---
name: "semodule"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "policycoreutils"
version: "3.8.1-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/semodule"
---

# semodule(8)

Manage SELinux policy modules.

## NAME

semodule - Manage SELinux policy modules.

## SYNOPSIS

**semodule \[option\]... MODE...**\

## DESCRIPTION

semodule is the tool used to manage SELinux policy modules, including installing, upgrading, listing and removing modules. semodule may also be used to force a rebuild of policy from the module store and/or to force a reload of policy without performing any other transaction.  semodule acts on module packages created by semodule\_package.  Conventionally, these files have a .pp suffix (policy package), although this is not mandated in any way.

## MODES

- **-R, --reload**

  force a reload of policy

- **-B, --build**

  force a rebuild of policy (also reloads unless -n is used)

- **--refresh**

  Like --build, but reuses existing linked policy if no changes to module files are detected (by comparing with checksum from the last transaction). One can use this instead of -B to ensure that any changes to the module store done by an external tool (e.g. a package manager) are applied, while automatically skipping the module re-linking if there are no module changes.

- **-D, --disable\_dontaudit**

  Temporarily remove dontaudits from policy.  Reverts whenever policy is rebuilt

- **-i,--install=MODULE\_PKG**

  install/replace a module package

- **-u,--upgrade=MODULE\_PKG**

  deprecated, alias for --install

- **-b,--base=MODULE\_PKG**

  deprecated, alias for --install

- **-r,--remove=MODULE\_NAME**

  remove existing module at desired priority (defaults to -X 400)

- **-l\[KIND\],--list-modules\[=KIND\]**

  display list of installed modules (other than base)

- **KIND:**

  - standard

  list highest priority, enabled, non-base modules

- full

  list all modules

- **-X,--priority=PRIORITY**

  set priority for following operations (1-999)

- **-e,--enable=MODULE\_NAME**

  enable module

- **-d,--disable=MODULE\_NAME**

  disable module

- **-E,--extract=MODULE\_PKG**

  Extract a module from the store as an HLL or CIL file to the current directory. A module is extracted as HLL by default. The name of the module written is \<module-name\>.\<lang\_ext\>

## OPTIONS

- **-s,--store**

  name of the store to operate on

- **-n,--noreload,-N**

  do not reload policy after commit

- **-h,--help**

  prints help message and quit

- **-P,--preserve\_tunables**

  Preserve tunables in policy

- **-C,--ignore-module-cache**

  Recompile CIL modules built from HLL files

- **-p,--path**

  Use an alternate path for the policy root

- **-S,--store-path**

  Use an alternate path for the policy store root

- **-v,--verbose**

  be verbose

- **-c,--cil**

  Extract module as a CIL file. This only affects the --extract option and only modules listed in --extract after this option.

- **-H,--hll**

  Extract module as an HLL file. This only affects the --extract option and only modules listed in --extract after this option.

- **-m,--checksum**

  Add SHA256 checksum of modules to the list output.

## EXAMPLE

```
# Install or replace a base policy package.
$ semodule -b base.pp
# Install or replace a non-base policy package.
$ semodule -i httpd.pp
# Install or replace all non-base modules in the current directory.
# This syntax can be used with -i/u/r/E, but no other option can be entered after the module names
$ semodule -i *.pp
# Install or replace all modules in the current directory.
$ ls *.pp | grep -Ev "base.pp|enableaudit.pp" | xargs /usr/sbin/semodule -b base.pp -i
# List non-base modules.
$ semodule -l
# List all modules including priorities
$ semodule -lfull
# Remove a module at priority 100
$ semodule -X 100 -r wireshark
# Turn on all AVC Messages for which SELinux currently is "dontaudit"ing.
$ semodule -DB
# Turn "dontaudit" rules back on.
$ semodule -B
# Disable a module (all instances of given module across priorities will be disabled).
$ semodule -d alsa
# Install a module at a specific priority.
$ semodule -X 100 -i alsa.pp
# Set an alternate path for the policy root
$ semodule -B -p "/tmp"
# Set an alternate path for the policy store root
$ semodule -B -S "/tmp/var/lib/selinux"
# Write the HLL version of puppet and the CIL version of wireshark
# modules at priority 400 to the current working directory
$ semodule -X 400 --hll -E puppet --cil -E wireshark
# Check whether a module in "localmodule.pp" file is same as installed module "localmodule"
$ /usr/libexec/selinux/hll/pp localmodule.pp | sha256sum
$ semodule -l -m | grep localmodule
# Translate binary module file into CIL (useful for debugging installation errors)
$ /usr/libexec/selinux/hll/pp alsa.pp > alsa.cil
```

## SEE ALSO

[**checkmodule**(8)](/checkmodule/8.md), [**semodule\_package**(8)](/semodule_package/8.md)

## AUTHORS

```
This manual page was written by Dan Walsh <dwalsh@redhat.com>.
The program was written by Karl MacMillan <kmacmillan@tresys.com>, Joshua Brindle <jbrindle@tresys.com>, Jason Tang <jtang@tresys.com>
```