update-inetd(8)                     Linux Programmer's Manual                     update-inetd(8)



NAME
       update-inetd - create, remove, enable or disable entry in /etc/inetd.conf

SYNOPSIS
       update-inetd  [--file  FILENAME] [--help] [--version] [--verbose] [--comment-chars CHARAC‐
       TERS] [--debug] [--group GROUPNAME] --add ENTRY

       update-inetd  [--file  FILENAME]  [--help]  [--version]  [--verbose]  [--pattern  PATTERN]
       [--multi] [--debug] --remove SERVICE

       update-inetd  [--file  FILENAME] [--help] [--version] [--verbose] [--comment-chars CHARAC‐
       TERS] [--pattern PATTERN] [--multi] [--debug] --enable SERVICE

       update-inetd [--file FILENAME] [--help] [--version] [--verbose]  [--comment-chars  CHARAC‐
       TERS] [--pattern PATTERN] [--multi] [--debug] --disable SERVICE


DESCRIPTION
       update-inetd  can be used to add, remove, enable or disable entries in the /etc/inetd.conf
       file (you  can  specify  a  different  file  by  using  the  --file  option).   After  the
       /etc/inetd.conf file has been changed, update-inetd will send a SIGHUP signal to the inetd
       process to make sure that inetd will use the new /etc/inetd.conf file.  For  Perl  scripts
       you  can  also  use the Perl module DebianNet.pm . See DebianNet(3pm) for further informa‐
       tion.  update-inetd can also be used to add entries that are  commented  out  by  default.
       They  will  be  treated  like  normal entries. That also means that if you already have an
       entry that is commented out you can't add an entry for the same service  without  removing
       the old one first.

       In accordance with the Debian Policy, update-inetd treats entries that are prefixed with a
       single `#' character as commented out by a user. This means that for a user to  disable  a
       service  using  update-inetd,  and  for the service to remain disabled after upgrades, the
       user must run update-inetd with --comment-chars '#' (see  relevant  option  below).   Con‐
       versely,  package  maintainer  scripts  should not override the default comment chars (and
       when they do, they must not use '#').

       Also note that --enable and --remove will not be acted upon for service entries  that  are
       commented  out using anything but the value specified with --comment-chars (or the default
       value if none is specified).



OPTIONS
       --version
              Print version information on standard output and exit successfully.


       --help Print a usage message on standard output and exit successfully.


       --verbose
              Explain what is being done.


       --debug
              Enables debugging mode.


       --file FILENAME
              Use FILENAME instead of /etc/inetd.conf .


       --group GROUPNAME
              Specify that the new entry should be placed in group GROUPNAME  (e.g.  ”MAIL").  If
              the  group  does  not  exist  the entry will be placed at the end of the file.  The
              default group is ”OTHER".


       --comment-chars CHARACTERS
              update-inetd uses ”#<off># ” as the default comment characters.  You can  use  this
              option to specify different comment characters.  This is only necessary if you have
              to deal with two (or more) services of the same name. If you do use this option, it
              is your responsibility to eventually remove the commented out entry.


       --pattern PATTERN
              This  option can be used to select a service. You only need this option if you have
              two (or more) services of the same name.


       --multi
              If you want to disable/remove more than one entry at a time  you  should  use  this
              option.  If  you  try  to  remove  more than one entry at a time without using this
              option the program will show a warning and prompt the user for an explicit  confir‐
              mation.


       --add ENTRY
              Add an entry to /etc/inetd.conf . A description of the ENTRY format can be found in
              the inetd(8) or inetd.conf(5) manual pages (or just look at  /etc/inetd.conf).   In
              order  to  prevent  the shell from changing your ENTRY definition you have to quote
              the ENTRY using single or double quotes. You can use tabs (the tab character or \t)
              and spaces to separate the fields of the ENTRY. To add the ENTRY to a specific sec‐
              tion in the /etc/inetd.conf file please use the --group option in addition  to  the
              --add option.

              If  you  are trying to add an entry which already exists update-inetd won't add the
              entry. For uncommented entries it will do nothing and for  entries  that  are  com‐
              mented  out  by  the comment-chars (see option --comment-chars ) it will enable the
              existing entry. If you want to completely replace an entry just  remove  the  entry
              with the --remove option first.


       --remove SERVICE
              Remove SERVICE (e.g. telnet) from /etc/inetd.conf


       --enable SERVICE
              Enable  SERVICE  (e.g.  ”ftp") in /etc/inetd.conf . If you want to enable more than
              one SERVICE you can use a comma separated list of services (no  whitespace  charac‐
              ters allowed).


       --disable SERVICE
              Disable  SERVICE (e.g. ”ftp") in /etc/inetd.conf . If you want to disable more than
              one SERVICE you can use a comma separated list of services (no  whitespace  charac‐
              ters allowed).

       In  order  to  prevent the shell from changing your ENTRY definition you have to quote the
       ENTRY using single or double quotes. You can use tabs (the tab character or \t) and spaces
       to  separate  the fields of the ENTRY. If you want to enable/disable more than one SERVICE
       you can use a comma separated list of services (no whitespace characters allowed).


EXAMPLES
       You've installed ssh (secure encrypting remote shell) and wish to disable its  unencrypted
       cousins:

                update-inetd --comment-chars '#' --disable login,shell,exec,telnet

       Using a single '#' character as a comment-char prevents update-inetd to re-enable the ser‐
       vices on package upgrades.

       You think the clock on your computer is often inaccurate and wish to make sure other  com‐
       puters cannot read it:

                update-inetd --comment-chars '#' --disable time,daytime

       You get the clock fixed:

                update-inetd --enable time,daytime

       You  hear  a rumor that inetd is easily crashed via a SYN attack against the time and day‐
       time services, you want to turn off only their TCP versions, while leaving  the  analogous
       UDP services enabled:

                update-inetd --comment-chars '#' --pattern tcp --disable time,daytime

       You just finished writing a POP3 server and want to install the /etc/inetd.conf entry from
       the makefile:

                update-inetd             --group             MAIL             --add             \
       'pop-3\t\tstream\ttcp\tnowait\troot\t/usr/sbin/tcpd\t/usr/sbin/in.pop3d'


FILES
       /etc/inetd.conf /var/run/inetd.pid

SEE ALSO
       DebianNet(3pm)

AUTHOR
       Peter Tobias, <tobias AT et-inf.de>




Linux                                     27 August 2009                          update-inetd(8)