DOCUMENT ID: 1286-02

SYNOPSIS:    Relationship between telnet and inetd.conf

OS RELEASE:  2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5

PRODUCT:     Solaris

KEYWORDS:    telnet inetd.conf


DESCRIPTION:

Does TELNET for outbound connectivity require an uncommented line in the
 /etc/inetd.conf file ?


SOLUTION:

To understand the reasoning behind the answer, the primary function of
inetd bears some discussion.  Inetd listens to various "known" port
addresses.  A port for the purposes here is a logical part of a network
message.  Each "active" line in the /etc/inetd.conf file indicates inetd
should create a "port listener" socket.  A socket is a bidrectional
message conduit, an incoming message on a port causes inetd to create a
port associated command process.  The key is "incoming messages".  The
outbound TELNET is the "speaker" to a foreign host inetd process.  The
answer is therefore NO. 


DATE APPROVED: 04/11/95