htable Command

Purpose

Converts host files to the format used by network library routines.

Syntax

/usr/sbin/htable [ -c connected-nets ] [ -l local-nets ] input-file

Note: Do not put a space on either side of the comma.

Description

The htable command converts host files in the format specified in RFC 810 to the format used by the network library routines. The conversion creates three files: the /etc/hosts file, the /etc/networks file, and the /etc/gateways file.

The gethostbyname subroutine uses the hosts file for mapping host names to addresses when the named daemon is not used. The getnetent subroutine uses the networks file for mapping network names to numbers.

The gateways file may be used by the routed daemon in identifying passive Internet gateways.

If any local hosts, networks, or gateways files (localhosts, localnetworks, or localgateways respectively) exist in the current directory, that file's contents are prepended to the output file. Of these, the htable program only interprets the gateways file. Prepending the contents allows sites to maintain local entries that are not normally present in the master database.

Flags

Item	Description
-c connected-nets	Specifies a list of networks to which the host is directly connected if the network routing daemons use the gateways file. Separate the networks with commas, and use the network name or standard Internet dot notation (for example, `-c arpanet,128.32,LocalEthernet`). The htable command only includes gateways that are directly connected to one of the networks specified or that can be reached from another gateway on a connected network.
-l local-nets	Specifies a list of networks for the htable command to treat as local. Take information about hosts on local networks only from the localhosts file. Separate the networks with commas, and use the network name or standard Internet dot notation (for example, `-l 128.32,local-ether-net`). Entries for local hosts from the main database are omitted so that the localhosts file can override entries in the input file (the file you specify on the command line).

Item

Description

-c connected-nets

Specifies a list of networks to which the host is directly connected if the network routing daemons use the gateways file. Separate the networks with commas, and use the network name or standard Internet dot notation (for example, -c arpanet,128.32,LocalEthernet). The htable command only includes gateways that are directly connected to one of the networks specified or that can be reached from another gateway on a connected network.

-l local-nets

Specifies a list of networks for the htable command to treat as local. Take information about hosts on local networks only from the localhosts file. Separate the networks with commas, and use the network name or standard Internet dot notation (for example, -l 128.32,local-ether-net). Entries for local hosts from the main database are omitted so that the localhosts file can override entries in the input file (the file you specify on the command line).

Files

Item	Description
/CurrentDirectory/localgateways	Contains local gateway information.
/CurrentDirectory/localhosts	Contains local host name information.
/CurrentDirectory/localnetworks	Contains local network information.