---
name: "rarpd"
section: "8"
platform: "macos"
package: "network_cmds"
version: "741.100.2"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/rarpd"
---

# rarpd(8)

Reverse ARP Daemon

## NAME

**rarpd** – Reverse ARP Daemon

## SYNOPSIS

**rarpd** \[**-adf**\] \[*interface*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**Rarpd** services Reverse ARP requests on the Ethernet connected to *interface.* Upon receiving a request,  **rarpd** maps the target hardware address to an IP address via its name, which  must be present in both the [ethers(5)](/ethers/5.md) and  [hosts(5)](/hosts/5.md) databases. If a host does not exist in both databases, the translation cannot proceed and a reply will not be sent.

Additionally, a request is honored only if the server (i.e., the host that rarpd is running on) can "boot" the target; that is, if the directory  */tftpboot/**ipaddr* exists, where  is the target IP address.

In normal operation,  **rarpd** forks a copy of itself and runs in the background.  Anomalies and errors are reported via  [syslog(3)](/syslog/3.md).

## OPTIONS

- **-a**

  Listen on all the Ethernets attached to the system. If  ‘**-a**’ is omitted, an interface must be specified.

- **-d**

  Run in debug mode, with all the output to stderr. This option implies the  **-f** option.

- **-f**

  Run in the foreground.

## FILES

- */etc/ethers*

  - */etc/hosts*

  - */tftpboot*

  ## SEE ALSO

[bpf(4)](/bpf/4.md), Finlayson, R., Mann, T., Mogul, J.C., and Theimer, M., A Reverse Address Resolution Protocol, RFC 903.

## AUTHORS

Craig Leres (leres@ee.lbl.gov) and Steven McCanne (mccanne@ee.lbl.gov). Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA.