inetdxinetd

inetdxinetd is a proposed or fictional internet super-server envisioned as a synthesis of the traditional inetd and the extended features of xinetd. In theory, it would act as a single daemon that listens on multiple network ports and spawns service processes on demand, while offering fine-grained access control, logging, and resource management for each service.

In practice, no widely used implementation by this exact name exists. The original inetd, the Internet super-server, dates to early Unix-like systems and manages connections by invoking appropriate services based on a configuration file. xinetd, developed as an enhanced replacement, added per-service filters, access control, and more robust logging. On modern systems, socket activation by systemd or alternative launchers often replaces super-servers altogether.

Possible features of inetdxinetd include per-service configuration, on-demand spawning, support for both TCP and UDP, per-service ACLs and rate limiting, enhanced logging and audit capabilities, cooperation with security tools, and graceful reloads or dynamic reconfiguration without downtime. The design would aim to provide centralized management of multiple services with improved visibility and security compared to traditional inetd setups.

Configuration would seek to merge inetd's simple mapping with xinetd's granular controls, using a unified declarative format or lightweight database. It would specify services, ports, protocols, allowed hosts, and limits, with mechanisms to test configurations and apply changes at runtime without restarting dependent services.

See also inetd, xinetd, systemd, and socket activation as related concepts and modern alternatives in service management.