*BSD News Article 78843


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From: andreas@klemm.gtn.com (Andreas Klemm)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Port definitions
Date: 22 Sep 1996 13:03:46 GMT
Organization: FreeBSD makes fun
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References: <51vl49$nfh@juliana.sprynet.com>
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In article <51vl49$nfh@juliana.sprynet.com>,
	change@sprynet.com writes:
> I am a new computer junkie, who cannot find the answer to this
> question. What are ports exactly? Port 21 is the FTP port on a TCP/IP
> network, and I have heard the term "ported software" but I do not
> understand it. Does anyone know of a resource for this information, or
> can anyone recommend a journal or textbook on the subject (and others,
> of course). 

Porting Unix public domain software means to make existing 
free software run on another flavour of Unix.

TCP IP has different "channels", such channel are as well references
as port numbers. It's needed to distinguish network packets.
"Give all ftp related stuff the program that handles ftp sessions",
"Give all telnet related stuff the program that handles telnet sessions",
... So the port number of a single network packet marks it for a special
service.

Go and get some O'reilly books on that topic ;-))

-- 
andreas@klemm.gtn.com         /\/\___      Wiechers & Partner Datentechnik GmbH
   Andreas Klemm          ___/\/\/         Support Unix -- andreas.klemm@wup.de
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