RHOSTS(4-SysV) RISC/os Reference Manual RHOSTS(4-SysV)
NAME
rhosts - list of trusted hosts and users
DESCRIPTION
Each user may have a .rhosts file in his home directory.
This file contains a list of users on other hosts in the
network that are trusted in the following sense: when mak-
ing requests to access the user's system with rcp(1C),
rlogin(1C), or rsh(1C), they are allowed to assume the
user's identity without specifying a password. In other
words, the remote user has exactly the same access
privileges on the local system that the owner of the .rhosts
file does and this access is granted without any attempt to
verify the remote user's identity by requiring him to enter
a password. The incoming request includes the user name
that should be used on the local system. The .rhosts file
owned by that local user acts as a logical extension to the
hosts.equiv(4) file when deciding whether to grant permis-
sion for the incoming rcp(1C), rlogin(1C), or rsh(1C)
request.
The .rhosts file has the same format as the hosts.equiv(4)
file.
NOTES
The owner of the .rhosts file must be the user in whose home
directory it resides. The contents of the file will be
disregarded if it is owned by another user.
Special care should be taken in deciding the contents of the
file /.rhosts. Any host or user added to this file has the
ability to become the superuser on the local system without
entering the password. Note that /.rhosts are not required.
FILES
$HOME/.rhosts
SEE ALSO
hosts.equiv(4)
ORIGIN
4.3 BSD
Printed 1/15/91 Page 1