The Sysfiles File

The Sysfiles File

The /etc/uucp/Sysfiles file lets you assign different files to be used by uucp and cu as Systems, Devices, and Dialers files. Here are some cases where this optional file may be useful:

You may want to use different Systems files so requests for login services can be made to phone numbers different from those used for requests for uucp services.
You may want to use Dialers files that have different handshaking for cu and uucp.
You may want to have multiple Systems, Dialers, and Devices files. The Systems file in particular may become large, making it more convenient to split it into several smaller files.

The format of the Sysfiles file is:

service=w systems=x:x dialers=y:y devices=z:z

The w parameter is replaced by uucico, cu, or both separated by a colon; x is one or more files to be used as the Systems file, with each filename separated by a colon and read in the order presented; y is one or more files to be used as the Dialers file; and z is one or more files to be used as the Devices file. Each file is assumed to be relative to the /etc/uucp directory, unless a full path is given. A backslash-carriage return (\<Return>) can be used to continue an entry to the next line.

Here is an example using a local Systems file in addition to the usual Systems file:

service=uucico:cu systems=Systems:Local_Systems

If this line is in /etc/uucp/Sysfiles, then both uucico and cu will first look in /etc/uucp/Systems. If the station they're trying to call doesn't have an entry in that file, or if the entries in the file fail, then they'll look in /etc/uucp/Local_Systems.

When different Systems files are defined for uucico and cu services, your station will store two different lists of stations. You can print the uucico list by using the uuname command, or the cu list by using the uuname -c command.