UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi,

Setting up print queue, using SMIT on AIX

And I have an option saying do I wish to make this a BOOTP/TFTP server. What exactly does this do?

Thanks

BOOTP and TFTP offer almost no security whatsoever. (What they do )They basically provide their information to anybody who asks and solely rely on the assumption that your network is configured to not make the server world-accessable. If you install BOOTP gateways, then this assumption is seriously violated. Also, TFTP server are usually accessible from just about everywhere. You can try to dimish the impact of this problem by blocking BOOTP and TFTP packes from leaving or entering your network segment, but this will never be a completely secure solution.

Thus you should always assume that all of the files that your BOOTP and TFTP server offer are world readable. They must not contain any sensitive data. Also, the TFTP daemon must be configured to only allow access to selected files. Running it in a chroot'd environment might be a very good idea.

The BOOTP protocol is vulnerable against somebody else impersonating as a BOOTP server. While security aware operating systems, prevent non-priviledged users from starting their own BOOTP servers, other operating systems do not allow this. This means, if any of your users can launch an arbitrary program under an insecure operating system on an arbitrary machine connected to your ethernet segment, then they have full control over the BOOTP boot process.

Hope you understand what BOOTP/TFTP do..

Thank you,

I would assume then it is saver not to create it then! It is only for a printer but out network would then still be accessible via the open port? Will use alternative measures....


Cheers
Mav

bootp and tftp (Boot Protocol (I think), and Trivial File Transfer Protocol), are normally used for boot diskless workstations. You probably don't need them if they were already turned off (most of the time it will be - disks are cheap enough now that even some thinclient systems have disk in them). This should have nothing to do with setting up a print server, or print queue.

Print away!