inetd.conf(4) Kernel Interfaces Manual inetd.conf(4)
NAME
inetd.conf, inetd.conf.local - The default configuration files for the inetd daemon
SYNOPSIS
The default configuration file for all cluster members is: /etc/inetd.conf
The configuration file for a specific member in a cluster is: /etc/inetd.conf.local
The inetd.conf.local file is a Context-Dependent Symbolic Link (CDSL) and must be maintained as such. See the System Administration manual
for more information.
DESCRIPTION
If the inetd daemon is started without specifying an alternate configuration file, the inetd daemon reads the inetd.conf file and
inetd.conf.local file, in this order, for information on how to handle Internet service requests. For this reason, if an entry exists in
both configuration files, the entry in /etc/inetd.conf.local overrides the entry in /etc/inetd.conf.
The inetd daemon reads its configuration files only when the inetd daemon starts or when the inetd daemon receives a SIGHUP signal. Each
line in theinetd configuration files defines how to handle one Internet service request.
Each line is of the form: ServiceName SocketType ProtocolName Wait/NoWait UserName
ServerPath ServerArgs (Note: The backslash and the continuation of information on to a second line is for display
purposes only. In the configuration file, the entries appear on a single line.)
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: Specifies 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. Specifies 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. You can also use
xstream and xdgram to permit the transparent mode of connections for stream and datagram sockets, respectively. Currently, only applica-
tion gateways for firewall services use the transparent mode of connection.
Specifies 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.
When you use a tcp or udp value, inetd creates AF_INET sockets; this is the default behavior. If you want inetd to create AF_INET6
sockets, use the tcp6 or udp6 value. The inetd daemon maps these values to the tcp and udp protocol names internally.
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. Contains either the wait or the nowait instruction. For datagram servers, specify wait.
This instructs the inetd daemon to wait for a datagram server to read at least one datagram from the socket before exiting. Single-
threaded datagram servers process all incoming datagrams, then they time out (for example, comsat, biff, and talkd). Multithreaded
datagram servers read one datagram from the socket, create a new socket, then fork and exit (for example, tftpd).
For servers using stream sockets, specify nowait for multithreaded servers. This instructs inetd to accept connection requests and
pass a newly accepted socket that is connected to the client of the service to the server. Specify wait for single-threaded
servers. This instructs inetd to pass the listening socket to the server and wait. The server must accept at least one connection
request before exiting. 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. 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. If you want to disable this
service, this field should be disable in the /etc/inetd.conf.local file. Specifies the command line arguments that the inetd daemon
is to pass to the server specified in ServerPath. The arguments to ServerPath should be just as they normally are, starting with
the name of the program. For services that the inetd daemon provides internally, this field should be blank.
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 on
an AF_INET6 socket Uses the talkd daemon for ntalk requests on an AF_INET socket Provides time requests internally on AF_INET6 sockets
ftp stream tcp6 nowait root /usr/sbin/ftpd ftpd ntalk dgram udp wait root /usr/sbin/talkd talkd time stream tcp6 nowait root internal time
dgram udp6 wait root internal
How you enable and disable services in a cluster depends on the number of cluster members. The following two examples show the same clus-
ter that has three members (0, 1, and 2), but shows two diferent methods to accomplish the same goal. Choose the method most suitable to
your cluster environment.
If you want to enable the ftpd daemon on all cluster members except member 2, do the following: To enable the ftpd daemon for all members,
enter the following in the /etc/inetd.conf file: ftp stream tcp nowait root /usr/sbin/ftpd ftpd To disable the ftpd daemon for member 2,
enter the following in the /etc/inetd.conf.local for member 2: ftp stream tcp nowait root disable
If you want to disable the ftpd daemon on all cluster members (the whole cluster), but enable it on members 0 and 1, do the following: To
disable the ftpd daemon by default for the whole cluster, enter the following in the /etc/inetd.conf file: #ftp stream tcp nowait root
/usr/sbin/ftpd ftpd To enable the ftpd daemon for member 0, enter the following in the /etc/inetd.conf.local file for member 0: ftp stream
tcp nowait root /usr/sbin/ftpd ftpd To enable the ftpd daemon for member 1, enter the following in the /etc/inetd.conf.local file for mem-
ber 1: ftp stream tcp nowait root /usr/sbin/ftpd ftpd
Member 2 does not have an ftpd entry in its /etc/inetd.conf.local file. Therefore, the ftpd daemon is not started.
RELATED INFORMATION
Commands: biff(1), comsat(8).
Daemons: inetd(8), talkd(8), tftpd(8).
Files: protocols(4), services(4). delim off
inetd.conf(4)