NAME

inetd.conf − The default configuration file for the inetd daemon

SYNOPSIS

/etc/inetd.conf

DESCRIPTION

If the inetd daemon is started without specifying an alternate configuration file, the inetd daemon reads this file for information on how to handle Internet service requests. The inetd daemon reads its configuration file only when the inetd daemon starts or when the inetd daemon receives a SIGHUP signal.  Each line in the inetd configuration file defines how to handle one Internet service request. 

Each line is of the form:

ServiceName SocketType ProtocolName Wait/NoWait UserName \
                                         ServerPath ServerArgs

These fields must be separated by spaces or tabs.  Continuation lines are terminated with a \ (backslash).  Comments are denoted with a # (number sign).  The fields have the following meanings:

ServiceName
Contains the name of an Internet service defined in the /etc/services file. For services provided internally by the inetd daemon, this name must be the official name of the service. That is, the name must be identical to the first entry on the line that describes the service in the /etc/services file. 

SocketType
Contains the name for the type of socket used for the service.  You can use either the stream value for a stream socket, the dgram value for a datagram socket, the raw value for a raw socket, the rdm value for a reliably delivered message socket, or the seqpacket value for a sequenced packet socket. 

ProtocolName
Contains the name of an Internet protocol defined in the /etc/protocols file.  For example, use the tcp  value for a service that uses the TCP/IP protocol and the udp value for a service that uses the UDP protocol. 

For RPC services the field consists of the string rpc followed by a slash (/) and one of the following:

       •An asterisk (∗)

       •One or more nettypes

       •One or more netids

       •A combination of nettypes and netids

If you specify an invalid nettype, it is treated as a netid.  For example, if you specify rpc/∗, it specifies the service uses all the transports supported by the system. 

Wait/NoWait
Contains either the wait or the nowait instruction for datagram sockets and the nowait instruction for stream sockets. The Wait/NoWait field determines whether or not the inetd daemon waits for a datagram server to release the socket before continuing to listen at the socket. 

UserName
Specifies the username that the inetd daemon should use to start the server. This variable allows a server to be given less permission than root. 

ServerPath
Specifies the full pathname of the server that the inetd daemon should execute to provide the service.  For services that the inetd daemon provides internally, this field should be internal. 

ServerArgs
Specifies the command line arguments that the inetd daemon should use to execute the server. These arguments begin with the name of the server used. For services that the inetd daemon provides internally, this field should be empty. 

EXAMPLES

The following are sample entries in the /etc/inetd.conf file for an inetd daemon that:

       •Uses the ftpd daemon for servicing ftp requests

       •Uses the talkd daemon for ntalk requests

       •Provides time requests internally

ftp stream tcp nowait root /usr/sbin/ftpd ftpd
ntalk dgram udp wait root /usr/sbin/talkd talkd
time stream tcp nowait root internal
time dgram udp wait  root internal

RELATED INFORMATION

Daemons: inetd(8)

Files: protocols(4), services(4)