File Formats                                          networks(4)

NAME
     networks - network name database

SYNOPSIS
     /etc/inet/networks

     /etc/networks

DESCRIPTION
     The networks file is a local source of information regarding
     the networks which comprise the Internet. The networks  file
     can be used in conjunction with, or instead of,  other  net-
     works  sources,  including the NIS maps  networks.byname and
     networks.byaddr and the NIS+ table  networks.  Programs  use
     the  getnetbyname(3SOCKET)  routines to access this informa-
     tion.

     The network file has a single line for  each  network,  with
     the following information:

     official-network-name network-number aliases

     Items are separated by any number of  SPACE and/or TAB char-
     acters.  A `#' indicates the beginning of a comment; charac-
     ters up to the end of the line are not interpreted  by  rou-
     tines  which  search the file. This file is normally created
     from the official network database maintained at the Network
     Information  Control  Center (NIC), though local changes may
     be required to bring it  up  to  date  regarding  unofficial
     aliases and/or unknown networks.

     Network numbers may be specified  in  the  conventional  dot
     (`.')  notation  using  the  inet_network  routine  from the
     Internet address  manipulation  library,  inet(7P).  Network
     names may contain any printable character other than a field
     delimiter, NEWLINE, or comment character.

SEE ALSO
     getnetbyaddr(3SOCKET), getnetbyname(3SOCKET), inet(3SOCKET),
     nsswitch.conf(4), inet(7P)

NOTES
     The  official  SVR4   name   of   the   networks   file   is
     /etc/inet/networks.  The  symbolic link /etc/networks exists
     for BSD compatibility.

     The network database does not support subnet masks  in  gen-
     eral, so  getnetbyaddr(3SOCKET) cannot differentiate between
     networks        of        11.128.0.0/255.192.0.0         and
     11.128.0.0/255.240.0.0.

SunOS 5.8            Last change: 2 Jun 1997                    1