---
name: "ggatel"
section: "8"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ggatel"
---

# ggatel(8)

GEOM Gate local control utility

## NAME

**ggatel** – GEOM Gate local control utility

## SYNOPSIS

**ggatel** **create** \[**-v**\] \[**-o** **-option**\] ... \[**-s** *sectorsize*\] \[**-t** *timeout*\] \[**-u** *unit*\] *path*

**ggatel** **destroy** \[**-f**\] **-u** *unit*

**ggatel** **list** \[**-v**\] \[**-u** *unit*\]

**ggatel** **rescue** \[**-v**\] \[**-o** **-option**\] ... **-u** *unit* *path*

## DESCRIPTION

The **ggatel** utility is a local GEOM Gate class consumer. It can be used as a replacement for [md(4)](/md/4.md) devices or as a “GEOMificator” for non GEOM-aware devices, but it was mainly created as an example on how to use and how to communicate with the GEOM Gate kernel subsystem.

Available commands:

- **create**

  Create a **ggate** provider related to the given regular file or device.

- **destroy**

  Destroy the given **ggate** provider.

- **list**

  List **ggate** providers.

- **rescue**

  Take over a previously created provider and handle pending and future requests. This is useful if the initial **ggatel** process died. To prevent data loss, the given path must lead to the regular file or device that was used to create the provider.

Available options:

- **-f**

  Forcibly destroy **ggate** provider (cancels all pending requests).

- **-o** *option*

  Specify permissions and options to use when opening the file or device.

  - **ro**

    read-only

  - **wo**

    write-only

  - **rw**

    read-write

  - **direct**

    open with O\_DIRECT option on the file

    Default is **rw**.

- **-s** *sectorsize*

  Sector size for **ggate** provider. If not specified, it is taken from the device, or set to 512 bytes for files.

- **-t** *timeout*

  Number of seconds to wait before an I/O request will be canceled. 0 means no timeout. Default is 30.

- **-u** *unit*

  Unit number to use.

- **-v**

  Do not fork, run in foreground and print debug information on standard output.

- *path*

  Path to a regular file or device.

## EXIT STATUS

Exit status is 0 on success, or 1 if the command fails. To get details about the failure, **ggatel** should be called with the **-v** option.

## SEE ALSO

[geom(4)](/geom/4.md), [ggatec(8)](/ggatec/8.md), [ggated(8)](/ggated/8.md), [mount(8)](/mount/8.md), [newfs(8)](/newfs/8.md)

## HISTORY

The **ggatel** utility appeared in FreeBSD 5.3.

## AUTHORS

The **ggatel** utility as well as this manual page was written by Pawel Jakub Dawidek ⟨*pjd@FreeBSD.org*⟩.