# man > augenrules(8)

[_AUGENRULES_(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/AUGENRULES/8/markdown)                      System Administration Utilities                     [_AUGENRULES_(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/AUGENRULES/8/markdown)

## NAME
       augenrules - a script that merges component audit rule files

## SYNOPSIS
       **augenrules **[_--check_] [_--load_]

## DESCRIPTION
       **augenrules  **is a script that merges all component audit rules files, found in the audit rules
       directory, _/etc/audit/rules.d_, placing the merged file in  _/etc/audit/audit.rules_.  Component
       audit  rule  files,  must end in _.rules_ in order to be processed. All other files in _/etc/au‐_
       _dit/rules.d_ are ignored.

       The files are concatenated in order, based on their natural sort (see -v option of [ls(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ls/1/markdown)) and
       stripped of empty and comment (#) lines.

       The last processed -_D_ directive without an option, if present, is always emitted as the first
       line in the resultant file. Those with an option are replicated in place.  The last processed
       -_b_ directive, if present, is always emitted as the second line in the  resultant  file.   The
       last processed -_f_ directive, if present, is always emitted as the third line in the resultant
       file.  The last processed -_e_ directive, if present, is always emitted as the last line in the
       resultant file.

       The generated file is only copied to _/etc/audit/audit.rules_, if it differs.

## OPTIONS
### --check
              test if rules have changed and need updating without overwriting audit.rules.

       **--load **load old or newly built rules into the kernel.


## FILES
       /etc/audit/rules.d/ /etc/audit/audit.rules

## SEE ALSO
       [**audit.rules**(7)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/audit.rules/7/markdown), [**auditctl**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/auditctl/8/markdown), [**auditd**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/auditd/8/markdown).

Red Hat                                       Apr 2013                                 [_AUGENRULES_(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/AUGENRULES/8/markdown)