mandos-ctl

Name

mandos-ctl — Control or query the operation of the Mandos server

Synopsis

mandos-ctl [ --verbose | -v
| --dump-json | -j ] [--debug] [ CLIENT ... ]

mandos-ctl {[ --enable | -e
| --disable | -d ]
[ --bump-timeout | -b ]
[ --start-checker | --stop-checker ]
[ --checker COMMAND | -c COMMAND ]
[ --timeout TIME | -t TIME ]
[ --extended-timeout TIME ]
[ --interval TIME | -i TIME ]
[ --approve-by-default
| --deny-by-default ]
[ --approval-delay TIME ]
[ --approval-duration TIME ]
[ --host STRING | -H STRING ]
[ --secret FILENAME | -s FILENAME ]
[ --approve | -A
| --deny | -D ]}
[--debug] { --all | -a | CLIENT ... }

mandos-ctl [ --deny | -D ] { --remove | -r }
[--debug] { --all | -a | CLIENT ... }

mandos-ctl { --is-enabled | -V } [--debug] CLIENT

mandos-ctl { --help | -h }

mandos-ctl { --version | -v }

mandos-ctl --check

DESCRIPTION

mandos-ctl is a program to control or query the operation of the Mandos server mandos(8).

This program can be used to change client settings, approve or deny client requests, and to remove clients from the server.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this is to enable remote and unattended rebooting of client host computer with an encrypted root file system. See the section called “OVERVIEW” for details.

OPTIONS

--help, -h: Show a help message and exit
--enable, -e: Enable client(s). An enabled client will be eligble to receive its secret.
--disable, -d: Disable client(s). A disabled client will not be eligble to receive its secret, and no checkers will be started for it.
--bump-timeout: Bump the timeout of the specified client(s), just as if a checker had completed successfully for it/them.
--start-checker: Start a new checker now for the specified client(s).
--stop-checker: Stop any running checker for the specified client(s).
--remove, -r: Remove the specified client(s) from the server.
--checker COMMAND, -c COMMAND: Set the checker option of the specified client(s); see mandos-clients.conf(5).
--timeout TIME, -t TIME: Set the timeout option of the specified client(s); see mandos-clients.conf(5).
--extended-timeout TIME: Set the extended_timeout option of the specified client(s); see mandos-clients.conf(5).
--interval TIME, -i TIME: Set the interval option of the specified client(s); see mandos-clients.conf(5).
--approve-by-default, --deny-by-default: Set the approved_by_default option of the specified client(s) to True or False, respectively; see mandos-clients.conf(5).
--approval-delay TIME: Set the approval_delay option of the specified client(s); see mandos-clients.conf(5).
--approval-duration TIME: Set the approval_duration option of the specified client(s); see mandos-clients.conf(5).
--host STRING, -H STRING: Set the host option of the specified client(s); see mandos-clients.conf(5).
--secret FILENAME, -s FILENAME: Set the secfile option of the specified client(s); see mandos-clients.conf(5).
--approve, -A: Approve client(s) if currently waiting for approval.
--deny, -D: Deny client(s) if currently waiting for approval.
--all, -a: Make the client-modifying options modify all clients.
--verbose, -v: Show all client settings, not just a subset.
--dump-json, -j: Dump client settings as JSON to standard output.
--is-enabled, -V: Check if a single client is enabled or not, and exit with a successful exit status only if the client is enabled.
--debug: Show debug output; currently, this means show D-Bus calls.
--check: Run self-tests. This includes any unit tests, etc.

OVERVIEW

This is part of the Mandos system for allowing computers to have encrypted root file systems and at the same time be capable of remote and/or unattended reboots. The computers run a small client program in the initial RAM disk environment which will communicate with a server over a network. All network communication is encrypted using TLS. The clients are identified by the server using a TLS key; each client has one unique to it. The server sends the clients an encrypted password. The encrypted password is decrypted by the clients using a separate OpenPGP key, and the password is then used to unlock the root file system, whereupon the computers can continue booting normally.

This program is a small utility to generate new OpenPGP keys for new Mandos clients, and to generate sections for inclusion in clients.conf on the server.

EXIT STATUS

If the --is-enabled option is used, the exit status will be 0 only if the specified client is enabled.

BUGS

Please report bugs to the Mandos development mailing list: <mandos-dev@recompile.se> (subscription required). Note that this list is public. The developers can be reached privately at <mandos@recompile.se> (OpenPGP key fingerprint 153A 37F1 0BBA 0435 987F 2C4A 7223 2973 CA34 C2C4 for encrypted mail).

EXAMPLE

To list all clients:

mandos-ctl

To list all settings for the clients named “foo1.example.org” and “foo2.example.org”:

mandos-ctl --verbose foo1.example.org foo2.example.org

To enable all clients:

mandos-ctl --enable --all

To change timeout and interval value for the clients named “foo1.example.org” and “foo2.example.org”:

mandos-ctl --timeout=PT5M --interval=PT1M foo1.example.org foo2.example.org

To approve all clients currently waiting for approval:

mandos-ctl --approve --all

SECURITY

This program must be permitted to access the Mandos server via the D-Bus interface. This normally requires the root user, but could be configured otherwise by reconfiguring the D-Bus server.