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INET(8)                     System Manager's Manual                    INET(8)

NAME
       inet, inet.conf - TCP/IP server

SYNOPSIS
       inet

DESCRIPTION
       Inet  is  the  TCP/IP  server.   It  is a device driver that interfaces
       between the file server and the low level ethernet device driver.   The
       interface to this server is described in ip(4).

       Inet  starts  as  a  normal  process,  reads  a  the configuration file
       /etc/inet.conf to see what it should do, and uses  a  few  special  low
       level  system  calls  to  turn itself into a server.  The format of the
       configuration file is as follows:

   Configuration
       The inet configuration file is fairly simple, here is an example:

              eth0 DP8390 0 { default; };
              psip1;

                     It tells that network 0 (the one containing devices eth0,
                     ip0,  tcp0  and  udp0)  uses  the  ethernet device driver
                     handled by driver "DP8390" instance 0.  This  network  is
                     marked  as  the  default network, so most programs use it
                     through the unnumbered devices like /dev/tcp or /dev/udp.
                     Network  1  is a Pseudo IP network that can be used for a
                     serial IP over a modem for instance.

                     The configuration file uses a simple  line-based  format.
                     Each  network definition has to be fully on its own line.
                     Empty lines and lines that start with a  `#'  symbol  are
                     ignored.  The following network definitions are possible:

                     ethN driver instance {options};
                            This   sets   up  an  ethernet  with  device  name
                            /dev/ethN, built  on  the  given  ethernet  device
                            driver  with the given instance number.  (If there
                            are two network cards of the same type  then  they
                            will  be  managed  by  instance  0  and  1  of the
                            corresponding driver.)

                     ethN vlan id ethM {options};
                            The ethernet ethN uses VLAN number id and is built
                            on  ethernet ethM.  A packet given to this network
                            has a VLAN tag prefixed to it and is  then  handed
                            over   to   another   ethernet  for  transmission.
                            Likewise a packet on that  ethernet  carrying  the
                            appropriate  VLAN  tag has this tag removed and is
                            sent  on  to  this  network.   The  VLAN  ethernet
                            behaves  like  an  ordinary  ethernet  as  far  as
                            applications are concerned.

                     psipN {options};
                            Creates pseudo IP network /dev/psipN,  usable  for
                            IP over serial lines, tunnels and whatnot.

OPTIONS
       Some options can be given between braces.

       default;
              Mark  this  network  as the default network.  Exactly one of the
              networks must be so marked.  When inet is started it will  check
              and  create  all the necessary network devices before becoming a
              server.  To know what major  device  number  to  use  it  checks
              /dev/ip,  so  that device must already exist.  It can be created
              by MAKEDEV if need be.

       no ip;
       no tcp;
       no udp;
              These options turn the IP, TCP, or UDP layer off.  Inet will not
              enable  the  devices  for these layers, and will deactivate code
              for these layers.  Disabling IP will also disable  TCP  or  UDP,
              because  they  need  IP  to function.  An ethernet without an IP
              layer can be used as  for  stealth  listening.   An  IP  network
              without  TCP or UDP can be used to pester students into creating
              the missing functionality.  Keeps  them  off  the  streets,  and
              maybe they'll learn something.

SEE ALSO
       ip(4), boot(8).

NOTES
       The  number  of  networks  that  can  be  defined  are  2 (Minix-86), 4
       (Minix-386) or 16 (Minix-vmd).  This limits both the total  number  and
       the highest device number you can use.

       Getting  a network administrator to give you a trunk or multi-VLAN port
       to run multiple networks on can be a  challenge.   It  questions  their
       idea  that VLANs are separate networks, while in reality it is just one
       big ethernet.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
       Cindy Crawford, for providing invaluable help debugging this server.

AUTHOR
       Code:    Philip Homburg <philip@cs.vu.nl>
       Manual:  Kees J. Bot <kjb@cs.vu.nl>

                                                                       INET(8)

NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | OPTIONS | SEE ALSO | NOTES | ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | AUTHOR