User guide

xinetd Configuration Files

includedir /etc/xinetd.d

These lines control the following aspects of xinetd:

• instances — Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous requests that xinetd can process.

• log_type — Configures xinetd to use the authpriv log facility, which writes log entries to the

/var/log/secure file. Adding a directive such as FILE /var/log/xinetdlog would create a

custom log file called xinetdlog in the /var/log/ directory.

• log_on_success — Configures xinetd to log successful connection attempts. By default, the

remote host's IP address and the process ID of the server processing the request are recorded.

• log_on_failure — Configures xinetd to log failed connection attempts or if the connection was

denied.

• cps — Configures xinetd to allow no more than 25 connections per second to any given service. If

this limit is exceeded, the service is retired for 30 seconds.

• includedir /etc/xinetd.d/ — Includes options declared in the service-specific configuration

files located in the /etc/xinetd.d/ directory. Refer to Section 2.3.4.2, “The /etc/xinetd.d/

Directory” for more information.

Note

Often, both the log_on_success and log_on_failure settings in /etc/xinetd.conf

are further modified in the service-specific configuration files. More information may therefore

appear in a given service's log file than the /etc/xinetd.conf file may indicate. Refer to

Section 2.3.4.3.1, “Logging Options” for further information.

2.3.4.2. The /etc/xinetd.d/ Directory

The /etc/xinetd.d/ directory contains the configuration files for each service managed by xinetd

and the names of the files are correlated to the service. As with xinetd.conf, this directory is read

only when the xinetd service is started. For any changes to take effect, the administrator must restart

the xinetd service.

The format of files in the /etc/xinetd.d/ directory use the same conventions as /etc/

xinetd.conf. The primary reason the configuration for each service is stored in a separate file is to

make customization easier and less likely to affect other services.

To gain an understanding of how these files are structured, consider the /etc/xinetd.d/krb5-

telnet file:

service telnet

{

flags = REUSE

socket_type = stream

wait = no

user = root

server = /usr/kerberos/sbin/telnetd

log_on_failure += USERID

disable = yes

}

These lines control various aspects of the telnet service: