---
name: "hobbitd_channel"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "xymon"
version: "4.3.0~beta2.dfsg-9.1"
release: "Debian 7 (Wheezy)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/hobbitd_channel"
---

# hobbitd\_channel(8)

Feed a hobbitd channel to a worker module

## NAME

hobbitd\_channel - Feed a hobbitd channel to a worker module

## SYNOPSIS

**hobbitd\_channel --channel=CHANNEL \[options\] workerprogram \[worker-options\]**

## DESCRIPTION

hobbitd\_channel hooks into one of the  *[hobbitd(8)](/hobbitd/8.md)* channels that provide information about events occurring in the Xymon system. It retrieves messages from the hobbitd daemon, and passes them on to the **workerprogram** on the STDIN (file descripter 1) of the worker program.  Worker programs can then handle messages as they like.

A number of worker programs are shipped with hobbitd, e.g. *[hobbitd\_filestore(8)](/hobbitd_filestore/8.md)* *[hobbitd\_history(8)](/hobbitd_history/8.md)* *[hobbitd\_alert(8)](/hobbitd_alert/8.md)* *[hobbitd\_rrd(8)](/hobbitd_rrd/8.md)*

If you want to write your own worker module, a sample worker module is provided as part of the hobbitd distribution in the hobbitd\_sample.c file. This illustrates how to easily fetch and parse messages.

## OPTIONS

hobbitd\_channel accepts a few options.

- \--channel=CHANNELNAME

  Specifies the channel to receive messages from, only one channel can be used. This option is required. The following channels are available:\
   "status" receives all Xymon status- and summary-messages\
   "stachg" receives information about status changes\
   "page" receives information about statuses triggering alerts\
   "data" receives all Xymon "data" messages\
   "notes" receives all Xymon "notes" messages\
   "enadis" receives information about hosts being disabled or enabled.

- \--daemon

  hobbitd\_channel is normally started by  *[hobbitlaunch(8)](/hobbitlaunch/8.md)* as a task defined in the *[hobbitlaunch.cfg(5)](/hobbitlaunch.cfg/5.md)* file. If you are not using hobbitlaunch, then starting hobbitd\_channel with this option causes it to run as a stand-alone background task.

- \--pidfile=FILENAME

  If running as a stand-alone daemon, hobbitd\_channel will save the proces-ID  of the daemon in FILENAME. This is useful for automated startup- and shutdown- scripts.

- \--env=FILENAME

  Loads the environment variables defined in FILENAME before starting hobbitd\_channel. This is normally used only when running as a stand-alone daemon; if hobbitd\_channel is started by hobbitlaunch, then the environment is controlled by the task definition  in the *[hobbitlaunch.cfg(5)](/hobbitlaunch.cfg/5.md)* file.

- \--log=FILENAME

  Redirect output to this log-file.

- \--debug

  Enable debugging output.

## FILES

This program does not use any configuration files.

## SEE ALSO

[hobbitd(8)](/hobbitd/8.md), [xymon(7)](/xymon/7.md)