---
name: "tdbtool"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "tdb"
version: "1.4.15-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/tdbtool/8"
---

# tdbtool(8)

manipulate the contents TDB files

## NAME

tdbtool - manipulate the contents TDB files

## SYNOPSIS

**tdbtool**

**tdbtool** \[-l\] *TDBFILE* \[*COMMANDS*...\]

## DESCRIPTION

This tool is part of the **samba**(1) suite.

**tdbtool** a tool for displaying and altering the contents of Samba TDB (Trivial DataBase) files. Each of the commands listed below can be entered interactively or provided on the command line.

## OPTIONS

- \-l

  This options disables any locking, by passing TDB\_NOLOCK to tdb\_open\_ex(). Only use this for database files which are not used by any other process! And also only if it is otherwise not possible to open the database, e.g. databases which were created with mutex locking.

## COMMANDS

**create** *TDBFILE*

Create a new database named *TDBFILE*.

**open** *TDBFILE*

Open an existing database named *TDBFILE*.

**erase**

Erase the current database.

**dump**

Dump the current database as strings.

**cdump**

Dump the current database as connection records.

**keys**

Dump the current database keys as strings.

**hexkeys**

Dump the current database keys as hex values.

**info**

Print summary information about the current database.

**insert** *KEY* *DATA*

Insert a record into the current database.

**move** *KEY* *TDBFILE*

Move a record from the current database into *TDBFILE*.

**store** *KEY* *DATA*

Store (replace) a record in the current database.

**storehex** *KEY* *DATA*

Store (replace) a record in the current database where key and data are in hex format.

**show** *KEY*

Show a record by key.

**delete** *KEY*

Delete a record by key.

**list**

Print the current database hash table and free list.

**free**

Print the current database and free list.

**!** *COMMAND*

Execute the given system command.

**first**

Print the first record in the current database.

**next**

Print the next record in the current database.

**check**

Check the integrity of the current database.

**repack**

Repack a database using a temporary file to remove fragmentation.

**quit**

Exit **tdbtool**.

## CAVEATS

The contents of the Samba TDB files are private to the implementation and should not be altered with **tdbtool**.

## VERSION

This man page is correct for version 3.6 of the Samba suite.

## EXIT STATUS

The tdbtool program returns 0 if the operation succeeded, or 1 if the operation failed.

## AUTHOR

The original Samba software and related utilities were created by Andrew Tridgell. Samba is now developed by the Samba Team as an Open Source project similar to the way the Linux kernel is developed.