NAME

rarpd- TCP/IP Reverse Address Resolution Protocol server
 

SYNOPSIS

/usr/etc//rarpd interface [hostname]
 /usr/etc/rarpd -a

DESCRIPTION

 
rarpd starts a daemon that responds to Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP) Requests.  The daemon forks a copy of itself that runs in background.  It must be run as root.

RARP is used by machines at boot time to discover their Internert Protocol (IP) address. The booting machine provides its Ethernet Address in an RARP request message.  Using the "ethers" and "hosts" databases, rarpd maps this Ethernet Address into the corresponding IP address which it returns to the booting machine in an RARP reply message.  The booting machine must be listed in both databases for rarpd to locate its IP address.  rarpd issues no reply when it fails to locate an IP address.  The "ethers" and "hosts" databases may be contained either in files under /etc or in Network Information Service (NIS) maps. 

In the first synopsis, the interface parameter names the network interface upon which rarpd is to listen for requests.  The interface parameter takes the "name unit" form used by ifconfig(8C).  The second argument, hostname, is used to obtain the IP address of that interface.  An IP address in "decimal dot" notation may be used for hostname.  If hostname is omitted, the address of the interface will be obtained from the kernel.  When the first form of the command is used, rarpd must be run separately for each interface on which RARP service is to be supported.  A machine that is a router may invoke rarpd mltiple times, for example:
 
 /usr/etc/rarpd etc/host
/usr/etc/rarpd etc/host-backbone
 

FILES

 
/etc/ethers
/etc/hosts
 

SEE ALSO

 
ethers(5), hosts(5), ifconfig(8C)
 

September 02, 1992