NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     portmap - DARPA port to RPC program number mapper

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     portmap [-d]

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     portmap is a server that converts RPC program  numbers  into
DARPA protocol
     port  numbers.   It  must  be  running  in order to make RPC
calls.

     When an RPC server is started, it  will  tell  portmap  what
port number it
     is listening to, and what RPC program numbers it is prepared
to serve.
     When a client wishes to make an RPC call to a given  program
number, it
     will  first  contact portmap on the server machine to determine the port
     number where RPC packets should be sent.

     portmap must be started before any RPC servers are  invoked.

     Normally  portmap forks and dissociates itself from the terminal like any
     other daemon.  portmap then logs errors using syslog(3).

     Option available:

     -d      (debug) prevents portmap from running as  a  daemon,
and causes errors
  and debugging information to be printed to the
standard error
 output.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     inetd.conf(5), inetd(8), rpcinfo(8)

HISTORY    [Toc]    [Back]

     The portmap command appeared in 4.3BSD

BUGS    [Toc]    [Back]

     If portmap crashes, all servers must be restarted.

OpenBSD     3.6                          March      16,      1991