scutil

scutil

---

 scutil [-v] [-p] scutil [-v] [-d] -r {   hostname     IP_addr   [   IP_addr   ] } scutil [-v] -w   key   [-t   timeout   ] scutil [-v] --get { ComputerName  LocalHostName } scutil [-v] --set { ComputerName  LocalHostName } [   hostname   ] 

Description

Provides control of the System Configuration framework's dynamic store. scutil is used to open an interactive session with configd , in which various commands are available to view and modify System Configuration keys.

As a quick example of interactive use, try this:

• Invoke scutil . You will be placed at the scutil prompt.

• Enter open to open the session with configd .

• Enter list . You will see a set of keys, some of which are provided by the System Configuration framework (such as the keys in the File : domain), some of which are obtained from /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences. plist (the Setup : keys), and some of which are published by the configuration agents (the State : keys).

• Enter show State:/Network/Global/DNS to display the DNS dictionary. You should see a list of DNS servers and search domains configured on your system.

• Enter close , then quit .

Options/Usage

-d

Enables debugging output to standard error.

--get

Prints the system's computer name or Rendezvous hostname to standard output.

-p

Enables a private API with additional commands, including lock , unlock , touch , snapshot , n.file , n.signal , n.wait , and n.callback .

-r

Determines how the specified node (given as a hostname or an IP address) would be reached, printing the result to standard output. Possibilities include Reachable , Directly Reachable Address (the address is on the local network), and Local Address (the address resolves to the host on which the command is run). For systems with more than one network interface, two arguments may be given, where the first is the system's local address, and the second is the remote address. Note that this option does not determine whether a machine at the specified address is currently active, only whether that address is reachable.

--set

Sets the system's computer name or Rendezvous hostname. If the new hostname isn't specified on the command line, it's taken from standard input.

-t

Specifies the timeout to wait for the presence of a data store key, in seconds. Defaults to 15 .

-v

Enables verbose output to standard error.

-w

Exits when the specified key exists in the data store, or until the timeout has expired .

Commands

scutil enters interactive mode when invoked with no arguments.

add key [temporary]

Adds a key to the data store with the value of the current dictionary. The temporary keyword causes it to be flushed when the session to configd is closed.

close

Closes a session with configd .

d.add key [* ? #] value ...

Adds an entry to the current dictionary. The optional type specifier can be used to designate the values as arrays ( * ), booleans ( ? ), or numbers ( # ).

d.init

Creates an empty dictionary.

d.remove key

Removes the specified key from the current dictionary.

d.show

Displays the contents of the current dictionary.

exit

Exits the scutil session.

f.read file

Reads prepared commands from a file.

get key

Causes the value of the specified key to become the current dictionary.

help

Prints a list of available commands.

list [ regex ]

Lists keys in the System Configuration data store. A regular expression may be specified to restrict which keys are listed.

lock

Prevents changes to the data store by other processes.

n.add key [pattern]

Requests notification of changes made to the specified key, or to keys matching a regular expression (when the pattern argument is used).

n.callback [verbose]

Sends notifications via a callback function defined in the scutil code. This isn't particularly useful without modifying the source code.

n.cancel

Cancels n.watch settings.

n.changes

Lists changed keys that have been marked with notification requests, and resets the state of notification.

n.file [ identifier ]

Sends notifications to a file descriptor. After issuing this command, the prompt returns only after a notification is received.

n.list [pattern]

Lists keys upon which notification requests have been set. With the pattern argument, lists notification requests for keys matching regular expressions.

n.remove key [pattern]

Removes notification requests for the specified key or regular expression (when the pattern argument is used).

n.signal signal [ process_ID ]

Sends notifications by signaling a process. If a process ID isn't specified, the signal is sent to the scutil process. The signal is specified either as a name or a number (as described in the kill manpage ).

n.wait

Sends notifications via Mach messaging.

n.watch [verbose]

Causes changes to keys marked with notification requests to issue immediate notices, obviating the need to use n.changes to notice that the change has occurred.

notify key

Sends a notification for the specified key.

open

Opens a session with configd .

q

Exits the scutil session.

quit

Exits the scutil session.

remove key

Removes the specified key from the data store.

set key

Sets the specified key to the value of the current dictionary.

show key [pattern]

Same as get key , followed by d.show .

snapshot

Saves current store and session data to XML property lists in /var/tmp/ .

touch key

"Touches" the specified key, spurring notifications as if it had changed, but leaving it unaltered.

unlock

After issuing a lock command, allows other processes to make changes to the data store.

Location

/usr/sbin