.TH UPDATEHOSTS LOCAL "1 February 1987".UC.SH NAMEupdatehosts \- maintain hosts file via mail..SH SYNOPSISmail updatehosts@boulder.SH DESCRIPTION.PP.B Updatehosts\^is a program that accepts input via mail from specific senders to that isused to update a source for the organization's hosts file..B Updatehosts\^also accepts queries for help and to have an up-to-date copy of the hostsfile be sent to the requester. Updatehosts is useful for medium to largeorganizations where changes to the hosts file occurs rapidly, and where there are more than one individuals responsible for the administration of hosts on the local network..SH INSTRUCTIONS.PPTo use .B updatehosts, the hosts file is divided into sections delimited with specialcomments of the form:.nf	\fB.ti 1.0i##.ti 1.0i# Begin: ACS.ti 1.0i# adminmail: dcmwood@spot.ti 1.0i# nextnumbers: 27,28,29,31,32.ti 1.0i#.ti 1.0i192.12.238.36	ncar-cu-gw		# Cisco IP gateway to NCAR.ti 1.0i#.ti 1.0i192.12.238.1    spot.colorado.edu spot.ti 1.0i# End: ACS.ti 1.0i##\fR.fi.PPThe arguments to .B Begin:and .B End:must match. These are taken as the name of a file in the  host source directory.The.B AdminMail:argument is taken as the mail address of the administrator responsible forthis section. To update a section file of the host source directory, Theadministrator simply sends mail to the the address.B updatehosts@boulderwith their section in the form that it appears above as the body of the message..B Updatehostswill send an acknowledgement back to the sender. Note that the value of the.B AdminMail: in the update and the previous version must match or else theupdate will not be accepted. .SH OTHER CAPABILITIES.PPAnyone may receive updates of the most recent up to date version of the hostsfile. By mailing .B updatehostswith a message with the a .B Subject:field:.B Send.In this case, it will mail to the sender, the latest full version of the hosts file..PPTo get a copy of this manual page, mail a message to .B updatehosts@boulderwith the .B Subject:field:.B Help.SH ADMINISTRATION/MAINTENANCE.PP.B updatehostssends mail is to a single hosts file administrator  who verifies that sections are being added correctly. There is a makefile in the host source directory that is called by .B updatehoststo assemble the hosts  file. To create a new section, The hosts administrator needs to create a new section file with the \fBBegin:, End: and AdminMail:\fR fields set appropriately, and modify the makefile to include it..PPThere is a companion script invoked out of cron,.B updatehosts.dailywhich rcs's the hosts file, and sends out diff's of the hosts fileto a list of recipients as changes are made. This script alsosends a full copy of the hosts file  bi-weekly. The mailinglist is kept in  the file.B admins.mailistin the host source directory. .SH DIAGNOSTICS.PP.B Updatehostswill transmit mail back to the  sender and the hosts administratoras appropriate explaining various unhappinesses..SH BUGS.PPIt is possible to breach the security of this system by forging mail,however, since this mechanism only updates a passive source directory,and the hosts administrator is notified of any update, and old versionsare kept, it is generally felt to be safe..SH FILES.nfboulder:/usr/local/adm/hosts/*.fi.SH SEE ALSO.nfhosts(5).fi