inetutils/NEWS

GNU inetutils NEWS -- history of user-visible changes.
Copyright (C) 1997-2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
See the end of this file for license conditions.

Please send inetutils bug reports to <bug-inetutils@gnu.org>.

* ftp

Allow invocation, as well as command `open', to accept an explicit
remote user name as extended host argument: `user@host'.

June 9, 2015
Version 1.9.4:

This is a minor bug release that fixes a regression in `ifconfig'.
The issue was reported by Juergen Daubert in
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-inetutils/2015-05/msg00002.html

May 12, 2015
Version 1.9.3:

* ftp

An old inability to allow other names than the canonical name has
been corrected.  This means that a machine entry in the .netrc file
will now be used as expected.  Previously any alias name was replaced
by the corresponding canonical name, before reading the .netrc file.

The internal command `hash' accepts a suffixed letter to the size
argument, like `12k', instead of 12288.  Made a minor change to the
syntax of the command itself, allowing size changes independently
of activation of hash markings.  After a transfer the summary gives
the speed as `Mbytes/s', `kbytes/s', or `bytes/s'.

The .netrc file can be overridden by the environment variable NETRC.
Of even higher precedence is the new option `-N/--netrc'.  The access
to the resulting file, whatever method, is now denied unless it is a
regular file.

* ifconfig

Better command line parsing on BSD and Solaris systems.  Touch only
changeable flags on all systems.

* logger

The ability to use numerical facilities is restored to full range.

* ping, ping6

The ability to specify a pattern as payload is corrected.

* syslogd

A new switch `-T/--local-time' makes the service ignore a time
stamp passed on by the remote host, recording instead the local
time at the moment the message was received.  As a short form of
`--pidfile', the switch `-P' is new.

In common with other syslogd implementations, rsyslogd and sysklogd,
there has for a long time existed an attack vector based on large
facility numbers, made public in CVE-2014-3684.  This is now mended
in our code base.

* telnetd

The ability to autologin a client, without using authentication,
is now functional in the expected manner, i.e., the prompt for a
user name is suppressed in favour of an immediate password prompt.

In a setting where the client is using a UTF-8 encoding, it was
common to observe strange characters in most responses.  This was
caused by the server daemon, due to incomplete purging of internal
protocol data.  The issue should now be resolved.

* whois

Improved cooperation with servers like `whois.arin.net', `whois.eu',
and `whois.ripe.net'.

December 23, 2013
Version 1.9.2:

An advisory file CHECKLIST containing testing and verification advice
has been added, pointing administrators to important properties and
settings for built executables.

* IDN -- International Domain Names

The clients `ftp', `ping', `ping6', `talk', `telnet', `tftp', and
`traceroute' are now capable of using libidn when resolving domain
names with character sets richer than ASCII.

Systems using the GNU C library achieve this ability by other means in
the present code, so they do not need to link against libidn at all.

* New tool 'dnsdomainname'.

* ftp

Called as `pftp', passive mode is preset.  New switch `-e/--no-edit'
for compatibility with other implementations.  Can now be built
without readline by passing `--disable-readline' to configure.  New
command `lpwd' avoids a shell call for a common task.  The legacy
limit for lengths of input lines (previously 200) has been removed.
Now it is system dependent and is common with most other tools.

* ifconfig

Provides new support for BSD and improved support for Solaris.
Argument handling has been corrected to avoid some segfaults.

* ping

New switches `--ip-timestamp', `--mask', `-T/--tos' and `--ttl'.  Can
use file capabilities instead of suid-setting.

* ping6

New switches `--hoplimit/--ttl', `-T/--tos' and `-v/--verbose'.  File
capabilities are sufficient.

* rcp

Supports IPv6 and Shishi.  New switches `-4/--ipv4', `-6/--ipv6',
`-k/--realm', `-K/--kerberos', and `-x/--encrypt'.  A file capability
like `cap_net_bind_service' can be applied instead of installing the
binary setuid.

* rexec

Supports IPv6.  New switches `-4/--ipv4', `-6/--ipv6', `-a/--ipany'

* rlogin, rsh

Support IPv6.  New switches `-4/--ipv4', `-6/--ipv6'.  A file
capability like `cap_net_bind_service' can be applied instead of
installing the binary setuid.

* syslogd

Messages can be logged to specific files according to the name of the
submitting program, on the tag attached to the message.  The mechanism
is patterned after same feature used in on BSD.

