Disabling UUCP ?

[Philip Chan_1]

For security reasons we are considering to disable the uucp service. Can someone tell me what the consequence will be? and perhaps what other services and sub-systems have dependency on it?

Thanks
Philip

[Antoanetta Naghiu]

UUCP is used for transering files, executing commands on remote systems and sendind mail and news over serial dial-up lines. If you do not need any of those, you should not have any problem. No other services depends on it. Predictive software might need it but I don't think you are using predictive in a high securited box.

[Tim Malnati]

To state it simply, UUCP was the protocol used to move data around before the days of lans, wans, and the internet. Predictive software may use it, but I would think that HP should have some alternative methods available in these days of HAO. If you are using Predictive, a call to support would be in order. You can probably shut it down and lock it out without any impact. I don't know anyone that uses it otherwise these days.

[Philip Chan_1]

"Execute remote commands ...", I thought that is done by the rexecd, does it mean rexecd uses uucp inside?

[Antoanetta Naghiu · Accepted solution]

rexecd doesn't use uucp. reexecd is based on exec service.
As Tim said, it was on fashion in the old days.
Execute remote commands via serial connection.
I do have a box with uucp disable and is just fine.

[Wodisch]

Hello Phillip,
since UUCP (it's setup, at least) is used for everything controlling modems,
first check, if you do something with modems; like SLIP, or so...
Even then, if you are only going "outside" disbling the accounts of "uucp",
and "nuucp" (and the like) won't be disturbed.
HTH,
Wodisch