WATCHDOGD(8) | System Manager's Manual | WATCHDOGD(8)

# NAME

`watchdogd` — watchdog timer retrigger daemon

# SYNOPSIS

`watchdogd` | [`-dnq`] [`-i` interval] [`-p` period]

# DESCRIPTION

`watchdogd` is a daemon to activate and periodically retrigger the watchdog(4) timer device from userland. `watchdogd` is designed to work in high load environments, where other methods (such as a shell script invoking sysctl(8)) would involve too much overhead.

The basic premise is that after every interval seconds, `watchdogd` resets the hardware timer to period. See also watchdog(4) for more information on how watchdog timers work.

The options are as follows:

`-d`
  Do not daemonize. If this option is specified, `watchdogd` will run in the foreground.
`-i` interval
  Specify how often, in seconds, `watchdogd` should retrigger the hardware timer. If no interval is specified, the value of period (see below) divided by three is used.
`-n`
  Do not restore the watchdog to its original values once it has been activated. With this set, the system will be rebooted by the watchdog even after a halt(8).
`-p` period
  Set the hardware timer to expire in period seconds. The default is 30 seconds.
`-q`
  Be quiet. With this option specified, `watchdogd` will not output a warning message if the underlying hardware adjusted the timeout period.

# SEE ALSO

watchdog(4), sysctl(8)

# HISTORY

The `watchdogd` program first appeared in OpenBSD 3.8.

# AUTHORS

`watchdogd` was written by Marc Balmer <mbalmer@openbsd.org>.

July 16, 2013 | Debian