---
name: "wackamole"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "wackamole"
version: "2.1.1-3.1+b1"
release: "Debian 6.0 (Squeeze)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/wackamole"
---

# wackamole(8)

IP-failover high-availability tool

## NAME

wackamole - IP-failover high-availability tool

## SYNOPSIS

**wackamole \[-v\] \[-c** *config\_file* **\] \[ -s** *spread* **\] \[-u** *user* **\] \[ -d \]**

## DESCRIPTION

**wackamole** runs the Wackamole IP-failover HA tool using the wackamole.conf file as a base configuration.

## OPTIONS

- \-v

  Display version information and exit.

- \-d

  Turn on debugging and do not daemonize.

- \-u user

  Instruct wackamole to use *user* instread of *Wack\<pid\>* as it's username when connecting to Spread.

- \-s spread\_loc

  Connect to Spread running at *spread\_loc*

- \-c config-file

  Use an alternate configuration file *config-file* instead of *wackamole.conf*.

## FILES

*wackamole.conf*

The default config file location is dependant on the install prefix.  *./wackamole.conf* is also searched if a local file is not found.

## DIAGNOSTICS

By default, Wackamole will log any errors to syslog.  Check the appropriate log desitnation on your platform.

## BUGS

- Linux

  Wackamole makes extensive use of ioctl()s on network devices.  When dropping and interface such as eth0:4, all subsequent interfaces (eth0:5, etc.) will *disappear* and no longer function.  There has been special code added that causes Wackamole on Linux to iterate through all IP addresses after a balancing round and attempt to re-plumb them.  This may cause gratuitous entries to syslog as well as extra unsolicited ARP responses.

- Solaris

  Solaris' local arp-cache is, as far as the author is aware, completely undocumented.  The code in Wackamole to open /dev/ip and attempt to read the ARP cache was written only by looking at the output of **truss arp -an** and should be considered a "stab in the dark."

## AUTHOR

Yair Amir \<yairamir@cnds.jhu.edu\>

Ryan Caudy \<wyvern@cnds.jhu.edu\>

Aashima Munjal \<munjal@cnds.jhu.edu\>

Theo Schlossnagle \<jesus@cnds.jhu.edu\>

## SEE ALSO

[**wackamole.conf**(5)](/wackamole.conf/5.md),**wackatrl**(1)