Support loading of multiple configuration files located in a single
directory.  New switches `-D/--rcdir'.

* telnet

New switch `-k/--realm'.

* traceroute

Default mode is now UDP, for better conformity with Unices.  New
switches `-f/--first-hop', `-g/--gateways', `-I/--icmp',
`-m/--max-hop', `-t/--tos', and `-w/--wait'.  File capabilities
suffice.

* ftpd

Full IPv6 support.  PAM support for Linux-PAM, OpenPAM, and Sun-PAM as
service `ftp'.  Observe that the latter two implementations only
affect non-anonymous access, since `pam_ftp.so' exists for Linux-PAM
only, so the standard checks are enforced on `ftp/anonymous' as usual.
The server now accepts the commands LPRT and LPSV.

The parsing of `/etc/ftpusers' and `/etc/ftpchroot' now allows the
specification of group names, simply by preceding the identifier with
an at-sign `@'.  An isolated `@' acts as a wildcard and matches every
user name.  In addition, the parser is more forgiving of spaces and
tabs, thus achieving better portability of these two files when
compared with other systems.

The server will by default not disclose that the requested user name
is invalid, but will instead proceed with a faked password dialogue.
This is in accordance with RFC 2577.  The new option `--non-rfc2577'
will now restore the legacy type responses, informing about
non-existing users and also about expired accounts, or expired
passwords.

* inetd

Service configuration now allows setting also the group.

* rexecd

Can be built with PAM support as service `rexec'.  New option
`-l/--logging'.

* rlogind

Support for IPv6 and PAM as services `rlogin' and `krlogin'.
Buildable with libwrap support for use in stand-alone daemon mode.
New switches `-4/--ipv4', `-6/--ipv6', and `-S/--server-principal'.

* rshd

Now has support for IPv6, PAM, and Shishi, with PAM services `rsh' and
`krsh'.  New switches `-k/--kerberos', `-r/--reverse-required',
`-S/--server-principal', `-v/--vacuous', and `-x/--encrypt'.

* talkd

Has seen reworked ACL-mechanisms, believed to be functional!  New
switches `-l/--logging', and `-S/--strict-policy'.

* telnetd

New switch `-S/--server-principal'.

* tftpd

New switches `-g/--group', `-s/--secure-dir', and `-u/--user'.

* uucpd

New switch `-u/--uucico'.

January 6, 2012
Version 1.9.1:

* Don't install git-merge-changelog.

December 31, 2011
Version 1.9:

* Security fixes

This release fixes a security flaw in telnetd that could lead to
remote access.

* Solaris is now a supported platform

Support is still new, so please report any bugs to
<bug-inetutils@gnu.org>.

* Many OpenBSD fixes.

* ftp, tftp, tftpd

Handle IPv6 connections.  ftpd is still IPv4-only until next release.

* syslogd, logger

Handle IPv6 connections.  The server can forward messages without
using a listening INET socket.  It can also bind to a single
INET/INET6 address.

* rlogind, rshd

This legacy code was vulnerable to an attack based on source routing.
Whenever either of IPOPT_SSRR or IPOPT_LSRR is encountered, the newly
initiated connection is now server-side aborted.  The advisory issued
by Secure Networks, Inc., February 1997, was adapted.  It was found at
http://www.citi.umich.edu/u/provos/papers/secnet-spoof.txt

* ifconfig

Now under GNU/Linux "ifconfig -a" shows also interfaces without an
address.

Adjusted output formating for "unix".

* ping

Now supports -W parameter to specify number of seconds to wait for
response.

* Various bugs fixes, internal improvements and clean ups.

May 15, 2010
Version 1.8:

* ftp

New options --active and --passive to enable/disable active transfer
mode.  The short option for --prompt has been removed, and is instead
now used to enable passive transfer mode.

* ifconfig

New commands (up and down) to bring up/down an interface using
ifconfig.

The short option for --address, -a, has been renamed to -A.  And --all
now uses -a instead.

New commands (multicast, allmulti) to set multicast flags.

New option -s displays a short list of interfaces (similar to netstat
-i).

The --format option can be used to read format from a file.  To do so,
prefix the file name with a '@' sign, e.g.:

          ifconfig --format=@FILE

The contents of this file is read literally, except that the lines
beginning with a `#' sign are ignored (and can thus be used to
introduce comments).

To obtain a list of the available built-in output formats, use

         ifconfig --format=help

When used with the --verbose option, --format=help also displays
format definitions.

