---
name: "fail2ban-server"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "fail2ban"
version: "1.1.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/fail2ban-server"
---

# fail2ban-server(1)

start the server

## NAME

fail2ban-server - start the server

## SYNOPSIS

**fail2ban-server** \[*OPTIONS*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Fail2Ban v1.1.1 reads log file that contains password failure report and bans the corresponding IP addresses using firewall rules.

## OPTIONS

- **-c**, **--conf** \<DIR\>

  configuration directory

- **-s**, **--socket** \<FILE\>

  socket path

- **-p**, **--pidfile** \<FILE\>

  pidfile path

- **--pname** \<NAME\>

  name of the process (main thread) to identify instance (default fail2ban-server)

- **--loglevel** \<LEVEL\>

  logging level

- **--logtarget** \<TARGET\>

  logging target, use file-name or stdout, stderr, syslog or sysout.

**--syslogsocket** auto\|\<FILE\>

- **-d**

  dump configuration. For debugging

- **--dp**, **--dump-pretty**

  dump the configuration using more human readable representation

- **-t**, **--test**

  test configuration (can be also specified with start parameters)

- **-i**

  interactive mode

- **-v**

  increase verbosity

- **-q**

  decrease verbosity

- **-x**

  force execution of the server (remove socket file)

- **-b**

  start server in background (default)

- **-f**

  start server in foreground

- **--async**

  start server in async mode (for internal usage only, don't read configuration)

- **--timeout**

  timeout to wait for the server (for internal usage only, don't read configuration)

- **--str2sec** \<STRING\>

  convert time abbreviation format to seconds

- **-h**, **--help**

  display this help message

- **-V**, **--version**

  print the version (**-V** returns machine-readable short format)

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to https://github.com/fail2ban/fail2ban/issues

## SEE ALSO

[fail2ban-client(1)](/fail2ban-client/1.md)