inetd(8)                            CLIX                            inetd(8)



  NAME

    inetd - Runs the Internet ``super server''

  SYNOPSIS

    /usr/ip32/tcpip/inetd [-d] [configuration-file]

  FLAGS

    The following flags are valid with the inetd command:

    -d   Toggles debugging on.  When debugging is on, messages are recorded in
         the /usr/ip32/tcpip/log/inetd.log log file.

  DESCRIPTION

    The inetd daemon is a listening process that invokes servers requested by
    incoming connections on specified Internet sockets.  When a connection is
    found on one of its sockets, inetd invokes a program to service the
    request and continues to listen on the socket (except in the cases
    described below).  Essentially, inetd allows running one daemon to invoke
    several others, reducing system load.

    On execution, inetd reads its configuration information from a
    configuration file which, by default, is /etc/inetd.conf (see
    inetd.conf(4)).

    If TCP/IP logging utility, log (see log(8)), is turned on, inetd invokes
    the tcpd (see tcpd(8)) server to check for access permission for the
    remote client's request.  If access is granted, the requested server is
    invoked.  If access is denied, the connection is refused.

    The inetd daemon provides several trivial services through internal
    routines.  These services are echo, discard, chargen (character
    generator), daytime (human readable time), and time (machine-readable
    time, in the form of the number of seconds since midnight, January 1,
    1970).  For details of these services, consult the appropriate RFC from
    the Network Information Center.

    The inetd daemon rereads its configuration file when it receives the
    hangup signal, SIGHUP.  Services may be added, deleted, or modified when
    the configuration file is reread.

  EXAMPLES

    The inetd daemon is started at boot time and listens continually for
    Internet connection requests.

  FILES




  2/94 - Intergraph Corporation                                              1

  inetd(8)                            CLIX                            inetd(8)



    /etc/inetd.conf   Configuration file for inetd.

  NOTES

    For security reasons, tftpd is not serviced by inetd.

  DIAGNOSTICS

    Error messages are displayed on the console and are prepended with inetd:.
    Some examples are as follows:

    ftp server failing (looping), service terminated
           The inetd daemon is being bombarded with ftp connection requests.
           The inetd daemon will stop servicing ftp requests for 10 minutes to
           try to alleviate the problem.  (This is one example, the requests
           could be telnet, and so on, rather than ftp.)

    ERROR dum: unknown service
           A connection request came in for dum, which is a service unknown to
           the inetd daemon.

    ERROR out of memory.
           Call your system administrator.

  EXIT VALUES

    The inetd daemon exits with a nonzero value on fatal errors, such as ``out
    of memory.''

  RELATED INFORMATION

    Commands:  ftpd(8), log(8), rexecd(8), rlogind(8), rshd(8), tcpd(8),
    telnetd(8), tftpd(8)

    Files:  inetd.conf(4)



















  2                                              Intergraph Corporation - 2/94