Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 19:44:49 -0600 From: Oscar Ricardo Silva <oscars@mail.utexas.edu> To: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: What does portmap do? Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20011031194145.00a3e9d0@mail.utexas.edu> In-Reply-To: <inbsine4n6.sin@localhost.localdomain> References: <004101c16254$10ed3300$0a00000a@atkielski.com> <004101c16254$10ed3300$0a00000a@atkielski.com>
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A couple of portmap descriptions:
The portmapper manages RPC connections, which are used by protocols such as
NFS and NIS. The portmap server must be running on machines which act as
servers for protocols which make use of the RPC mechanism.
Portmap is a server that converts RPC program numbers into DARPA protocol
port numbers. It must be running in order to make RPC calls.
When an RPC server is started, it will tell portmap what port number it is
listening to, and what RPC program numbers it is prepared to serve. When a
client wishes to make an RPC call to a given program number, it will first
contact portmap on the server machine to determine the port number where
RPC packets should be sent.
I usually disable it on install but if it's running, you can disable by
adding the following to /etc/rc.conf :
portmap_enable="NO"
Unless you're running NFS or NIS you should disable it.
Oscar
At 04:06 PM 10/31/2001 -0800, Gary W. Swearingen, you wrote:
>"Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@atkielski.com> writes:
>
> > I see portmap running in top. Apparently it is a daemon associated
> with RPC.
> > However, I don't recall installing any RPC stuff on my machine. Should
> it be
> > there, and what does it to? I am concerned because RPC can be an open
> door to
> > security breaches.
>
>I think it comes with the basic OS as /usr/sbin/portmap and with a man
>page. Or you could read about it at
>http://www.rt.com/man/portmap.8.html
>
>Many people don't need to run it (or RPC). NFS and some inetd functions
>need it, IIRC.
>
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