# Unicornscan

> Unicornscan is a scalable, accurate, and efficient asynchronous network scanner. This site provides an interactive training platform to learn unicornscan commands in a browser-based terminal.

## About Unicornscan

Unicornscan is not a port scanner - it's a distributed stimulus/response framework for introducing network stimulus and recording responses at scale. Created by Jack C. Louis in 2004, it pioneered asynchronous scanning techniques that inspired tools like masscan and zmap.

Key capabilities:
- Asynchronous TCP/UDP scanning with custom payloads
- OS fingerprinting via TCP/IP stack analysis
- Scalable architecture supporting millions of packets per second
- Extensible module system for custom protocols

## Interactive Training

- [Try Unicornscan](https://unicornscan.org/try): Browser-based terminal simulator to learn unicornscan commands safely. Practice scanning techniques with simulated network responses. No installation required.

## Documentation

- [Documentation Index](https://unicornscan.org/docs): Complete guide to unicornscan
- [Install from Package](https://unicornscan.org/docs/install-package): Quick installation via .deb or .rpm packages
- [Install from Source](https://unicornscan.org/docs/install-source): Compile unicornscan from source code
- [Getting Started](https://unicornscan.org/docs/getting-started): Learn the fundamentals of unicornscan scanning
- [Alicorn Web UI](https://unicornscan.org/docs/alicorn): Visualize and analyze scan results with the Alicorn interface

## Resources

- [About](https://unicornscan.org/about): History, philosophy, and tribute to Jack C. Louis (1979-2013)
- [Download](https://unicornscan.org/download): Installation packages, source code, and release notes
- [Watch](https://unicornscan.org/watch): Video tutorials and conference presentations

## Technical Details

- **Architecture**: Asynchronous, event-driven scanning with separate sender/receiver processes
- **Protocols**: TCP, UDP, ICMP with extensible payload system
- **Performance**: Capable of 1M+ packets/second on commodity hardware
- **Platform**: Linux (primary), with historical macOS/BSD support

## Contact

- Website: https://unicornscan.org
- Source: https://github.com/unicornscan

## Optional: Full Documentation

For complete API reference and advanced usage, see:
- /docs/getting-started - Command-line options and basic usage
- /docs/install-source - Build requirements and compilation steps