# man > dbus-monitor(1)

---
type: CommandReference
command: dbus-monitor
mode: man
section: 1
source: man-pages
---

## Quick Reference

- `dbus-monitor` — monitor session message bus (default)
- `dbus-monitor --system` — monitor system message bus
- `dbus-monitor --address ADDRESS` — monitor arbitrary bus at ADDRESS
- `dbus-monitor --profile` — use profiling output format (compact, single line per message)
- `dbus-monitor --binary` — output entire binary message stream (no authentication)
- `dbus-monitor --pcap` — output PCAP format (readable by Wireshark)
- `dbus-monitor "type='signal',sender='org.gnome.TypingMonitor',interface='org.gnome.TypingMonitor'"` — monitor specific signals with watch expressions
- `dbus-monitor --monitor` — explicitly use monitoring output format (default)

## Name

debug probe to print message bus messages

## Synopsis

`dbus-monitor` [--system | --session | --address ADDRESS] [--profile | --monitor | --pcap | --binary] [watch expressions]

## Options

- `--system` — monitor the system message bus
- `--session` — monitor the session message bus (default)
- `--address ADDRESS` — monitor an arbitrary message bus given at ADDRESS
- `--profile` — use profiling output format (compact, microsecond-resolution timing)
- `--monitor` — use monitoring output format (default)
- `--binary` — output entire binary message stream (without initial authentication handshake)
- `--pcap` — output PCAP format with file header and per-message header; readable by Wireshark

## Examples

Monitor the gnome typing monitor:

shell
dbus-monitor "type='signal',sender='org.gnome.TypingMonitor',interface='org.gnome.TypingMonitor'"
## See Also

- [D-Bus homepage](http://www.freedesktop.org/software/dbus/) — more information about the big picture
- D-Bus mailing list or bug tracker for bug reports (see [http://www.freedesktop.org/software/dbus/](http://www.freedesktop.org/software/dbus/))

## Exit Codes

Not documented.