{ "mode": "man", "parameter": "freeipmi", "section": "7", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/freeipmi/7/json", "generated": "2026-10-04T14:37:12Z", "sections": { "NAME": { "content": "FreeIPMI - FreeIPMI overview\n", "subsections": [] }, "Introduction": { "content": "FreeIPMI provides in-band and out-of-band IPMI software based on the IPMI v1.5/2.0 specifica‐\ntion.\n\nWhat is IPMI?\nThe IPMI specification defines a set of interfaces for platform management and is implemented\nby a number vendors for system management. The features of IPMI that most users will be in‐\nterested in are sensor monitoring, system event monitoring, power control, and serial-over-\nLAN (SOL). The FreeIPMI tools and libraries listed below should provide users with the abil‐\nity to access and utilize these and many other features of IPMI.\n", "subsections": [] }, "Getting Started with IPMI": { "content": "IPMI can be used in-band (i.e. running on a machine locally) or out-of-band (i.e. connecting\nremotely).\n\nMost FreeIPMI tools can operate in-band by using one of the in-band drivers included. These\nin-band drivers include a userspace KCS interface driver, a SSIF driver through the Linux\nSSIF device (i.e. /dev/i2c-0), the OpenIPMI Linux kernel driver (i.e. /dev/ipmi0), the\nSun/Solaris BMC driver (i.e. /dev/bmc), and the Intel DCMI/MEI driver (i.e. /dev/dcmi). If\nyour system requires the use of installed drivers, those appropriate modules must be in‐\nstalled ahead of time. However, most systems should automatically load these drivers when\nappropriate.\n\nUnder most scenarios, the FreeIPMI tools should automatically discover which in-band inter‐\nface to use and the proper settings to use. Users may execute the tools on the command line\nto begin using them. Some motherboards may require you to determine driver type, addresses,\npaths, etc. on your own and pass them as command line options to the tools. You may use ipmi-\nlocate(8) to help determine this information. Other tools such as dmidecode(8) may also pro‐\nvide this information.\n\nTo use IPMI out-of-band with tools such as ipmipower(8) or ipmi-sensors(8), the remote ma‐\nchine's BMC must first be configured for out of band communication. Typically, this involves\nsetting a username, password, IP address, MAC address, and a few other parameters. This can\nbe done using the tool ipmi-config(8). Additional information on how to configure with ipmi-\nconfig(8) can be found in the ipmi-config.conf(5) manpage. Some vendors may pre-configure\ntheir motherboards with default values so that ipmi-config(8) can be used remotely to config‐\nure the machine. However, most of the time, the BMC must be configured in-band before out-of-\nband access can be allowed (for example, the correct IP address and MAC address must be con‐\nfigured).\n\nIn order to remotely connect to a machine, you typically must specify the host, username, and\npassword for the tool in order to connect. Depending on configuration settings, a Kg key,\nprivilege level, authentication type, cipher suite id, or protocol version may need to be\nspecified.\n\nSome vendors may have not implemented IPMI properly and a workaround must be specified into\nFreeIPMI to ensure the tool can execute properly. For example, a fair number of vendors have\npopulated their FRU records with invalid checksums. To properly ignore these set of checksums\na skipchecks workaround has been added to ipmi-fru(8). Please see each of the tool manpages\nto see a list of available workarounds.\n\nAdditional information, examples, and general trouble-shooting can be found in each of the\ntool manpages.\n", "subsections": [] }, "General Use": { "content": "The primary tools that most users of FreeIPMI will be interested in for system management are\nthe following:\n", "subsections": [ { "name": "ipmi-sensors", "content": "A tool to read IPMI sensor readings to aid in system monitoring.\n" }, { "name": "ipmi-sel", "content": "A tool to read and manage IPMI System Event Log (SEL) records to aid in system debugging.\n" }, { "name": "ipmipower", "content": "A tool for remote power control.\n" }, { "name": "ipmiconsole", "content": "A tool for Serial-over-Lan (SOL) console access.\n\nMany other tools and libraries are listed below that cover additional features and areas of\nIPMI.\n\nAdditional information, examples, and general trouble-shooting can be found in each of the\ntool manpages.