PROTOCOLS(5) | File Formats Manual | PROTOCOLS(5)

# NAME

`protocols` — protocol name data base

# DESCRIPTION

The `protocols` file contains information regarding the assigned protocol numbers used by IPv4 and IPv6 to identify the next level protocol. For each protocol a single line should be present with the following information:

    official protocol name
    protocol number
    aliases

Items are separated by any number of blanks and/or tab characters. A hash (“#”) indicates the beginning of a comment; characters up to the end of the line are not interpreted by routines which search the file.

Protocol names may contain any printable character other than a field delimiter, newline, or comment character.

# FILES

/etc/protocols
  The `protocols` file resides in /etc.

# SEE ALSO

getprotoent(3)

IANA Allocation Guidelines For Values In the Internet Protocol and Related Headers, RFC 2780, March 2000.

IANA Allocation Guidelines for the Protocol Field, RFC 5237, February 2008.

# HISTORY

The `protocols` file format appeared in 4.2BSD, describing the "known protocols used in the DARPA Internet".

# BUGS

A name server should be used instead of a static file.

November 27, 2022 | NetBSD 10.99