---
name: "snmptrap"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "net-snmp"
version: "5.9.5.2-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/snmptrap"
---

# snmptrap(1)

sends an SNMP notification to a manager

## NAME

snmptrap, snmpinform - sends an SNMP notification to a manager

## SYNOPSIS

**snmptrap -v 1** \[COMMON OPTIONS\] AGENT enterprise-oid agent generic-trap specific-trap uptime \[OID TYPE VALUE\]...

**snmptrap -v \[2c\|3\]** \[COMMON OPTIONS\] \[-Ci\] AGENT uptime trap-oid \[OID TYPE VALUE\]...

**snmpinform -v \[2c\|3\]** \[COMMON OPTIONS\] AGENT uptime trap-oid \[OID TYPE VALUE\]...

## DESCRIPTION

**snmptrap** is an SNMP application that uses the SNMP TRAP operation to send information to a network manager.  One or more object identifiers (OIDs) can be given as arguments on the command line.  A type and a value must accompany each object identifier.  Each variable name is given in the format specified in  *[variables(5)](/variables/5.md)*.

When invoked as **snmpinform,** or when **-Ci** is added to the command line flags of snmptrap, it sends an INFORM-PDU, expecting a response from the trap receiver, retransmitting if required.  Otherwise it sends an TRAP-PDU or TRAP2-PDU.

If any of the required version 1 parameters,  *enterprise-oid*, *agent*, and *uptime* are specified as empty, it defaults to *1.3.6.1.4.1.3.1.1 (enterprises.cmu.1.1)*, *hostname*, and *host-uptime* respectively.

The *TYPE* is a single character, one of:

- **i**

  INTEGER

- **u**

  UNSIGNED

- **c**

  COUNTER32

- **s**

  STRING

- **x**

  HEX STRING

- **d**

  DECIMAL STRING

- **n**

  NULLOBJ

- **o**

  OBJID

- **t**

  TIMETICKS

- **a**

  IPADDRESS

- **b**

  BITS

which are handled in the same way as the **snmpset** command.

The *AGENT* argument is only embedded in SNMP TRAP PDUs but not in SNMP INFORM PDUs. If *AGENT* is not an empty string, it must be an IPv4 address. This limitation comes from RFC 1157, in which the agent address field is defined as follows:

-

  agent-addr NetworkAddress, -- address of object generating trap

From RFC 1155:

-

  NetworkAddress ::=\
  \
       CHOICE {\
  \
           internet IpAddress\
  \
       }\
   \[ ... \]\
   IpAddress ::=\
  \
       \[APPLICATION 0\]          -- in network-byte order\
  \
           IMPLICIT OCTET STRING (SIZE (4))

An example of how to use **snmptrap:**

snmptrap -v 1 -c public manager enterprises.spider test-hub 3 0 '' interfaces.iftable.ifentry.ifindex.1 i 1

will send a generic linkUp trap to manager, for interface 1.

## OPTIONS

**snmptrap** takes the common options described in the *[snmpcmd(1)](/snmpcmd/1.md)* manual page in addition to the  **-Ci** option described above. Note that **snmptrap** REQUIRES  an argument specifying the agent to query as described there.

## SEE ALSO

[snmpcmd(1)](/snmpcmd/1.md), [snmpset(1)](/snmpset/1.md), [variables(5)](/variables/5.md).