* Man pages for the daemons are now in section 8 instead of 1.

* There is now a man page for ping6 too.

December 16, 2009
Version 1.7:

* ping

New option --timeout=N, stop sending packets after N seconds.

* New logger implementation

The `logger' utility has been rewritten from scratch.  The new
implementation offers many new facilities.  In particular, it
is able to send messages to system loggers on remote machines, and
to supply the PID number to include in messages, instead of the
PID of the `logger' process.

* Restore the traditional behavior of ping without -c option.

* The manual is now licensed under the GNU FDL version 1.3 or later.

* rexec

New program.

* tftp

Command line parsing now uses argp.

* Man pages for all tools are generated using help2man.


December 27, 2008
Version 1.6:

* Various bugs fixes and clean ups.

* hostname, traceroute

New programs.

* ping and ping6 now exit after four packets instead of pinging forever.

The previous behaviour can be enabled by passing `--count 0' to ping
(or ping6).

* telnet now delays initialization of Shishi until Kerberos is needed

* inetd

The configuration file syntax has been extended to allow for supplying
local addresses `inetd' should use when listening for a given service.
The addresses may be specified on a per-server basis as well as
globally (affecting several services).

It is possible to limit the number of service instances for `nowait'
services.

October 21, 2006
Version 1.5:

* Various bugs fixes and clean ups.

* inetd

** New option --environment enables passing client/server data via
environment variables.

** New option --resolve enables resolving IP addresses before passing
them via environment.

** Allows numeric port names as service names

** inetd now creates a PID file

* rcp now supports the -V option

* rshd/rexecd now switches to the users home directory after
  authentication.

* rlogin now supports XON/XOFF without needing -8.

* syslogd now can actually disable forwarding.

* talk allows the use of 8-bit ASCII.

* telnet not subject to certain DNS spoofing techniques that could
  possibly foil Kerberos authentication.

December 22, 2002
Version 1.4.2:

* Fix endianess problem in ftpd.

* Various portability updates.

* Security fix for rexecd/rshd.

* Fix processing accumulated messages in syslogd

September 02, 2002
Version 1.4.1:

* Fixes a build problem on Solaris

* rsh now honours -V as well as --version

* Fixed a security problem with rshd where new files were being
  created as uid 0.

* Fixed improper ping initialization.

* The syntax of syslog.conf file has been extended. The new
  wildcard facility specification, **, catches all messages with
  a facility not specified explicitely in the configuration file.

July 31, 2002
Version 1.4.0:

* It is now possible to specify whether to compile individual
  utilities using arguments to configure.

* The GNU networking utilities manual has been started.

* If you have the GNU readline library installed, it will now be used
  by the ftp client.

* There is now a whois client.

* Several security fixes and other bug fixes have been applied.

* The inetd server can read configuration file snippets from
  /etc/inetd.d/.

* The talkd and telnetd servers have been essentially rewritten.

* The ping program was added.

* The syslogd server supports several new features in the
  configuration file, like omitting file sync, piping messages into
  programs etc.  It also supports several new options on the command
  line.

* Inetutils should generally compile on most platforms now.

March, 13, 1998
Version 1.3.2:

 This release attempts to get the encryption/authentication options to
 compile correctly; they appear to work on systems with the appropriate
 libraries, but have not been well tested.

September, 11, 1997
Version 1.3.1:

 This release fixes various small problems.

 Telnet now won't force the stripping of 8-bit characters when not in binary
 mode (it will leave the terminal in whatever state it was originally).

February, 25, 1997
Version 1.3:

 More portable again than 1.2.  It is still very BSD-specific, but now
 works on many popular systems, such as linux and sunos/solaris.

 The talk program finally seems to work.

 ftp now supports a --prompt option to force it to print a prompt, even
 when not on a tty (this makes it possible to use ange-ftp with pipes).

 rsh now supports long options.

 Many security fixes have been made, so this release should be more secure
 than previous ones.

August, 21, 1996
Version 1.2:

 An attempt to be somewhat more portable, and reorganize the code to make
 porting a bit easier; it is still very BSD-specific.

 A major bug in ftpd bug that prevents most logins from succeeding is
 fixed, as well as other, more minor, bugs.

Version 1.1:

 A minor release intended only for the GNU hurd.

 This release adds checking for crypt at both compile and runtime (on
 systems where weak refs are supported).

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