From owner-freebsd-questions Tue Nov 6 14:56:43 2001 Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from topaz.mdcc.cx (topaz.mdcc.cx [212.204.230.141]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 68FC137B416 for ; Tue, 6 Nov 2001 14:56:41 -0800 (PST) Received: from k7.mavetju.org (topaz.mdcc.cx [212.204.230.141]) by topaz.mdcc.cx (Postfix) with ESMTP id 928A62B696; Tue, 6 Nov 2001 23:56:38 +0100 (CET) Received: by k7.mavetju.org (Postfix, from userid 1001) id E2DC31B2; Wed, 7 Nov 2001 09:56:32 +1100 (EST) Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2001 09:56:32 +1100 From: Edwin Groothuis To: ann kok Cc: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: service file Message-ID: <20011107095632.Z35710@k7.mavetju.org> Mail-Followup-To: Edwin Groothuis , ann kok , freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG References: <20011106213145.74148.qmail@web20104.mail.yahoo.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i In-Reply-To: <20011106213145.74148.qmail@web20104.mail.yahoo.com>; from annkok2001@yahoo.com on Tue, Nov 06, 2001 at 01:31:45PM -0800 Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk List-ID: List-Archive: (Web Archive) List-Help: (List Instructions) List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG On Tue, Nov 06, 2001 at 01:31:45PM -0800, ann kok wrote: > I am wandering what is the function of the file > 'service' /etc/services you mean? It's a list of known services and ports combinations. By using an external-file, and not hardcoding all the ports in the applications, you're adding an abstraction layer to it. And the abstraction layer gives you the possibility to change the port-number if needed. For example, have a look at the entry in /etc/services for radius. You see two entries, one commented out with a remark above it. If everybody would use hard-coded ports, it would never move to the right port. But now all you have to do is change the entry in /etc/services and the application is using the right ports, it's easy to move along. Also, finding service-names if you have only the port-number (for example if you run tcpdump), it shows you what service is (probably) being accessed. Edwin -- Edwin Groothuis | Personal website: http://www.MavEtJu.org edwin@mavetju.org | Interested in MUDs? Visit Fatal Dimensions: ------------------+ http://www.FatalDimensions.org/ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message