---

19.6 Error Messages

The inetd server logs error messages using syslog. Important error messages and their explanations are:

‘service/protocol server failing (looping), service terminated.’

The number of requests for the specified service in the past minute exceeded the limit. The limit exists to prevent a broken program or a malicious user from swamping the system. This message may occur for several reasons:

1. there are lots of hosts requesting the service within a short time period,
2. a “broken” client program is requesting the service too frequently,
3. a malicious user is running a program to invoke the service in a “denial of service” attack,
4. the invoked service program has an error that causes clients to retry quickly.

Use the -R option, as described above, to change the rate limit. Once the limit is reached, the service will be reenabled automatically in 10 minutes.

‘service/protocol: No such user 'user', service ignored’

‘service/protocol: getpwnam: user: No such user’

No entry for user exists in the passwd file. The first message occurs when inetd (re)reads the configuration file. The second message occurs when the service is invoked.

‘service/protocol: No such user 'user', service ignored’

‘service/protocol: getpwnam: user: No such user’

No entry for user exists in the passwd file. The first message occurs when inetd (re)reads the configuration file. The second message occurs when the service is invoked.

‘service: can't set uid number’

‘service: can't set gid number’

The user or group ID for the entry’s user is invalid.