NETWORKS(5)                 BSD File Formats Manual                NETWORKS(5)

NAME
     networks -- network name data base

DESCRIPTION
     The networks file contains information regarding the known networks which
     comprise the DARPA Internet.  For each network a single line should be
     present with the following information:

           official network name
           network number
           aliases

     Items are separated by any number of blanks and/or tab characters.  A
     ``#'' indicates the beginning of a comment; characters up to the end of
     the line are not interpreted by routines which search the file.  This
     file is normally created from the official network data base 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 number may be specified in the conventional ``.''  (dot) notation
     using the inet_network(3) routine from the Internet address manipulation
     library, inet(3).  Network names may contain any printable character
     other than a field delimiter, newline, or comment character.

INTERACTION WITH DIRECTORY SERVICES
     Processes generally find network records using one of the getnetent(3)
     family of functions.  On Mac OS X, these functions interact with the
     DirectoryService(8) daemon, which reads the /etc/networks file as well as
     searching other directory information services to determine network name
     and address information.

FILES
     /etc/networks

SEE ALSO
     getnetent(3), DirectoryService(8)

HISTORY
     The networks file format appeared in 4.2BSD.

4.2 Berkeley Distribution        June 5, 1993        4.2 Berkeley Distribution