---
name: "ipset-translate"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "ipset"
version: "7.24-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ipset-translate"
---

# ipset-translate(8)

translation tool to migrate from ipset to nftables

## NAME

ipset-translate — translation tool to migrate from ipset to nftables

## DESCRIPTION

This tool allows system administrators to translate a given IP sets file to **[nftables(8)](/nftables/8.md)**.

The only available command is:

- •

  ipset-translate restore \< file.ipt

## USAGE

The **ipset-translate** tool reads an IP sets file in the syntax produced by **[ipset(8)](/ipset/8.md)** save. No set modifications occur, this tool is a text converter.

## EXAMPLES

Basic operation examples.

Single command translation, assuming the original file:

```
create test1 hash:ip,port family inet counters timeout 300 hashsize 1024 maxelem 65536 bucketsize 12 initval 0xb5c4be5d
add test1 1.1.1.1,udp:20
add test1 1.1.1.1,21
create test2 hash:ip,port family inet hashsize 1024 maxelem 65536 bucketsize 12 initval 0xb5c4be5d
```

which results in the following translation:

```
root@machine:~# ipset-translate restore < file.ipt
add set inet global test1 { type ipv4_addr . inet_proto . inet_service; counter; timeout 300s; size 65536; }
add element inet global test1 { 1.1.1.1 . udp . 20 }
add element inet global test1 { 1.1.1.1 . tcp . 21 }
add set inet global test2 { type ipv4_addr . inet_proto . inet_service; size 65536; }
```

## LIMITATIONS

A few IP sets options may be not supported because they are not yet implemented in **[nftables(8)](/nftables/8.md)**.

Contrary to **[nftables(8)](/nftables/8.md)**, IP sets are not attached to a specific table. The translation utility assumes that sets are created in a table whose name is **global** and family is **inet**. You might want to update the resulting translation to use a different table name and family for your sets.

To get up-to-date information about this, please head to **https://wiki.nftables.org/**.

## SEE ALSO

**[nft(8)](/nft/8.md)**, **[ipset(8)](/ipset/8.md)**

## AUTHORS

The nftables framework has been written by the Netfilter Project (https://www.netfilter.org).

This manual page was written by Pablo Neira Ayuso \<pablo@netfilter.org\>.

This documentation is free/libre under the terms of the GPLv2+.

This tool was funded through the NGI0 PET Fund, a fund established by NLnet with financial support from the European Commission's Next Generation Internet programme, under the aegis of DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology under grant agreement No 825310.