\n" } ] }, "Configuration": { "content": "In order to avoid typing in a long list of command line options to specify IPMI communication\nrequirements every time a command is executed (e.g. driver paths, usernames, passwords,\netc.), an alternate set of default values can be set for most FreeIPMI tools in the FreeIPMI\nconfiguration file. See freeipmi.conf(5) for more information.\n\nHPC Support\nMuch of FreeIPMI was written with HPC support in mind. Ipmi-config(8) comes with file in‐\nput/output support so that configuration can be copied and verified across nodes in a clus‐\nter. Most tools (like ipmipower(8) and ipmi-sensors(8) ) come with hostrange support so mul‐\ntiple hosts can be specified on the command line at the same time and IPMI can be executed\nagainst the hosts in parallel. See tool manpages for more information. Also see the document\nfreeipmi-hostrange.txt for detailed usage and explanation. Ipmi-sensors(8) and the libipmi‐\nmonitoring(3) library support the ability to interpret sensor readings as well as just re‐\nporting them. By mapping sensor readings into NOMINAL, WARNING, or CRITICAL states, it makes\nmonitoring sensors easier across large numbers of nodes.\n", "subsections": [] }, "Development": { "content": "For information on the libraries that can be used to program IPMI applications with, please\nsee libfreeipmi(3), libipmiconsole(3), libipmimonitoring(3), and libipmidetect(3). Or see\nthe document freeipmi-libraries.txt.\n", "subsections": [] }, "Project Tools": { "content": "The following tools are distributed and supported by FreeIPMI.\n", "subsections": [ { "name": "bmc-info", "content": "A tool to read information about a BMC such as device version numbers, device support, and\nglobally unique IDs (guids).\n" }, { "name": "bmc-watchdog", "content": "A tool/daemon to manage a BMC Watchdog. This tool is typically used for system timeout man‐\nagement and automatic system restarts in the event of a system crash.\n" }, { "name": "ipmi-chassis", "content": "A tool to manage/monitor a chassis, such as chassis power, identification (i.e. LED control),\nand status.\n" }, { "name": "ipmi-fru", "content": "A tool to read field replaceable unit (FRU) information from a motherboard/machine.\n" }, { "name": "ipmi-sel", "content": "A tool to read and manage IPMI System Event Log (SEL) records. SEL records store system event\ninformation and may be useful for debugging problems.\n" }, { "name": "ipmi-sensors", "content": "A tool to read IPMI sensor readings and sensor data repository (SDR) information.\n" }, { "name": "ipmipower", "content": "A tool for remote power control.\n" }, { "name": "ipmiconsole", "content": "A tool for Serial-over-Lan (SOL) console access.\n" }, { "name": "ipmi-config", "content": "A tool to configure BMC and IPMI information. In can be used to configured usernames, pass‐\nwords, networking information, security, Serial-over-LAN (SOL), Platform Event Filtering\n(PEF), boot devices, power restoration policy, sensor thresholds, sensor events, and many\nmore configuration options.\n" }, { "name": "ipmi-raw", "content": "A tool that provides hex input/output of IPMI commands.\n" }, { "name": "ipmi-locate", "content": "A tool that can probe for information about the location of a BMC device, such as device ad‐\ndresses.\n" }, { "name": "ipmi-pet", "content": "A tool to parse and interpret Platform Event Traps (PET).\n" }, { "name": "ipmi-dcmi", "content": "A tool to perform Data Center Manageability Interface (DCMI) IPMI extension commands. Sup‐\nports extensions for asset management and power usage management.\n" }, { "name": "bmc-device", "content": "A tool to perform advanced BMC commands, such as resetting the BMC, configuring ACPI, config‐\nuring SDR/SEL time, manually generating events, re-arming sensors, and configuring manufac‐\nturer settings.\n" }, { "name": "ipmiping", "content": "An IPMI ping tool for debugging.\n" }, { "name": "rmcpping", "content": "A RMCP ping tool for debugging.\n" }, { "name": "ipmi-oem", "content": "An IPMI tool for OEM specific commands.\n" }, { "name": "ipmidetect/ipmidetectd", "content": "A tool and daemon for IPMI node detection.\n" }, { "name": "ipmiseld", "content": "A daemon that regularly polls the SEL and stores the events to the local syslog.