> > I think this list has discussed the problems with having a hash > > as the first character in /etc/hosts.equiv before. This is the standard > > setup for Linux networking software. > Does anyone have a handy document reference on this, then I'll go and get > the starting # splatted for good if its a problem. > Alan I honestly don't have a handy document, but I remember reading somewhere that depending on how naive your system software is, if someone had a '#' mark in the /etc/hosts.equiv or /.rhosts files, I could change some records in my DNS maps and rename my machine like so: 3.100.212.129.in-addr.arpa IN PTR me.foo.com TO 3.100.212.129.in-addr.arpa IN PTR # (something like that) so that now my machine is renamed '#'. When your machine sees my machine coming in, and looks it up in DNS, it sees that my machine is named '#' and since that appears in the /etc/hosts.equiv or /.rhosts, it allows access. Now, I have never done this and still wonder what brain-dead SW would parse the /etc/hosts.equiv or /.rhosts file and take the # as not a comment, but as an actual name (and be tricked into doing it), but hey...I'm just passing on what I read awhile back (and maybe it is of no concern now). Peter Sivo Amdahl/Open Enterprise Systems peters@oes.amdahl.com