---
name: "default_type"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "selinux-utils"
version: "3.8.1-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/default_type"
---

# default\_type(5)

The SELinux default type configuration file

## NAME

default\_type - The SELinux default type configuration file

## DESCRIPTION

The *default\_type* file contains entries that allow SELinux-aware applications such as [**newrole**(1)](/newrole/1.md) to select a default type for a role if one is not supplied.

[**selinux\_default\_type\_path**(3)](/selinux_default_type_path/3.md) will return the active policy path to this file. The default, default type file is:

*/etc/selinux/{SELINUXTYPE}/contexts/default\_type*

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

[**get\_default\_type**(3)](/get_default_type/3.md) reads this file to determine a type for the active policy.

## FILE FORMAT

Each line within the *default\_type* file is formatted with *role***:***type* entries where:

*role*

The SELinux role.

*type*

The domain type that is returned for this role.

## EXAMPLE

\# ./contexts/default\_type\
 auditadm\_r:auditadm\_t\
 user\_r:user\_t

## SEE ALSO

[**selinux**(8)](/selinux/8.md), [**get\_default\_type**(3)](/get_default_type/3.md), [**newrole**(1)](/newrole/1.md), [**selinux\_default\_type\_path**(3)](/selinux_default_type_path/3.md), [**selinux\_config**(5)](/selinux_config/5.md)