---
name: "cddbcmd"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "cddb"
version: "2.6-23"
release: "Debian 6.0 (Squeeze)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cddbcmd"
---

# cddbcmd(1)

Connect to a CDDB server site and execute a simple CDDB server command.

## NAME

cddbcmd - Connect to a CDDB server site and execute a simple CDDB server command.

## SYNOPSIS

**cddbcmd** \[-*m* *mode*\] \[-*p* *proxyhost\[:port\]*\] \[-*h* *serverhost\[:port\]*\] \[-*c* *cgipath*\] \[-*l* *level*\] \[-*d*\] *command* ...

## DESCRIPTION

The *cddbcmd* utility is a simple shell command interface to the CDDB (CD database) server.  CDDB protocol commands can be sent via *cddbcmd.* Output from CDDB protocol commands are stripped of the status code line and then displayed on standard output.  Input to CDDB protocol commands are read from standard input.  Both the CDDBP or HTTP mode of CDDB server connection styles are supported.  In order to use this utility, your system must be connected to the Internet, and DNS (domain name service) must be functional.

## OPTIONS

*cddbcmd* supports the following options:

- *-m mode*

  Specifies the mode of CDDB server connection.  The *mode* must be either **cddbp** or **http**.  The default is cddbp.

- *-p proxyhost\[:port\]*

  If a proxy server must be used, this option specifies the proxy server host to connect to.  The optional port argument specifies the port number,  The default is port 80.  This option is meaningful only when used in http mode.

- *-h serverhost\[:port\]*

  Specifies the CDDB server host to connect to.  The default is **freedb.freedb.org The optional port argument specifies the port** number,  The default is port 888 for cddbp, and port 80 for http.

- *-c cgipath*

  If http mode is used, this option specifies the path to the CDDB server CGI program.  The default is */~cddb/cddb.cgi*

- *-l level*

  This specifies the CDDB protocol level to use.  The default level is 3.

- *-d*

  Enable debugging diagnostics.

- *command*

  The CDDB server command string to send to the server.  Here is a non-exhaustive list of such commands:

  ```
  motd
  sites
  stat
  log
  whom
  proto (cddbp only)
  help
  cddb lscat
  cddb query
  cddb read
  ```

  Some of these commands require additional arguments. Please consult the *CDDB Specifications* for details about CDDB server commands.  The specifications are available on the CDDB web site: *http://www.cddb.com/*

## SEE ALSO

[xmcd(1)](/xmcd/1.md), [cda(1)](/cda/1.md), [wm2xmcd(1)](/wm2xmcd/1.md),\
 Xmcd web site: http://metalab.unc.edu/tkan/xmcd/\
 CDDB web site: http://www.cddb.com/\
 FreeDB web site: http://www.freedb.org/

## AUTHOR

Ti Kan (*ti@amb.org*)\
 AMB Research Laboratories, Sunnyvale, CA, U.S.A.

Comments, suggestions, and bug reports are always welcome.