xref: /original-bsd/share/man/man5/networks.5 (revision f955cb91)
1.\" Copyright (c) 1983, 1991 The Regents of the University of California.
2.\" All rights reserved.
3.\"
4.\" %sccs.include.redist.roff%
5.\"
6.\"     @(#)networks.5	6.5 (Berkeley) 05/10/91
7.\"
8.Dd
9.Dt NETWORKS 5
10.Os BSD 4.2
11.Sh NAME
12.Nm networks
13.Nd network name data base
14.Sh DESCRIPTION
15The
16.Xr networks
17file contains information regarding
18the known networks which comprise the
19.Tn DARPA
20Internet.
21For each network a single line should be present with the following information:
22.Bd -unfilled -offset indent
23official network name
24network number
25aliases
26.Ed
27.Pp
28Items are separated by any number of blanks and/or tab characters.
29A ``#'' indicates the beginning of a comment; characters up to the end of
30the line are not interpreted by routines which search the file.
31This file is normally created from the official network data base
32maintained at the Network Information Control Center
33.Pq Tn NIC ,
34though local
35changes may be required to bring it up to date regarding unofficial aliases
36and/or unknown networks.
37.Pp
38Network number may be specified in the conventional
39``.''  (dot) notation using the
40.Xr inet_network 3
41routine
42from the Internet address manipulation library,
43.Xr inet 3 .
44Network names may contain any printable character other than a field
45delimiter, newline, or comment character.
46.Sh FILES
47.Bl -tag -width /etc/networks -compact
48.It Pa /etc/networks
49The
50.Nm networks
51file resides in
52.Pa /etc .
53.El
54.Sh SEE ALSO
55.Xr getnetent 3
56.Sh BUGS
57A name server should be used instead of a static file.
58.Sh HISTORY
59The
60.Nm
61file format appeared in
62.Bx 4.2 .
63