---
name: "trickled"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "trickle"
version: "1.08+ds-1.1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/trickled"
---

# trickled(8)

userspace bandwidth manager daemon

## NAME

**trickled** – userspace bandwidth manager daemon

## SYNOPSIS

**trickled** \[**-h**\] \[**-v**\] \[**-V**\] \[**-f**\] \[**-s**\] \[**-d** *rate\[:schedule\]*\] \[**-u** *rate\[:schedule\]*\] \[**-t** *seconds*\] \[**-l** *length*\] \[**-p** *priority*\] \[**-c** *file*\] \[**-n** *path*\] \[**-N** *seconds*\] \[**-w** *size*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**trickled** is a userspace bandwidth manager daemon. **trickled** manages several [trickle(1)](/trickle/1.md) sessions at a time, shaping across multiple sessions.

The options are as follows:

- **-v**

  Increases the verbosity level (can be specified multiple times).

- **-V**

  Prints version.

- **-f**

  Runs **trickled** in the foreground.

- **-s**

  Uses syslog for all output (instead of stderr).

- **-d** *rate\[:schedule\]*

  Limit the download bandwidth consumption to  *rate* KB/s. Optionally, set a *schedule* to follow.

- **-u** *rate\[:schedule\]*

  Limit the upload bandwidth consumption to  *rate* KB/s. Optionally, set a *schedule* to follow.

- **-t** *seconds*

  Set smoothing time to *seconds* s.  The smoothing time determines with what intervals  **trickled** will try to let the application transcieve data.  Smaller values will result in a more continuous (smooth) session, while larger values may produce bursts in the sending and receiving data.  Smaller values (0.1 - 1 s) are ideal for interactive applications while slightly larger values (1 - 10 s) are better for applications that need bulk transfer. This parameter is customizable on a per-application basis via [trickled.conf(5)](/trickled.conf/5.md). The default value is 5 s.

- **-l** *length*

  Set smoothing length to *length* KB.  The smoothing length is a fallback of the smoothing time.  If  **trickled** cannot meet the requested smoothing time, it will instead fall back on sending  *length* KB of data.  The default value is 10 KB.

- **-p** *priority*

  Set default priority to  *priority*.

- **-c** *file*

  Use the configuration file *file*. This file must be of the format documented in  [trickled.conf(5)](/trickled.conf/5.md).

- **-n** *path*

  Set socket name to  *path*. By default,  **trickled** uses */tmp/.trickled.sock*.

- **-N** *seconds*

  Notifies user of total bandwidth consumption every *seconds* s.

- **-w** *size*

  Set peak detection window size to  *size* KB.  This determines how aggressive  **trickled** is at eliminating bandwidth consumption peaks.  Lower values will be more aggressive, but may also result in over shaping.  The default value (512 KB) is usually sufficient.

### Schedules

Both the *-u* and *-d* flags accept one or more optional schedules, specified in the following form:

:\[*days\_of\_week*\]\[*start\_time*\],\[*end\_time*\],\[*rate*\]

*days\_of\_week* may be any of *Su* *M* *T* *W* *Th* *F* *Sa* in any order.  If no day is specified, the schedule will apply for all days.

*start\_time* is the 3-or-4-digit 24-hour local time to begin the new bandwidth schedule. For example, *1234* would mean 12:34 PM. *123* would mean 1:23 AM. *2345* would mean 11:45 PM.

*end\_time* is the 3-or-4-digit 24-hour local time to end the bandwidth schedule.

*rate* is the bandwidth limit (in KB/s) that is enforced during the specified time.

Multiple schedules can be string together on the command line. If the schedules overlap, the last one takes precident.

## EXAMPLES

**trickled** **-u** **10** **-d** **20**

Limit aggregate  [trickle(1)](/trickle/1.md) upload bandwidth consumption to 10 KB/s and download consumption to 20 KB/s.

**trickled** **-d** **50** **-u** **10:WSaSu130,145,1000:MTTh1200,300,96**

Limit aggregate [trickle(1)](/trickle/1.md) bandwidth consumption as follows:

- constant 50 KB/s download limit

- 1000 KB/s upload limit between 1:30 AM and 1:45 AM on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays

- 96 KB/s upload limit between 12:00 noon and 3:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays

- 10 KB/s upload limit otherwise

**trickled** **-s** **-u** **100** **-d** **10000:900,1700,10**

Limit aggregate [trickle(1)](/trickle/1.md) bandwidth consumption as follows:

- constant 100 KB/s upload limit

- 10 KB/s download limit between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM all days of the week

- 10,000 KB/s download limit otherwise

## SEE ALSO

[trickle(1)](/trickle/1.md), [trickled.conf(5)](/trickled.conf/5.md), [syslog(3)](/syslog/3.md), [netintro(4)](/netintro/4.md)

## AUTHORS

**trickled** has been developed by Marius Aamodt Eriksen ⟨marius@monkey.org⟩.