---
name: "racoon-tool"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "racoon"
version: "1:0.8.2+20140711-8+deb9u1"
release: "Debian 9 (Stretch)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/racoon-tool"
---

# racoon-tool(8)

program to manage the racoon(8) IPSEC IKE daemon.

## NAME

racoon-tool - program to manage the  [**racoon**(8)](/racoon/8.md) IPSEC IKE daemon.

## SYNOPSIS

**racoon-tool** *\[-h\] reload\|restart\|force-reload\|start\|stop*\
 **racoon-tool** *\[-h\] sadflush\|spdflush\|saddump\|spddump*\
 **racoon-tool** *\[-h\] vpndown\|vdown\|vpnup\|vup connection-name\|all*\
 **racoon-tool** *\[-h\] vpnreload\|vreload connection-name\|all*\
 **racoon-tool** *\[-h\] vpnlist\|vlist \[connection-name\|all\]*\
 **racoon-tool** *\[-h\] vpnmenu\|vmenu \[connection-name-regexp\]*\
 **racoon-tool** *\[-h\] racoonstart\|racoonstop\|rstart\|rstop*\

## DESCRIPTION

This manual page documents briefly the **racoon-tool** command. [**racoon-tool**(8)](/racoon-tool/8.md) is a perl script that can be used to control the [**racoon**(8)](/racoon/8.md) IKE daemon and the SPD database within the kernel via the [**setkey**(8)](/setkey/8.md) command.  Various operations that it can do are described below.

You can also optionally choose not to use it via reconfiguring the  *racoon* package using [**dpkg-reconfigure**(8)](/dpkg-reconfigure/8.md).

## OPTIONS

A summary of options are included below.

- **-h**

  Show summary of options.

## COMMANDS

- **start**

  Start  [**racoon**(8)](/racoon/8.md), loading any needed modules, configuring the SPD, and generating a configuration from */etc/racoon/racoon-tool.conf* (head) and following up with *\*.conf* files from */etc/racoon/racoon-tool.conf.d/.*

- **stop**

  Stop [**racoon**(8)](/racoon/8.md) unloading any crypto/IPSEC modules, flushing the SAD and SPD.

- **reload**

  Regenerate configuration from */etc/racoon/racoon.conf,* and */etc/racoon/racoon.conf.d/,* *HUP* [**racoon**(8)](/racoon/8.md) and reinitialise the SPD and SAD.

- **restart\|force-reload**

  Perform a *stop* followed by a *start*

- **sadflush**

  Flush the SAD via [**setkey**(8)](/setkey/8.md).

- **spdflush**

  Flush the SPD via [**setkey**(8)](/setkey/8.md).

- **saddump\|dump**

  Dump the SAD to screen via [**setkey**(8)](/setkey/8.md), paginating via your pager.

- **spddump**

  Dump the SPD to screen via [**setkey**(8)](/setkey/8.md), paginating via your pager.

- **vpnup\|vup** connection-name\|all

  Bring up the VPN connection(s).

- **vpndown\|vdown** connection-name\|all

  Take down the VPN connection(s).

- **vpnreload\|vreload** connection-name\|all

  Reload the VPN connection(s).

- **vpnlist\|vlist** \[connection-name\|all\]

  List the known VPN connections in */etc/racoon/racoon-tool.conf, etc.* Can be used by a script or administrator to see  if a VPN connection exists.

- **vpnmenu\|vmenu** \[connection-name-regexp\]

  Start the VPN menu management mode.  This displays the SPD,  and you can shutdown VPNs from here.  Latter on support will be added for checking status and reloading the chosen connection.

- **racoonstart\|rstart**

  Start only the [**racoon**(8)](/racoon/8.md) daemon.

- **racoonstop\|rstop**

  Stop only the [**racoon**(8)](/racoon/8.md) daemon.

## FILES

- */etc/racoon/racoon-tool.conf*

  \- configuration file (head).

- */etc/racoon/racoon-tool.conf.d*

  \- configuration file segment directory read after the above.

- */var/lib/racoon/racoon.conf*

  \- generated racoon.conf

## SEE ALSO

[**racoon**(8)](/racoon/8.md), [**racoon.conf**(5)](/racoon.conf/5.md), [**setkey**(8)](/setkey/8.md), [**racoon-tool.conf**(5)](/racoon-tool.conf/5.md).

## AUTHOR

This manual page was written by Matthew Grant \<matthewgrant5@gmail.com\>, for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others).