---
name: "control_rancid"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "rancid"
version: "3.14-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/control_rancid"
---

# control\_rancid(1)

run rancid for devices of a group

## NAME

control\_rancid - run rancid for devices of a group

## SYNOPSIS

**control\_rancid** \[**-V**\] \[**-c**  commit\_msg\] \[**-f**  config\_file\] \[**-m**  mail\_rcpt\] \[**-r**  device\_name\] group

## DESCRIPTION

**control\_rancid** is a [*sh*(1)](/sh/1.md) script to parse a group's [**router.db**(5)](/router.db/5.md), run rancid for each of the devices, possibly re-run rancid for devices that failed collection, e-mail diffs, and e-mail error reports.

**control\_rancid** also creates and/or re-creates the .cvsignore/.gitignore files for each group.  For the configs sub-directory, it includes ".old", where a user may keep files they would like to be ignored.

The command-line options are as follows:

- **-V**

  Prints package name and version strings.

- **-c commit\_msg**

  Specify an alternative SCM commit message.

- **-f group\_config\_file**

  Specify an alternative rancid.conf.  The global rancid.conf file is read by **rancid-run,** which calls **control\_rancid** for each group, and  **control\_rancid** reads the group-specific rancid.conf, thereby overriding the global file.

  The group-specific rancid.conf may not exist.

  Default: \<BASEDIR\>/\<group\>/rancid.conf

- **-m mail\_rcpt**

  Specify the recipient of diff mail, which is normally rancid-\<group\>.  The argument may be a single address, multiple comma separated addresses, or **-m** may be specified multiple times.

- **-r device\_name**

  Specify the name, as it appears in the router.db, of a particular device  to collect and generate diffs for.  The device must be marked "up".

  The  **-r** option alters the subject line of the diff mail.  It will begin with \<group name\>/\<device name\> rather than just the group name alone.

**control\_rancid** is normally (and best) run via [**rancid-run**(1)](/rancid-run/1.md) which provides a locking mechanism on a group basis and saves output in a log file for each group.

## SEE ALSO

[**rancid-run**(1)](/rancid-run/1.md), [**rancid.conf**(5)](/rancid.conf/5.md), [**router.db**(5)](/router.db/5.md)