XHOST(1) X Version 11 (Release 5) XHOST(1)
NAME
xhost - server access control program for X
SYNOPSIS
xhost [[+-]name ...]
DESCRIPTION
The xhost program is used to add and delete host names or
user names to the list allowed to make connections to the X
server. In the case of hosts, this provides a rudimentary
form of privacy control and security. It is only sufficient
for a workstation (single user) environment, although it
does limit the worst abuses. Environments which require
more sophisticated measures should implement the user-based
mechanism, or use the hooks in the protocol for passing
other authentication data to the server.
Hostnames that are followed by two colons (::) are used in
checking DECnet connections; all other hostnames are used
for TCP/IP connections.
User names contain an at-sign (@). When Secure RPC is being
used, the network independent netname (e.g.,
"unix.uid@domainname") can be specified, or a local user can
be specified with just the username and a trailing at-sign
(e.g., "joe@").
OPTIONS
Xhost accepts the following command line options described
below. For security, the options that effect access control
may only be run from the "controlling host". For
workstations, this is the same machine as the server. For X
terminals, it is the login host.
[+]name The given name (the plus sign is optional) is added
to the list allowed to connect to the X server. The
name can be a host name or a user name.
-name The given name is removed from the list of allowed
to connect to the server. The name can be a host
name or a user name. Existing connections are not
broken, but new connection attempts will be denied.
Note that the current machine is allowed to be
removed; however, further connections (including
attempts to add it back) will not be permitted.
Resetting the server (thereby breaking all
connections) is the only way to allow local
connections again.
+ Access is granted to everyone, even if they aren't
on the list (i.e., access control is turned off).
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XHOST(1) X Version 11 (Release 5) XHOST(1)
- Access is restricted to only those on the list
(i.e., access control is turned on).
nothing If no command line arguments are given, a message
indicating whether or not access control is
currently enabled is printed, followed by the list
of those allowed to connect. This is the only
option that may be used from machines other than the
controlling host.
DIAGNOSTICS
For each name added to the access control list, a line of
the form "name being added to access contro list" is
printed. For each name removed from the access control
list, a line of the form "name being removed from access
contro list" is printed.
FILES
/etc/X*.hosts
SEE ALSO
X(1), Xserver(1), xdm(1)
ENVIRONMENT
DISPLAY to get the default host and display to use.
BUGS
You can't specify a display on the command line because
-display is a valid command line argument (indicating that
you want to remove the machine named ``display'' from the
access list).
This is not really a bug, but the X server stores network
addresses, not host names. If somehow you change a host's
network address while the server is still running, xhost
must be used to add the new address and/or remove the old
address.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright 1988, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
See X(1) for a full statement of rights and permissions.
AUTHORS
Bob Scheifler, MIT Laboratory for Computer Science,
Jim Gettys, MIT Project Athena (DEC).
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