# loading scripts only if file exists **URL:** \ **Category:** Zeek\ **Created:** [January 13, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/loading-scripts-only-if-file-exists/3967 "2016-01-13T16:23:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dirk\_Leinenbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@Dirk\_Leinenbach](https://community.zeek.org/u/Dirk_Leinenbach)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/loading-scripts-only-if-file-exists/3967/1 "2016-01-13T16:23:05Z")
Hi all, is there a way to @load a script in bro only if the file exists? My scenario is that I'd like to be able to include configuration data from, e.g., /etc/bro-config.bro. But this script might not exist in all scenarios. Loading it via @load gives an error if the file doesn't exist. I've tried to use @prefixes to conditionally load scripts, but couldn't figure out exactly where bro would be searching for those scripts. If there an equivalent for something like "if [-f /etc/bro-config.bro] " ? Best regards, Dirk ---
**Author:** ![Grant\_Stavely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Grant\_Stavely](https://community.zeek.org/u/Grant_Stavely)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2016, 4:44pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/loading-scripts-only-if-file-exists/3967/2 "2016-01-13T16:44:22Z")
Hi Dirk, This just came up last month 🙂 [http://mailman.icsi.berkeley.edu/pipermail/bro/2015-November/009312.html](http://mailman.icsi.berkeley.edu/pipermail/bro/2015-November/009312.html) And clarified: [http://mailman.icsi.berkeley.edu/pipermail/bro/2015-December/009324.html](http://mailman.icsi.berkeley.edu/pipermail/bro/2015-December/009324.html) Grant ---
**Author:** ![Seth\_Hall3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Seth\_Hall3](https://community.zeek.org/u/Seth_Hall3)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2016, 5:04pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/loading-scripts-only-if-file-exists/3967/3 "2016-01-13T17:04:50Z")
> I've tried to use @prefixes to conditionally load scripts, but couldn't > figure out exactly where bro would be searching for those scripts. I think that prefixes are probably exactly what you’re looking for. If you add a prefix and then create a file by the right name it will only load it when it finds the file. This is a little tricky with the current setup unfortunately, I didn’t get this setup quite the way I wanted to a number of years ago. If you write a file named “local.local.bro” to your site/ directory, that script will automatically load if it’s found. > If there an equivalent for something like "if [-f /etc/bro-config.bro] " ? Not really.   .Seth ---
**Author:** ![Dirk\_Leinenbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@Dirk\_Leinenbach](https://community.zeek.org/u/Dirk_Leinenbach)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2016, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/loading-scripts-only-if-file-exists/3967/4 "2016-01-15T15:01:02Z")
Hi Seth, 1. Is “local.local.bro”a hard-coded name that will always work, even without extending @prefixes? 2. If I extend @prefixes inside a plugin script, which directory would be searched? E.g., if I extend prefixes in the following file: > > > /opt/bro/lib/bro/plugins/Demo\_demo/scripts/Demo/demo/bla.bro > > > @prefixes = myprefix > > > > > > while my bro plugin search path is: /opt/bro/lib/bro/plugins > > > > If I understand the documentation correctly, this would search for files named > > > > > myprefix.Demo\_demo.scripts.Demo.demo.bla.bro > > > > Is that correct? Thanks a lot! Dirk ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/zeek/original/1X/f09d732bc2cc7c7cc7e35db67cf4e1d5233ce7a7.png) [@system](https://community.zeek.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2022, 3:43pm UTC](https://community.zeek.org/t/loading-scripts-only-if-file-exists/3967/5 "2022-05-06T15:43:19Z")