\n\nAdditional information, examples, and general trouble-shooting can be found in each of the\ntool manpages.\n" } ] }, "Project Libraries": { "content": "The following libraries are distributed and supported by FreeIPMI.\n", "subsections": [ { "name": "libfreeipmi", "content": "A C library that includes KCS, SSIF, and OpenIPMI Linux, and Solaris BMC drivers, IPMI 1.5\nand IPMI 2.0 LAN communication interfaces, IPMI packet building utilities, IPMI command util‐\nities, and utilities for reading/interpreting/managing IPMI. This library is for programmers\nintimately familiar with the IPMI protocol and IPMI specification. Most users may wish to\nuse the libraries listed below.\n" }, { "name": "libipmiconsole", "content": "A library for Serial-over-Lan (SOL) console access. SOL console access is abstracted into a\nfile descriptor interface, so users may read and write console data through a file descrip‐\ntor.\n" }, { "name": "libipmimonitoring", "content": "A library for sensor and system event log (SEL) monitoring that abstracts away most IPMI de‐\ntails. Interpretation of those sensors and events is abstracted into an API with an iterator\ninterface.\n" }, { "name": "libipmidetect", "content": "A library for IPMI node detection.\n" } ] }, "REPORTING BUGS": { "content": "Report bugs to or .\n", "subsections": [] }, "COPYRIGHT": { "content": "Copyright © 2003-2015 FreeIPMI Core Team.\n\nFreeIPMI is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the\nGNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of\nthe License, or (at your option) any later version.\n", "subsections": [] }, "SEE ALSO": { "content": "libfreeipmi(3), libipmiconsole(3), libipmidetect(3), libipmimonitoring(3), freeipmi.conf(5),\nbmc-device(8), bmc-info(8), bmc-watchdog(8), ipmi-chassis(8), ipmi-config(8), ipmi-fru(8),\nipmi-locate(8), ipmi-oem(8), ipmi-pet(8), ipmi-raw(8), ipmi-sel(8), ipmi-sensors(8), ipmicon‐\nsole(8), ipmidetect(8), ipmiping(8), ipmipower(8), rmcpping(8)\n\nhttp://www.gnu.org/software/freeipmi/\n\nFreeIPMI 1.6.13 2026-07-02 FREEIPMI(7)", "subsections": [] } }, "summary": "FreeIPMI - FreeIPMI overview", "flags": [], "examples": [], "see_also": [ { "name": "libfreeipmi", "section": "3", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/libfreeipmi/3/json" }, { "name": "libipmiconsole", "section": "3", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/libipmiconsole/3/json" }, { "name": "libipmidetect", "section": "3", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/libipmidetect/3/json" }, { "name": "libipmimonitoring", "section": "3", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/libipmimonitoring/3/json" }, { "name": "freeipmi.conf", "section": "5", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/freeipmi.conf/5/json" }, { "name": "bmc-device", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/bmc-device/8/json" }, { "name": "bmc-info", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/bmc-info/8/json" }, { "name": "bmc-watchdog", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/bmc-watchdog/8/json" }, { "name": "ipmi-chassis", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ipmi-chassis/8/json" }, { "name": "ipmi-config", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ipmi-config/8/json" }, { "name": "ipmi-fru", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ipmi-fru/8/json" }, { "name": "ipmi-locate", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ipmi-locate/8/json" }, { "name": "ipmi-oem", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ipmi-oem/8/json" }, { "name": "ipmi-pet", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ipmi-pet/8/json" }, { "name": "ipmi-raw", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ipmi-raw/8/json" }, { "name": "ipmi-sel", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ipmi-sel/8/json" }, { "name": "ipmi-sensors", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ipmi-sensors/8/json" }, { "name": "sole", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sole/8/json" }, { "name": "ipmidetect", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ipmidetect/8/json" }, { "name": "ipmiping", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ipmiping/8/json" }, { "name": "ipmipower", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ipmipower/8/json" }, { "name": "rmcpping", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/rmcpping/8/json" } ] }