NAME

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

SYNOPSIS

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

       update-inetd [--file FILENAME] [--help] [--version] [--verbose] [--comment-chars  CHARACTERS]  [--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 information.  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).  Conversely, 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 confirmation.

       --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 section 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 commented 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 characters 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 characters 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 services on package
       upgrades.

       You think the clock on your computer is often inaccurate and wish to make  sure  other  computers  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 daytime 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@et-inf.fho-emden.de>

Linux                                            27 August 2009                                  update-inetd(8)