---
name: "rancid"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "rancid"
version: "3.14-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/rancid"
---

# rancid(1)

Cisco configuration filter

## NAME

rancid - Cisco configuration filter

## SYNOPSIS

**rancid** \[**-dlCV**\] \[**-t device\_type**\] (**-f** filename \| hostname)

**rancid** \[**-dhlCV**\] **-t device\_type** (**-f** filename \| hostname)

## DESCRIPTION

**rancid** is a collection of  [**perl**(1)](/perl/1.md) scripts which use the login scripts (see [**clogin**(1)](/clogin/1.md)) to login to a device, execute commands to display the configuration, etc, then filters the output for formatting, security, and so forth. **rancid's** product is a file with the name of it's last argument plus the suffix .new. For example, *hostname.new*.

**rancid** is a [**perl**(1)](/perl/1.md) script that operates much like the vendor-specific **rancid** script of pre-3.0 releases, but is generic and will eventually obsolete the vendor-specific **rancid** scripts. It uses the device\_type specified with the -t option to look-up a device description (see [**rancid.types.conf**(5)](/rancid.types.conf/5.md)) that defines what it does to collect and process device information.

There are scripts complementary to **rancid** for other platforms and/or manufacturers that are supported by [**rancid**(1)](/rancid/1.md). Briefly, these are:

- **agmrancid**

  Cisco Anomaly Guard Module (AGM)

- **arancid**

  Alteon WebOS switches

- **brancid**

  Bay Networks (nortel)

- **cat5rancid**

  Cisco catalyst switches

- **cssrancid**

  Cisco content services switches

- **erancid**

  ADC-kentrox EZ-T3 mux

- **f5rancid**

  F5 BigIPs

- **rancid**

  The generic rancid script; supporting Allied Telesis AW+ devices, Arbor Networks Appliances, Arista EOS, Ciena Waverserver, Cisco IOS, Cisco IOS-XR, Cisco NX-OS, Cisco WLC, (some) Dell switches, Extreme switches, Fortinet firewalls, Force10 (aka Dell NOS9), Foundry (aka some Brocade) devices, FRR Routing S/W (formerly Quagga or Zebra), Juniper JunOS and JunOS EVO, Nokia (Alcatel-Lucent) SR OS, and UBNT Edgemax and EdgeRouter, and SMC (some Dell switches). It uses the device O/S modules for parsing routines as determined by the [**rancid.types.conf**(5)](/rancid.types.conf/5.md) file(s). Also see [**rancid**(3)](/rancid/3.md) for details.

- **hrancid**

  HP Procurve Switches

- **htranicd**

  Hitachi Routers

- **jerancid**

  Juniper Networks E-series

- **mrancid**

  MRTd

- **nrancid**

  Netscreen firewalls

- **nsrancid**

  Netscaler

- **rivrancid**

  Riverstone

- **rrancid**

  Redback

- **trancid**

  Netopia sDSL/T1 routers

- **xirancid**

  Xirrus arrays

If **rancid** is run for a device type whose script, as defined in **rancid.types.base** or **rancid.types.conf,** is not **rancid,** then that script will be **exec(2)**'d.

The command-line options are as follows:

- **-C**

  Prints the login command that would be used to collect data from the device.

- **-V**

  Prints package name and version strings.

- **-d**

  Display debugging information.

- **-h**

  Display a usage line and exit.

- **-l**

  Display somewhat less debugging information.

- **-t**

  Device type, of the given host or file, that is defined in **rancid.types.base** or **rancid.types.conf .**

- **-f**

  **rancid** should interpret the next argument as a filename which contains the output it would normally collect from the device ( *hostname* ) with [*clogin*(1)](/clogin/1.md).

## SEE ALSO

[**control\_rancid**(1)](/control_rancid/1.md), [**clogin**(1)](/clogin/1.md), [**rancid.conf**(5)](/rancid.conf/5.md), [**rancid.types.conf**(5)](/rancid.types.conf/5.md), [**rancid**(3)](/rancid/3.md)

## CAVEATS

Cisco IOS offers a DHCP server that maintains a text database which can be stored remotely or on local storage. If stored locally, the file changes constantly and causes constant diffs from rancid. If this file's name ('ip dhcp database') matches the regex dhcp\_\[^\[:space:\].\].txt, it will be filtered.

For Catalyst switches running CatOS, type **cat5,** the prompt must end with '\>'. [**clogin**(1)](/clogin/1.md) looks for '\>' to determine when a login is successful.  For example:

```
cat5k>
cat5k> enable
Password:
cat5k> (enable)
```

**rancid** works on Cisco Catalyst 1900 series switches that are running Enterprise Edition software.  This software provides a menu at connection time that allows a command line interface to be used by entering 'K' at the prompt.