netrc(4)netrc(4)NAME
netrc, .netrc - Specifies automatic login information for ftp
SYNOPSIS
$HOME/.netrc
DESCRIPTION
The file contains the information used by the automatic login (autolo‐
gin) feature of the ftp command. It is a hidden file in your home
directory and must be owned by the user logging in, or by the root
user. If the file contains a login password, the file's permissions
must be set to 600 (read and write by owner only).
The file can contain the following entries (separated by spaces, tabs,
or newlines): Where host is the name of a remote host. This entry
begins the definition of the autologin process for the specified host.
All following entries up to the next machine entry or the end of the
file apply to that host. This is the same as machine, except that
default matches any name. There can be only one default token, and it
must appear after all machine tokens. This is normally used as fol‐
lows: default login anonymous password user@site
The preceding command line gives the user automatic anonymous
ftp login to machines not specified in -n flag to disable
autologin. Where user is the username to use at the remote
host. If this entry is found, the autologin process initiates a
login using the specified name. If this entry is missing, the
autologin process fails. Where password is the login password
to be used. The autologin process supplies this password to the
remote server. A login password must be established at the
remote host and that password must be entered in this file, or
the autologin process fails and you are prompted for the login
password. Where password is the account password to be used.
If this entry is found and an account password is required at
the remote host, the autologin process supplies the password to
the remote server. If the remote host requires an account pass‐
word but this entry is missing, the autologin process prompts
for the account password. Where macro is the name of an ftp
subcommand macro. The macro definition starts on the following
line and is defined to contain all of the following ftp subcom‐
mands up to the next blank line. If the macro is named init,
ftp executes the macro upon successful completion of the autolo‐
gin process.
FILES
Contains automatic login information.
SEE ALSO
Commands: ftp(1)netrc(4)
