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TFTPD(8)                  BSD System Manager's Manual                 TFTPD(8)

NAME
     tftpd -- DARPA Internet Trivial File Transfer Protocol server

SYNOPSIS
     tftpd [-d] [-g group] [-i] [-l] [-n] [-s directory] [-u user] [directory ...]

DESCRIPTION
     tftpd is a server which supports the DARPA Trivial File Transfer Protocol.  The TFTP server operates at
     the port indicated in the `tftp' service description; see services(5).  This server should not be
     started manually; instead, it should be run using launchd(8) using the plist
     /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/tftp.plist.  It may be started using the launchctl(1) load command; refer
     to the documentation for that utility for more information.

     The use of tftp(1) does not require an account or password on the remote system.  Due to the lack of
     authentication information, tftpd will allow only publicly readable files to be accessed.  Filenames
     beginning in ``../'' or containing ``/../'' are not allowed.  Files may be written to only if they
     already exist and are publicly writable.

     Note that this extends the concept of "public" to include all users on all hosts that can be reached
     through the network; this may not be appropriate on all systems, and its implications should be consid-ered considered
     ered before enabling tftp service.  The server should have the user ID with the lowest possible privi-lege. privilege.
     lege.

     Access to files may be restricted by invoking tftpd with a list of directories by including up to 20
     pathnames as server program arguments in /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/tftp.plist.  In this case access
     is restricted to files whose names are prefixed by the one of the given directories.  The given direc-tories directories
     tories are also treated as a search path for relative filename requests.

     The options are:

     -d         Enable verbose debugging messages to syslogd(8).

     -g group   Change gid to that of group on startup.  If this isn't specified, the gid is set to that of
                the user specified with -u.

     -i         Enable insecure mode, no realpath(3).

     -l         Logs all requests using syslog(3).

     -n         Suppresses negative acknowledgement of requests for nonexistent relative filenames.

     -s directory
                tftpd will chroot(2) to directory on startup.  This is recommended for security reasons (so
                that files other than those in the /tftpboot directory aren't accessible).  If the remote
                host passes the directory name as part of the file name to transfer, you may have to create
                a symbolic link from `tftpboot' to `.' under /tftpboot.

     -u user    Change uid to that of user on startup.  If -u isn't given, user defaults to ``nobody''.  If
                -g isn't also given, change the gid to that of user as well.

SEE ALSO
     tftp(1), launchd(8), launchctl(1), launchd.plist(5)

     The TFTP Protocol (Revision 2), RFC, 1350, July 1992.

     TFTP Option Extension, RFC, 2347, May 1998.

     TFTP Blocksize Option, RFC, 2348, May 1998.

     TFTP Timeout Interval and Transfer Size Options, RFC, 2349, May 1998.

HISTORY
     The tftpd command appeared in 4.2BSD.

     The -s flag appeared in NetBSD 1.0.

     The -g and -u flags appeared in NetBSD 1.4.

     IPv6 support was implemented by WIDE/KAME project in 1999.

     TFTP options were implemented by Wasabi Systems, Inc., in 2003, and first appeared in NetBSD 2.0 .

BUGS
     Files larger than 33488896 octets (65535 blocks) cannot be transferred without client and server sup-porting supporting
     porting blocksize negotiation (RFCs 2347 and 2348).

     Many tftp clients will not transfer files over 16744448 octets (32767 blocks).

SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS
     You are strongly advised to set up tftpd using the -s flag in conjunction with the name of the direc-tory directory
     tory that contains the files that tftpd will serve to remote hosts (e.g., /tftpboot).  This ensures
     that only the files that should be served to remote hosts can be accessed by them.

     Because there is no user-login or validation within the TFTP protocol, the remote site will probably
     have some sort of file-access restrictions in place.  The exact methods are specific to each site and
     therefore difficult to document here.

BSD                              June 11, 2003                             BSD

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