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AIX Version 4 Files Reference

protocols File Format for TCP/IP

Purpose

Defines the Internet protocols used on the local host.

Description

The /etc/protocols file contains information about the known protocols used in the DARPA Internet. Each protocol is represented by a single line in the protocols file. Each entry corresponds to the form:

Name Number Aliases

The fields contain the following information:

Name Specifies an official Internet Protocol name.
Number Specifies a protocol number.
Aliases Specifies any unofficial names used for the protocol.

Items on a line are separated by one or more spaces or tab characters. Comments begin with the # (pound sign), and routines that search the protocols file do not interpret characters from the beginning of a comment to the end of the line. A protocol name can contain any printable character except a field delimiter, new line character, or comment character.

The lines appear as follows:

ip              0                #dummy for IP
icmp            1                #control message protocol
#ggp            2                #gateway^2 (not normally used)
tcp             6                #tcp
#egp            8                #exterior gateway protocol
#pup            12               #pup
udp             17               #user datagram protocol
#idp            22               #xns idp

Implementation Specifics

This file is part of TCP/IP in Network Support Facilities in Base Operating System (BOS) Runtime.

Related Information

The getprotoent subroutine.

TCP/IP Protocols in AIX Version 4.3 System Management Guide: Communications and Networks.


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