---
name: "nrun"
section: "1p"
platform: "linux"
package: "ndiff"
version: "0.05beta4-3"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/nrun"
---

# nrun(1p)

run nmap, storing results in an organized fashion, optionally running ndiff afterwards

## NAME

nrun - run nmap, storing results in an organized fashion, optionally \
        running ndiff afterwards

## SYNOPSIS

nrun \<nrun options\> -- \<nmap options\>

```
    <nrun options> =
```

```
     [-o⎪-output <filename-or-:tag>] [-b⎪-baseline <filename-or:tag>]
     [-no⎪-ndiff-options "<ndiff options>"]  [-nm⎪-nmap <path-to-nmap-binary>]
     [-l⎪-logfile]
```

## DESCRIPTION

Nrun passes \<nmap options\> through to nmap verbatim, except that it instructs nmap to store results in machine-parseable format via nmap's **-m** switch, and adds the **-v** switch to generate a port listing in the output file.

Note that the "--" string must be present or \<nmap options\> will be missed by nrun.

Since nrun inserts the **-m** and **-v** switches into the nmap command line,  you should avoid putting those switches in \<nmap options\> yourself.

In addition, nrun writes a meta-data file containing some interesting information about the nmap run.

Nrun can automatically invoke ndiff to generate differences with a specified baseline after the scan completes -- see "OPTIONS" below.

## OPTIONS

- \-o \<filename-or-:tag\>

  - \-output \<filename-or-:tag\>

  Use \<filename-or-:tag\> as the name of the stored results.  By default this is treated as a filename.  Nrun also writes a metadata file, "\<filename-or-:tag\>.info"  containing a some information about the scan.

  \<filename-or-:tag\> may contain %-style substitutions to dynamically add time/date fields or the local host name.  See "SUBSTITUTIONS" below.

  The default for tag is "\<hostname\>-YYYYMMDD.nm" ( "%F-%Y%w%D.nm" ).

  If \<filename-or-:tag\> starts with a colon (:), \<filename-or-:tag\> is treated as a key into a data store, colon removed.  See "DATA STORES" for more information.

- \-b \<filename-or-:tag\>

  - \-baseline \<filename-or-:tag\>

  If nmap returns a successful result, instructs nrun to execute ndiff with the new results against the (pre-existing) baseline results  specified with \<filename-or-:tag\>.

  As with the **-o** option above, if \<filename-or-:tag\> starts with a colon, the tag is treated as a data store key.  See "DATA STORES" below.

- \-no "\< ndiff options ... \>"

  - \-ndiff-options "\< ndiff options ... \>"

  Pass the "\<ndiff options\>" to ndiff.  Use with the **-b** or **-baseline** switch.  Note that the options must be a single (quoted).

- \-nm \<path-to-nmap-binary\>

  - \-nmap \<path-to-nmap-binary\>

  Instructs nrun to execute \<path-to-nmap-binary\> explicitly instead of using "nmap" as found in the search path.

- \-qn

  - \-quiet-nmap

  Instructs nrun to redirect nmap's human readable output to /dev/null.

- \-l \<logfile\>

  - \-log \<logfile\>

  Instructs nrun to redirect nmap's human readable output to \<logfile\>. Nrun's % substitutions are expanded in \<logfile\>.  Currently there is no support for storing logfiles with results data through data stores, but this may be added later.

## DATA STORES

Nrun and its related tools can manipulate results in regular nmap-format files, in any user-specified location, or they can handle storing and organizing the data on behalf of the user, through a user-configurable "data store".

Whenever you precede a results tag with a colon (:), the tag will be treated as a unique key into a data store, identifying the results set.

Currently the only supported data store is  nmap format files placed in a preconfigured directory.  Other types may be added at a later date.

A legal tag may contain any alphanumeric string, plus dash, underscore, and dot. %-style substitutions in the ilk of the "date" command are also supported, allowing a tag to contain date, time, or the local hostname.  See "SUBSTITUTIONS" below for more information.

## SUBSTITUTIONS

%-style substitutions supported in tags as follows:

- %H = hour

  - %M = minute

  - %S = second

  - %D = day of month

  - %m = month of year (01-12)

  - %Y = year, four digits

  - %j = day of year, three digits

  - %w = day of week (0-6) one digit

  Except where noted, the above items are two digits, and local time.  All are zero-padded as appropriate.

In addtion-

- %F = output of "hostname" on the local machine

  ## BUGS

Ports Scanned lists in results files don't currently condense sequential ranges of ports, resulting in larger than necessary files.  This will be fixed in a future update.

## AUTHOR

James Levine \<jdl@vinecorp.com\>