RLOGIND(8) UNIX Programmer's Manual RLOGIND(8) NAME rlogind - remote login server SYNOPSIS rlogind [ -aln ] DESCRIPTION _R_l_o_g_i_n_d is the server for the _r_l_o_g_i_n(1) program. The server provides a remote login facility with authentication based on privileged port numbers from trusted hosts. _R_l_o_g_i_n_d listens for service requests at the port indicated in the ``login'' service specification; see _s_e_r_v_i_c_e_s(5). When a service request is received the following protocol is initiated: 1) The server checks the client's source port. If the port is not in the range 512-1023, the server aborts the connection. 2) The server checks the client's source address and requests the corresponding host name (see IR gethost- byaddr (3), _h_o_s_t_s(5) and _n_a_m_e_d(8)). If the hostname cannot be determined, the dot-notation representation of the host address is used. If the hostname is in the same domain as the server (according to the last two components of the domain name), or if the -a option is given, the addresses for the hostname are requested, verifying that the name and address correspond. Normal authentication is bypassed if the address verification fails. Once the source port and address have been checked, _r_l_o_g_i_n_d proceeds with the authentication process described in _r_s_h_d(8). It then allocates a pseudo terminal (see _p_t_y(4)), and manipulates file descriptors so that the slave half of the pseudo terminal becomes the stdin , stdout , and stderr for a login process. The login process is an instance of the _l_o_g_i_n(1) program, invoked with the -f option if authen- tication has succeeded. If automatic authentication fails, the user is prompted to log in as if on a standard terminal line. The -l option prevents any authentication based on the user's ``.rhosts'' file, unless the user is logging in as the superuser. The parent of the login process manipulates the master side of the pseudo terminal, operating as an intermediary between the login process and the client instance of the _r_l_o_g_i_n pro- gram. In normal operation, the packet protocol described in _p_t_y(4) is invoked to provide ^S/^Q type facilities and pro- pagate interrupt signals to the remote programs. The login process propagates the client terminal's baud rate and Printed 11/24/99 September 11, 1989 1 RLOGIND(8) UNIX Programmer's Manual RLOGIND(8) terminal type, as found in the environment variable, ``TERM''; see _e_n_v_i_r_o_n(7). The screen or window size of the terminal is requested from the client, and window size changes from the client are propagated to the pseudo termi- nal. Transport-level keepalive messages are enabled unless the -n option is present. The use of keepalive messages allows sessions to be timed out if the client crashes or becomes unreachable. DIAGNOSTICS All initial diagnostic messages are indicated by a leading byte with a value of 1, after which any network connections are closed. If there are no errors before _l_o_g_i_n is invoked, a null byte is returned as in indication of success. ``Try again.'' A _f_o_r_k by the server failed. SEE ALSO login(1), ruserok(3), rshd(8) BUGS The authentication procedure used here assumes the integrity of each client machine and the connecting medium. This is insecure, but is useful in an ``open'' environment. A facility to allow all data exchanges to be encrypted should be present. A more extensible protocol should be used. Printed 11/24/99 September 11, 1989 2