Linux UUCP

This section is not yet complete!

UUCP which stands for Unix to Unix copy is primarily used for copying files between Unix systems but can also perform other functions. It typically does not do the tasking immediately, but executes tasking based on queued requests. Tasking is done based on a specific schedule set up by the administrator. This form of intersystem tasking has been used in the past to send information over telephone lines at times when rates were low.

Much information on this page was developed from the Taylor UUCP Version 1.06 Documentation by Lance Taylor. This document comes on Redhat Linux 6.1 systems in the file /usr/doc/uucp-1.06.1/uucp.html. For complete information, you should read this file. This page only attempts to give a few examples with explanations to get you up and running quicker.

UUCP Configuration files

Configuration files are located in "/etc/uucp" or "/usr/lib/uucp" on older Linux versions.

Then make sure that the permissions of the files are

       -rw-r--r--   1 root     root          321 Aug 23 1999 call
       -rw-r--r--   1 root     root         1184 Aug 23 1999 config
       -rw-r--r--   1 root     root          321 Aug 23 1999 dial
       -rw-r--r--   1 root     root          325 Aug 23 1999 dialcode
       -rw-r--r--   1 root     root          323 Aug 23 1999 passwd
       -rw-r--r--   1 root     root          321 Aug 23 1999 port
       -rw-r--r--   1 root     root          320 Aug 23 1999 sys

Each configuration file is described below:

call - Contains your login/password for each system you poll. It is used when calling remote systems. The syntax is:
```
       remotesystem username password
```

The remote system is the name of the remote host, the username is the name of the user and password is the password required for the user.

config - The main configuration file (Line numbers were added for reference)

1.   nodename mymachine                     # The UUCP name of this system

2.   spool /var/spool/uucp                   # The UUCP spool directory
3.   pubdir /var/spool/uucppublic            # The UUCP public directory
4.   logfile /var/log/uucp/log               # The UUCP log file
5.   statfile /var/log/uucp/stats            # The UUCP statistics file
6.   debugfile /var/log/uucp/debug           # The UUCP debugging file

7.   #sysfile        /etc/uucp/sys           # Default "sys"
8.   #portfile       /etc/uucp/port          # Default "port"
9.   #dialfile       /etc/uucp/dial          # Default "dial"
10.  #dialcodefile   /etc/uucp/dialcode      # Default "dialcode"
11.  #callfile       /etc/uucp/call          # Default "call"
12.  #passwdfile     /etc/uucp/passwd        # Default "passwd"

     # No commands may be executed by unknowns (empty list of permitted commands)
     # Upload is authorized in /var/spool/uucp for unknown hosts
13.  unknown commands
14.  unknown pubdir /var/spool/uucp
15.  unknown remote-send ~ !~/upload
16.  unknown remote-receive ~/upload

To set this file up all you need to do is replace "mymachine" by your system name.
The lines in the file do the following:

name
spool directory
public directory
log file
statistics file
debugging file
default sys file
default port file
default dial file
default dialcode file
Default call file
Default password file
No commands may be executed by unknown hosts since the list of commands is empty
The public directory is set for unknown hosts which is /var/spool/uucp
Files may be sent to unknown hosts from the /var/spool/uucp directory. Files may not be sent from the /var/spool/uucp/upload directory indicated by !~/upload. The ~ symbol indicates the public directory. The ! symbol indicates not which excludes the filename that follows it.
Files may be upload ed by unknown hosts to the public directory (~) which is /var/spool/uucp or the /var/spool/uucp/upload directory.

The command,

unknown receive-request no

Will not allow unknown hosts to receive files from this host.

Setting the public directory permits users on systems that call in to request a file by prefixing it with `~/' to get a file from the public directory. To retrieve the file "/var/spool/public/database" from the server "ourserver", a user on a remote host can enter "uucp ourserver!~/INDEX ~"; The file would be sent to the user's local public directory. When using `csh' or `bash' the ! and the second ~ must be quoted. This example applies if the user's host is known to the server. If it is unknown, the user would get the file from /var/spool/uucp/INDEX.