---
name: "birdc6"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "bird"
version: "1.6.8-2.1+b1"
release: "Debian 12 (Bookworm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/bird"
---

# birdc6(8)

BIRD Internet Routing Daemon birdc - BIRD Internet Routing Daemon remote control bird6 - BIRD Internet Routing Daemon, IPv6 version birdc6 - BIRD Internet Routing Daemon remote control, IPv6 version

Part of [bird(8)](/bird/8.md).

## NAME

bird - BIRD Internet Routing Daemon\
 birdc - BIRD Internet Routing Daemon remote control\
 bird6 - BIRD Internet Routing Daemon, IPv6 version\
 birdc6 - BIRD Internet Routing Daemon remote control, IPv6 version

## SYNOPSIS

**bird** \[**-c** *config-file*\] \[**-d**\] \[**-D** *debug-file*\] \[**-p**\] \[**-s** *control-socket*\]

**birdc** \[**-s** *control-socket*\] \[**-v**\] \[**-r**\]

**bird6** \[**-c** *config-file*\] \[**-d**\] \[**-D** *debug-file*\] \[**-p**\] \[**-s** *control-socket*\]

**birdc6** \[**-s** *control-socket*\] \[**-v**\] \[**-r**\]

## DESCRIPTION

**bird** is an Internet Routing Daemon. That is, it sends and receives messages using different protocols in order to discover and exchange routing information with other routing daemons present on the same network. It is able to talk the most widely known routing protocols (such as BGPv4, RIPv2, OSPFv2 and OSPFv3), both on IPv4 and IPv6 and it features a very powerful language for route filtering.

**birdc** is a remote control for **bird**. While **bird** is running, the system administrator can connect to it using **birdc**, to inspect its internal status and reconfigure it. The two processes use a Unix socket to communicate. Once started, **bird** will give access to an interactive shell: commands can be completed with TAB and help can be requested by pressing the key \`?'. More documentation on the available commands can be foung on the website, see below.

**bird6** and **birdc6** are the exact equivalent for **bird** and **birdc** for the IPv6 world. The accept the same command syntax with the same meaning.

## OPTIONS

The **bird** and **bird6** are able to receive there options:

- **-c** *config-file*

  Use given configuration file instead of the default /etc/bird/bird.conf.

- **-d**

  Enable debug messages and run bird in foreground.

- **-D** *debug-file*

  Log debugging information to given file instead of standard error.

- **-p**

  Just parse the config file and exit. Return value is zero if the config file is valid, nonzero if there are some errors.

- **-s** *control-socket*

  Use given filename for a socket for communications with the client (remote control), default is /var/run/bird.ctl.

The **birdc** and **birdc6** are able to receive there options:

- **-s** *control-socket*

  Use given filename for a socket for communications with the server, default is /var/run/bird.ctl.

- **-r**

  Run **birdc** in restricted mode: only the \`show ...' commands are allowed.

- **-v**

  Numeric return codes are dumped along with messages, making them easily parsable by a program. See the programmer's documentation for information about their meanings.

## FILES

/etc/bird/bird.conf

The system-wide configuration file to control the behaviour of bird. See the website for more documentation.

/etc/bird/bird6.conf

The system-wide configuration file to control the behaviour of bird6. See the website for more documentation.

## SEE ALSO

More documentation con be found on the website: http://bird.network.cz/.

## AUTHOR

**Giovanni Mascellani** \<mascellani@poisson.phc.unipi.it\>

Wrote this manpage for the Debian system.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2010 Giovanni Mascellani\

This manual page was written for the Debian system (and may be used by others).

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU General Public License, Version 2 or (at your option) any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.

On Debian systems, the complete text of the GNU General Public License can be found in /usr/share/common-licenses/GPL.