Inetd message on console

[Malcolm McKenzie]

We have the following line in /etc/inittab in order to restart inetd if it fails.
inet:23:respawn:/sbin/rc2.d/s500inetd start >/dev/console 2>&1 # inetd

However, I'd like to suppress the message "Unable to start Internet Services
Inetd is already running, exit code 255
INIT - command is spawning too rapidly
will try again in 5 minutes" from appearing on the console.

I've tried altering the /dev/console to /dev/null but the message still appears.

Can anyone point me in the right direction.

[Roger Baptiste]

hi,

It is not advisable to have inetd entry in inittab file.

Normally, inetd should not fail!! and if it fails, it is a *problem* which has to be looked into and fixed. It is not a getty session to be respawned.

So, my only suggestion would be to not using inetd respawn in inittab.

HTH
raj

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Hi Malcolm,

This is quite a strange idea. Instead of this you can probably keep a small script as a cronjob to check if the inetd is running and start if not.

I would suggest to take this out of inittab entry.

-Sri

[Craig Rants]

I would first look at /etc/syslog.conf. Find what is pointed at /dev/console, you may want to change this entry.

Also is this a trusted system, and if so do you have auditing running. You may want to look at this if both are true.

GL,
C

[Uday_S_Ankolekar]

Hi,

you can edit inittab file replace respawn with off. You are getting this error because inetd is already running.

-USA..

[Alan Casey]

i think there is something wrong.
Have a look at:
http://europe-support2.external.hp.com/cki/bin/doc.pl/sid=025ee66f1c0d1ea681/screen=ckiDisplayDocument?docId=200000024598992

Whatever you do do NOT edit the rc files!!!

[Wodisch]

Hello Malcolm,

"inetd" starts itself into the background, hence your entry will try immediatley to restart it :-(
You'll need some script (started from within "/etc/inittab", it you want), which would use a loop like the following to check for a running inetd:

#!/usr/bin/sh
while sleep 60
do if UNIX95=. ps -C inetd
then : # inetd is ok
else inetd # restart it
date | mailx -s"inetd restarted" root
fi
done > /dev/null
exit 0

This should work...

HTH,
Wodisch