---
name: "booleans"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "selinux-utils"
version: "2.8-1+b1"
release: "Debian 10 (Buster)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/booleans/5"
---

# booleans(5)

The SELinux booleans configuration files

## NAME

booleans - The SELinux booleans configuration files

## DESCRIPTION

The *booleans* file, if present contains booleans to support a specific distribution.

The *booleans.local* file, if present contains locally generated booleans.

Both files contain a list of boolean names and their associated values.

Generally the *booleans* and/or *booleans.local* files are not present (they have been deprecated). However if there is an SELinux-aware application that uses the libselinux functions listed below, then these files may be present:

[**security\_set\_boolean\_list**(3)](/security_set_boolean_list/3.md)

Writes a *booleans.local* file if flag *permanent* = *1*.

[**security\_load\_booleans**(3)](/security_load_booleans/3.md)

Looks for a *booleans* and/or *booleans.local* file at [**selinux\_booleans\_path**(3)](/selinux_booleans_path/3.md) unless a specific path is specified as a parameter.

[**booleans**(8)](/booleans/8.md) has details on booleans and [**setsebool**(8)](/setsebool/8.md) describes how booleans can now be set persistent across reboots.

[**selinux\_booleans\_path**(3)](/selinux_booleans_path/3.md) will return the active policy path to these files. The default boolean files are:

*/etc/selinux/{SELINUXTYPE}/booleans*\
 */etc/selinux/{SELINUXTYPE}/booleans.local*

Where *{SELINUXTYPE}* is the entry from the selinux configuration file *config* (see [**selinux\_config**(5)](/selinux_config/5.md)).

## FILE FORMAT

Both boolean files have the same format and contain one or more boolean names and their value.

The format is:

*boolean\_name* *value*

Where:

*boolean\_name*

The name of the boolean.

*value*

The default setting for the boolean. This can be one of the following:

*true* \| *false* \| *1* \| *0*

Note that if **SETLOCALDEFS** is set in the SELinux *config* file (see [**selinux\_config**(5)](/selinux_config/5.md)), then [**selinux\_mkload\_policy**(3)](/selinux_mkload_policy/3.md) will check for a  *booleans.local* file in the [**selinux\_booleans\_path**(3)](/selinux_booleans_path/3.md) and also a *local.users* file (see [**local.users**(5)](/local.users/5.md)) in the **selinux\_users\_path**(3).

## SEE ALSO

[**selinux**(8)](/selinux/8.md), [**booleans**(8)](/booleans/8.md), [**setsebool**(8)](/setsebool/8.md), [**semanage**(8)](/semanage/8.md), [**selinux\_booleans\_path**(3)](/selinux_booleans_path/3.md), [**security\_set\_boolean\_list**(3)](/security_set_boolean_list/3.md), [**security\_load\_booleans**(3)](/security_load_booleans/3.md), [**selinux\_mkload\_policy**(3)](/selinux_mkload_policy/3.md), **selinux\_users\_path**(3), [**selinux\_config**(5)](/selinux_config/5.md), [**local.users**(5)](/local.users/5.md)