Administration Reference

inetd (AFS version)

Purpose

Initializes the Internet service daemon

Synopsis

inetd [-d]  [<configfile>]

Description

The AFS-modified inetd program functions like the standard UNIX inetd program, but also enables users of the remote services it supports to access them as authenticated AFS users, provided that the supported services are also AFS-modified versions that pass AFS tokens (authentication information). Examples of supported services are the rcp and rsh programs.

The AFS inetd program can service the standard UNIX versions of the remote services, but it is instead recommended that the standard UNIX version of the inetd program be run in parallel with the AFS version. Name the AFS version something like inetd.afs and use it to service requests from AFS-modified programs; use the standard inetd program to service requests from standard UNIX programs. This separation requires using two different inetd.conf files, as described in the following section.

Cautions

Several configuration changes are necessary for token passing to work correctly with the AFS version of the inetd program. There are possibly other UNIX-based requirements or restrictions not mentioned here; consult the UNIX manual page. (One important restriction is that there can be no blank lines in the configuration file other than at the end.)

The requirements and restrictions include the following. They assume that the inetd.afs process is running in parallel with the standard inetd process.

For token passing to work, the request must come from the AFS version of the remote service (such as the AFS rcp or AFS rsh command). If the remote service is the standard UNIX version, it cannot pass a token. The issuer of the remote command is authenticated only in the local file system, not with AFS.
The machine's initialization files (/etc/rc file or equivalent) must invoke both the standard inetd and inetd.afs programs.
An AFS-specific inetd.conf file, perhaps called inetd.conf.afs, must exist alongside the standard one. When initializing the inetd.afs program, specify this configuration file rather than the standard one. Each line in the inetd.conf.afs file must include an additional field, fifth from the left, to specify the identity under which the program is to run. The normal choice is the local superuser root. The following sample shows the only lines that need to appear in this file:
```
   ta-rauth stream tcp nowait root internal          ta-rauth
   shell    stream tcp nowait root /usr/etc/rshd     rshd
   login    stream tcp nowait root /usr/etc/rlogind  rlogind
```
Substitute appropriate values for the binary locations and names in the instructions, particularly for the shell and login processes. Include the login instruction only if the AFS-modified versions of login utilities are also in use in the cell; otherwise, refer to login in the standard inetd.conf instead.
Note also that some system types use different process names. For example, on Sun system types change rshd to in.rshd and rlogind.afs to in.rlogind.afs in the shell and login instructions, respectively.
Edit the standard inetd.conf file (referenced by the standard inetd process): comment out the shell instruction and, if AFS-modified versions of login utilities are in use in the cell, the login instruction. The inetd.conf.afs file references these processes instead. Retain the login instruction if AFS-modified versions of login utilities are not being used. Alter the ftp instruction to refer to the AFS version of the ftpd process, if it is substituted for the standard version. Do not insert the extra fifth column into instructions in the standard inetd.conf file if it does not already appear there. See the following Examples section for an illustration.

Options

See the UNIX manual page for the inetd program.

Examples

The following are sample inetd.conf.afs and inetd.conf files, appropriate for use when the inetd.afs program is running in parallel with the standard inetd and AFS-modified login utilities are being used in the cell. Changes to the standard inetd.conf file include referencing the AFS version of the ftpd binary and commenting out the shell and login lines. The example inetd.conf file does not include the extra fifth column. Do not use these examples without modifying them appropriately for the local machine type or cell.

   # AFS version of Internet server configuration database 
   #(EXAMPLE ONLY)
   #
   ta-rauth stream tcp nowait root internal           ta-rauth
   shell    stream tcp nowait root /usr/etc/rshd      rshd
   login    stream tcp nowait root /usr/etc/rlogind   rlogind
   
   # Standard version of Internet server configuration database 
   #(EXAMPLE ONLY)
   #
   ftp	  stream tcp nowait /etc/ftpd.afs   ftpd.afs
   telnet stream tcp nowait /etc/telnetd    telnetd
   #shell stream tcp nowait /etc/rshd       rshd
   #login stream tcp nowait /etc/rlogind    rlogind
   finger stream tcp nowait /usr/etc/fingd  fingd
   uucp	  stream tcp nowait /etc/uucpd	    uucpd
   exec	  stream tcp nowait /etc/rexecd	    rexecd
   comsat dgram	 udp wait   /etc/comsat	    comsat
   talk	  dgram	 udp wait   /etc/talkd	    talkd
   ntalk  dgram	 udp wait   /usr/etc/ntalkd talkd
   time	  dgram	 udp wait   /etc/miscd	    timed

Privilege Required

See the UNIX manual page for the inetd program.

Related Information

rcp (AFS version)

rsh (AFS version)

UNIX manual page for inetd