NETCONFIG(8N) COMMAND REFERENCE NETCONFIG(8N)
NAME
netconfig - configure workstation for network operation
SYNOPSIS
/etc/netconfig [ -q ] [ -h hostname ] [ -i interfacename -a
address ] [ -e net | dfs ] [ -d net | dfs ] [ -P ]
DESCRIPTION
Netconfig is used to configure a workstation for operation
on a local area network. Netconfig allows the user to
change the following network attributes on the workstation:
Hostname
Host ID
Distributed File System (enabled or disabled)
Standard Network Utilities (enabled or disabled)
Internet address for each network interface.
After changing any of these attributes the workstation must
be rebooted. This is so the nameserver(8n) daemon is
restarted with the proper new hostname and addresses,
otherwise the network utilities will not work correctly.
Netconfig writes these changes into the network.conf(5n)
file. When rebooted rc(8) is executed which looks at the
network.conf(5n) file to set up the host ID and hostname,
and to decide which daemons to start up.
Typically netconfig is invoked with no options. The program
will then prompt the user with questions to set the
attributes mentioned above. When it asks for a hostname,
the user should enter no more than 32 characters taken from
the following set:
a-z, A-Z, 0-9, -, _
The first character must not be a number. Remember that the
name assigned to your workstation should be unique
throughout the network.
Netconfig then asks if the Distributed File System (DFS)
should be enabled. The users response will be recorded in
network.conf(5) as the string ``dfs_enabled'' or
``dfs_disabled''. Enabling DFS means that the DFS daemon
(dfsd(8n) ) will be started on subsequent rebootings.
The first time netconfig is run on the workstation, the
Internet address will not be set (actually it is set to the
invalid address 0.0.0.0). The user will then be prompted to
supply the network number of the local area network to which
the workstation is attached. There are three classes of
networks, A, B, and C. Since an Internet address has a
network component and a host component the difference
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NETCONFIG(8N) COMMAND REFERENCE NETCONFIG(8N)
between the classes is where in the 4 byte Internet address
is drawn the boundary between the two components. Class C
addresses allow 256 hosts on the network, Class B addresses
allow 65536 hosts on a network and Class A allow a few
million.
When netconfig prompts for a network number the user selects
which class to use by entering the data as follows:
User enters: Class assumed: Where x,y, and z =
x A 0 < x < 128
x.y B 127 < x < 192,
0 <= y < 256
x.y.z C 191 < x < 224,
0 <= y < 256,
0 <= z < 256
In the above, x, y, and z are decimal integers.
Once the network number has been entered (and assuming that
an Internet address has not already been assigned to this
workstation) netconfig will suggest an Internet address.
This suggested address is based on the network number
already supplied plus a host number derived from the
Ethernet address. Since the Ethernet address is guaranteed
to be unique, and the host number of the Internet address
must be unique on the local network, by basing the Internet
address on the Ethernet address we increase the likelihood
that the suggested address is unique. If you have selected
class A or B addressing, and have only 6130 workstations on
your network, then the user can feel confident that the
suggested address is unique. If other vendors equipment
also appears on the network then before using the suggested
Internet address, verify that no other equipment uses that
address.
If the suggested address is not appropriate, enter the host
number component of the Internet address as follows:
Class User enters: Where x,y, and z =
A x.y.z 0 <= x,y,z < 256
B x.y 0 <= x,y < 256
C x 0 <= x < 256
In the above, x, y, and z are decimal integers.
Next netconfig asks whether to enable the regular network
daemons. These daemons include those that handle remote
logins (rlogind(8n)) and remote command execution
(rshd(8n)). See the file /etc/rc.net for what daemons will
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NETCONFIG(8N) COMMAND REFERENCE NETCONFIG(8N)
be started. Also see tcp_servers(5n), udpd(8n), and
tcpd(8n).
If the DFS or regular network utilities are enabled and any
of the interfaces have not yet been set, netconfig will
prompt for the Internet address for each network interface.
OPTIONS
Typically the user would invoke netconfig without any
switches or with the -P switch. The full list of
capabilities follows.
-a address
Set the internet address from the command line. This
option must be used in conjunction with the -i option.
No prompting provided unless the ``address'' portion is
omitted. Then netconfig will prompt for the address of
each interface on the workstation.
-d dfs
Netconfig writes the ``dfs_disabled'' string into the
network.conf(5n) file. No prompting occurs.
-d net
Netconfig writes the ``net_disabled'' string into the
network.conf(5n) file. No prompting occurs.
-e dfs
This option causes the ``dfs_enabled'' string to be
written into the network.conf(5n) file.
-e net
This option causes the ``net_enabled'' string to be
written into the network.conf(5n) file. Prompting may
occur if the internet address is not set for the
interface(s).
-h hostname
Set the hostname; no prompting is provided.
-i interfacename
Indicates the interface name to act upon using the -a
option.
-q This option is for when netconfig is invoked from rc(8)
at boot time. It causes netconfig to prompt only for
attributes for which we have no known previous value.
-P Print out the internet and ethernet address for each
interface on the workstation.
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NETCONFIG(8N) COMMAND REFERENCE NETCONFIG(8N)
RETURN VALUE
[NO_ERRS] Command completed without error.
[USAGE] Incorrect command line syntax. Execution
terminated.
[P_ERR] A system error occurred. Execution
terminated. See intro(2) for more
information on system errors.
[NP_WARN] An error warranting a warning message
occurred. Execution continues.
[0] Indicates to rc.net(5n) to not enable
networking or the Distributed File System.
[1] Indicates to rc.net(5n) to enable
networking but not the Distributed File
System.
[2] Indicates to rc.net(5n) to enable the
Distributed File System, but not networking.
[3] Indicates to rc.net(5n) to enable both the
Distributed File System and networking.
CAVEATS
DO NOT CHANGE THE INTERNET ADDRESS TOO OFTEN!!
Netconfig stores the internet address in a non-volatile
random access memory in 6000 series products. This memory
will fail after about 500-1000 writes. The memory will not
be written unless a y is the response to the confirmation
question to change the internet address.
Input validation for command line invocation is minimal.
SEE ALSO
hostid(1n), hostname(1n), gethostname(2), inet(3n),
hosts(5n), network.conf(5n).
Printed 10/17/86 4
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na:72,91;
sy:163,427;
de:590,2940;3674,2698;6516,374;
op:6890,2529;
rv:9563,1087;
ca:10650,525;
se:11175,267;
%%index%%000000000143