INETD(8)

NAME
inetd - Internet services daemon

SYNOPSIS
/usr/sbin/inetd [ -d ] [ configuration-file ]

DESCRIPTION
inetd, the Internet services daemon, is normally run at boot time by the /etc/rc.local script. When started inetd reads its configuration information from configuration-file, the default being /etc/inetd.conf. See inetd.conf(5) for more information on the format of this file. It listens for connections on the Internet addresses of the services that its configuration file specifies. When a connection is found, it invokes the server daemon specified by that configuration file for the service requested. Once a server is finished, inetd continues to listen on the socket (except in some cases which will be described below).

Rather than having several daemon processes with sparsely distributed requests each running concurrently, inetd, reduces the load on the system by invoking Internet servers only as they are needed.

inetd itself provides a number of simple TCP-based services. These include 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, 1900). For details of these services, consult the appropriate RFC, as listed below, from the Network Information Center.

inetd rereads its configuration file whenever it receives a hangup signal, SIGHUP. New services can be actived, and existing services deleted or modified in between whenever the file is reread.

SEE ALSO
inetd.conf(5), comsat(8C), ftpd(8C), rexecd(8C), rlogind(8C), rshd(8C), telnetd(8C), tftpd(8C)

Postel, Jon, ``Echo Protocol,'' RFC 862, Network Information Center, SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., May 1983.

Postel, Jon, ``Discard Protocol,'' RFC 863, Network Information Center, SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., May 1983.

Postel, Jon, ``Character Generater Protocol,'' RFC 864, Network Information Center, SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., May 1983.

Postel, Jon, ``Daytime Protocol,'' RFC 867, Network Information Center, SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., May 1983.

Postel, Jon, and Ken Harrenstien, ``Time Protocol,'' RFC 868, Network Information Center, SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., May 1983.