RIPD.CONF(5) | File Formats Manual | RIPD.CONF(5)

# NAME

`ripd.conf` — RIP routing daemon configuration file

# DESCRIPTION

The ripd(8) daemon implements the Routing Information Protocol version 2 as described in RFC 2453.

The `ripd.conf` config file is divided into the following main sections:

Macros
  Definitions of variables that can be used later, simplifying the configuration file.
Global configuration
  Global settings for ripd(8).
Interfaces configuration
  Interface-specific parameters.

## Macros

A macro is defined with a command of the form name=value. The macro name can contain letters, digits, and underscores and cannot be a reserved word (for example, `cost`). Within unquoted arguments, the string $name is later expanded to value.

For example:

    hi="2"
    interface em0 {
    	cost $hi
    }

## Global configuration

Global settings concerns the main behaviour of the daemon.

`fib-priority` prio
  Set the routing priority to prio. The default is 40.

`fib-update` (`yes`|`no`)
  If set to `no`, do not update the Forwarding Information Base, a.k.a. the kernel routing table. The default is `yes`.

`rdomain` tableid
  Specifies the routing table ripd(8) should modify. Table 0 is the default table.

[`no`] `redistribute` (`static`|`connected`|`default`)
[`no`] `redistribute` prefix
[`no`] `redistribute rtlabel` label
  If set to `connected`, routes to directly attached networks will be announced over RIP. If set to `static`, static routes will be announced over RIP. If set to `default`, a default route pointing to this router will be announced over RIP. It is possible to specify a network range with prefix; networks need to be part of that range to be redistributed. Additionally it is possible to redistribute based on route labels using the `rtlabel` keyword. By default no additional routes will be announced over RIP.

  `redistribute` statements are evaluated in sequential order, from first to last. The first matching rule decides if a route should be redistributed or not. Matching rules starting with `no` will force the route to be not announced.

`split-horizon` (`simple`|`poisoned`|`none`)
  If set to `simple`, do not redistribute routes to the interface from which they were learned. If set to `poisoned`, redistribute routes to the interface from which they were learned, by forcing the metric to infinity. Both these behaviours can resolve routing loops when a router goes down. The default is `poisoned`.

`triggered-updates` (`yes`|`no`)
  Immediately trigger responses when a route changes. The default is `no`.

## Interfaces configuration

Each interface can have several parameters configured individually, otherwise they are inherited.

    interface em0 {
    	cost 9
    	auth-type none
    }
    interface ix1

Interface-specific parameters are listed below.

`auth-key` key
  Set the authentication key for `simple` authentication. Up to 16 characters can be specified.
`auth-md` key-id key
  Set the authentication key-id and key for `crypt` authentication. The valid range for key-id is 0-255. Up to 16 characters can be specified for key. Multiple keys may be specified.
`auth-md-keyid` key-id
  Configure the key-id to use for `crypt` authentication. The valid range for key-id is 0-255. The default key-id is 1.
`auth-type` (`none`|`simple`|`crypt`)
  Set the authentication type. The default is `none`. Simple authentication uses a plaintext password, up to 16 characters. Crypt authentication uses an MD5 hash.
`cost` number
  Cost of the network connected through this interface. Values must be between 1 and 16, inclusive.
`demote` group
  Increase the carp(4) demotion counter by 1 on the given interface group, usually carp, when the interface state is going down. The demotion counter will be decreased when the interface state is active again.
`passive`
  Prevent transmission and reception of RIP packets on this interface.

# FILES

/etc/ripd.conf
  ripd(8) configuration file.
/etc/examples/ripd.conf
  Example configuration file.

# SEE ALSO

rc.conf.local(8), ripctl(8), ripd(8)

# HISTORY

The `ripd.conf` file format first appeared in OpenBSD 4.1.

July 8, 2025 | Debian