits/3.md) on failure.

## SEE ALSO

[sysexits(3)](/sysexits/3.md), [audit(4)](/audit/4.md), [auditdistd.conf(5)](/auditdistd.conf/5.md), [auditd(8)](/auditd/8.md)

## AUTHORS

The **auditdistd** was developed by Pawel Jakub Dawidek ⟨pawel@dawidek.net⟩ under sponsorship of the FreeBSD Foundation.