---
name: "horst.conf"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "horst"
version: "5.1-3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/horst.conf"
---

# horst.conf(5)

configuration file for horst(8)

## NAME

horst.conf - configuration file for **[horst(8)](/horst/8.md)**

## SYNOPSIS

/etc/horst.conf

## DESCRIPTION

The file */etc/horst.conf* is the default configuration file. The configuration file consists of zero or more lines.  Each line must be either **EMPTY**, **COMMENT** or **OPTION** and must end with a new line character ('\\n', ASCII 0xa).

**EMPTY** lines must have zero or more spaces (' ', ASCII 0x20).

**COMMENT** lines must begin with a hash sign ('#', ASCII 0x23).

**OPTION** lines must be in the following form:

option\[=value\]

Options and their acceptable values are described below in section **OPTIONS**.

Lines not matching the format described above will cause **horst** to exit with non-zero status.

## OPTIONS

- channel=CHANNEL\_NUMBER

  Set the initial channel number to which **horst** tunes the radio at startup.

- channel\_dwell=MILLISECONDS

  Set the time **horst** scans each channel when channel\_scan=1 is defined.

- channel\_scan

  Make **horst** change/scan channels automatically in ascending numeric order.

- channel\_scan\_rounds=N

  Set the number of rounds **horst** scans the channel range when channel\_scan=1 is defined. When N is reached, **horst** exits with zero status. If N is a negative number, **horst** scans the channel range infinitely.

- channel\_upper=CHANNEL\_NUMBER

  Set the highest channel **horst** will change to when channel\_scan=1 is defined. When CHANNEL\_NUMBER is reached, the next channel will be 1.

- client=SERVER\_ADDRESS

  Run **horst** in client mode and connect to a server running in SERVER\_ADDRESS.

- control\_pipe=FILEPATH

  Accept control commands on a named pipe.

- display\_interval=MILLISECONDS

  Set the refresh interval of the user interface display. This option can be used to reduce CPU load by using longer intervals.

- display\_view=history\|essid\|statistics\|spectrum

  Set the initial display view.

- filter\_bssid=BSSID\[,BSSID\]...

  Ignore all packets except packets belonging to BSSID.

- filter\_mac=MAC\_ADDRESS\[,MAC\_ADDRESS\]...

  Ignore all packets except packets originating from MAC\_ADDRESS.

- filter\_mode=MODE\[,MODE\]...

  Ignore all packets/nodes except packets/nodes of mode MODE.

- filter\_packet=PACKET\_TYPE\[,PACKET\_TYPE\]...

  Ignore all packets except packets of type PACKET\_TYPE.

- interface=INTERFACE\_NAME

  Set the wireless interface which **horst** uses to monitor the radio spectrum. If interface INTERFACE\_NAME is not already in monitor mode at startup, **horst** first tries to put the interface in monitor mode and if it fails, a temporary virtual monitor interface is added and used instead. The name of the temporary virtual monitor interface is in the form horst\[0-9\]+. The virtual interface created by **horst** is deleted at exit.

- add\_monitor

  Always add virtual monitor interface. Don't try to set existing interface to monitor mode.

- mac\_names=FILEPATH

  The file containing a mapping from MAC addresses to host names. The file can either be a dhcp.leases file from dnsmasq or contain mappings in the form "MAC\<space\>name" (e.g.: "00:01:02:03:04:05 test") line by line.

- node\_timeout=SECONDS

  Set the time after nodes will be removed if no frames have been received from them.

- outfile=FILEPATH

  Write information about each received packet to FILEPATH.

- port=PORT\_NUMBER

  Set the port **horst** listens to when run in server mode or the port which **horst** connects to when run in client mode.

- quiet

   Make **horst** less verbose and suppress the user interface.

- receive\_buffer=BYTES

  Set the size of the receive buffer. This option can be used to tune memory consumption and reduce packet loss under high load.

- server

   Run **horst** in server mode.

## SEE ALSO

[**horst**(8)](/horst/8.md)