---
name: "cereal"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "cereal"
version: "0.24-1.1"
release: "Debian 12 (Bookworm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cereal"
---

# cereal(1)

client program to attach to cereal session

## NAME

cereal - client program to attach to cereal session

## SYNOPSIS

**cereal *command* \[*args*\]**

## DESCRIPTION

**cereal** is the client program to attach to a running cereal session.

## SUBCOMMANDS

**cereal** takes various subcommands:

- **attach SESSION**

  Attach to (take control of) cereal session SESSION.  This puts the user into a cereal console, provided by a command-restricted screen session.  To detach from an attached session, use "C-\\ d".  For help on other available commands, use "C-\\ ?".  Cereal uses a limited instance of screen to provide the console.  See [**screen**(1)](/screen/1.md) for more info on the available commands.  \`a' may be used in place of \`attach'.

- **follow \[options\] SESSION**

  Follow (watch, without being able to intervene) a cereal session SESSION.  The options are: -c \[--cat\] to cat log instead of follow; -p \[--path\] to output just the path to the log file and exit.  \`f' may be used in place of \`follow'.

- **list \[SESSION\]...**

  List session(s).  With no arguments, will list all sessions.  The leading three characters in the list indicate: whether the session is running (+) or not (-) or in some unknown state (?), whether the user can attach to the session (a) or not (-), whether the user can follow the session (f) or not (-).  If the session state is unknown (?), it's usually because the user asking for information about the session can't read the session stat file.  \`l' may be used in place of \`list'.

- **help**

  Output a brief usage summary.  \`h' or \`?' may be used in place of \`help'.

## EXIT STATUS

Exit status is 0 if OK, 1 if minor problems, 2 if serious trouble.

## AUTHOR

Written by Jameson Rollins and Daniel Kahn Gillmor.

## BUGS

If the invoking user does not have read and execute access to the cereal session's supervise directory, \`cereal list' may not always indicate that session's status accurately.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to \<cereal@fifthhorseman.net\>.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2007 Jameson Rollins and Daniel Kahn Gillmor\
 This is free software.  You may redistribute copies of it under the terms of the GNU General Public License \<http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>.  There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO

[**screen**(1)](/screen/1.md), [**cereal-admin**(8)](/cereal-admin/8.md)