Troubleshooting sockets with ss
Socket Wrench

© Lead Image © Chonchit Jansuebsri, 123RF.com
The unassuming ss utility is easy to understand and easy to type, but it adds some powerful options to your admin toolkit.
The names for a few Linux utilities are so small that you find yourself unexpectedly launching them by entering a typo on the command line. Why bother typing lengthy words when a perfectly suitable abbreviation will suffice? One minuscule command (both in name and its pocket-sized footprint on your hard disk) is a little utility called ss
.
Ss punches several levels above its flyweight class. If you're familiar with any of the popular tools used by sys admins for checking network links, I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that its functionality won't be too tricky to get your head around.
For the curious among us, the "ss" abbreviation is apparently for the words "socket statistics." Ss is bundled with the iproute2
package. If, for some highly unusual reason you don't find ss on your Debian-like system, you can always install it by running:
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.
-
Linux Kernel 6.14 Released
The latest Linux kernel has arrived with extra Rust support and more.
-
EndeavorOS Mercury Neo Available
A new release from the EndeavorOS team ships with Plasma 6.3 and other goodies.
-
Fedora 42 Beta Has Arrived
The Fedora Project has announced the availability of the first beta release for version 42 of the open-source distribution.
-
Dash to Panel Maintainer Quits
Charles Gagnon has stepped away as maintainer of the popular Dash to Panel Gnome extension.
-
CIQ Releases Security-Hardened Version of Rocky Linux
If you're looking for an enterprise-grade Linux distribution that is hardened for business use, there's a new version of Rocky Linux that's sure to make you and your company happy.
-
Gnome’s Dash to Panel Extension Gets a Massive Update
If you're a fan of the Gnome Dash to Panel extension, you'll be thrilled to hear that a new version has been released with a dock mode.
-
Blender App Makes it to the Big Screen
The animated film "Flow" won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards held on March 2, 2025 and Blender was a part of it.
-
Linux Mint Retools the Cinnamon App Launcher
The developers of Linux Mint are working on an improved Cinnamon App Launcher with a better, more accessible UI.
-
New Linux Tool for Security Issues
Seal Security is launching a new solution to automate fixing Linux vulnerabilities.