HTABLE(8) System Manager's Manual HTABLE(8)
NAME
htable - convert NIC standard format host tables
SYNOPSIS
/etc/htable [ -c connected-nets ] [ -l local-nets ] file
DESCRIPTION
Htable is used to convert host files in the format specified in Internet RFC 810 to the format used by the network library routines. Three
files are created as a result of running htable: hosts, networks, and gateways. The hosts file may be used by the gethostbyname(3N) rou-
tines in mapping host names to addresses if the nameserver, named(8), is not used. The networks file is used by the getnetent(3N) routines
in mapping network names to numbers. The gateways file may be used by the routing daemon in identifying ``passive'' Internet gateways; see
routed(8C) for an explanation.
If any of the files localhosts, localnetworks, or localgateways are present in the current directory, the file's contents is prepended to
the output file. Of these, only the gateways file is interpreted. This allows sites to maintain local aliases and entries which are not
normally present in the master database. Only one gateway to each network will be placed in the gateways file; a gateway listed in the
localgateways file will override any in the input file.
If the gateways file is to be used, a list of networks to which the host is directly connected is specified with the -c flag. The net-
works, separated by commas, may be given by name or in Internet-standard dot notation, e.g. -c arpanet,128.32,local-ether-net. Htable
only includes gateways which are directly connected to one of the networks specified, or which can be reached from another gateway on a
connected net.
If the -l option is given with a list of networks (in the same format as for -c), these networks will be treated as ``local,'' and informa-
tion about hosts on local networks is taken only from the localhosts file. Entries for local hosts from the main database will be omitted.
This allows the localhosts file to completely override any entries in the input file.
Htable is best used in conjunction with the gettable(8C) program which retrieves the NIC database from a host.
SEE ALSO
intro(3N), gettable(8C), named(8)
BUGS
If the name-domain system provided network name mapping well as host name mapping, htable would no longer be needed.
4.2 Berkeley Distribution May 22, 1986 HTABLE(8)