List of Unix daemons
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Unix daemons
that are found on various Unix-like
operating systems. Unix daemons typically have a name ending with a d.
Daemon (computer software)
In Unix and other multitasking computer operating systems, a daemon is a computer program that runs as a background process, rather than being under the direct control of an interactive user...
that are found on various Unix-like
Unix-like
A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
operating systems. Unix daemons typically have a name ending with a d.
| Process | Description |
|---|---|
| init Init init is a program for Unix-based computer operating systems that spawns all other processes. It runs as a daemon and typically has PID 1. The boot loader starts the kernel and the kernel starts init... |
The Unix program which spawns all other processes. |
| biod | Works in cooperation with the remote nfsd to handle client NFS requests. |
| cron Cron Cron is a time-based job scheduler in Unix-like computer operating systems. Cron enables users to schedule jobs to run periodically at certain times or dates... d |
Time-based job scheduler Job scheduler A job scheduler is a software application that is in charge of unattended background executions, commonly known for historical reasons as batch processing.... , runs jobs in the background. |
| dhcpd Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a network configuration protocol for hosts on Internet Protocol networks. Computers that are connected to IP networks must be configured before they can communicate with other hosts. The most essential information needed is an IP address, and a default... |
Dynamically configure TCP/IP information for clients. |
| finger Finger protocol In computer networking, the Name/Finger protocol and the Finger user information protocol are simple network protocols for the exchange of human-oriented status and user information.-Name/Finger protocol:... d |
Provides a network interface for the finger protocol Finger protocol In computer networking, the Name/Finger protocol and the Finger user information protocol are simple network protocols for the exchange of human-oriented status and user information.-Name/Finger protocol:... , as used by the finger command. |
| ftp File Transfer Protocol File Transfer Protocol is a standard network protocol used to transfer files from one host to another host over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and utilizes separate control and data connections between the client and server... d |
Services FTP File Transfer Protocol File Transfer Protocol is a standard network protocol used to transfer files from one host to another host over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and utilizes separate control and data connections between the client and server... requests from a remote system. |
| httpd Hypertext Transfer Protocol The Hypertext Transfer Protocol is a networking protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems. HTTP is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web.... |
Web server Web server Web server can refer to either the hardware or the software that helps to deliver content that can be accessed through the Internet.... daemon. |
| inetd Inetd inetd is a super-server daemon on many Unix systems that manages Internet services. First appearing in 4.3BSD , it is generally located at /usr/sbin/inetd.-Function:... |
Listens for network connection requests. If a request is accepted, it can launch a background daemon to handle the request, was known as the super server for this reason. Some systems use the replacement command xinetd Xinetd In computer networking, xinetd, the eXtended InterNET Daemon, is an open-source super-server daemon which runs on many Unix-like systems and manages Internet-based connectivity... . |
| lpd Line Printer Daemon protocol The Line Printer Daemon protocol/Line Printer Remote protocol is a network protocol for submitting print jobs to a remote printer. The original implementation of LPD was in the Berkeley printing system in the BSD UNIX operating system; the LPRng project also supports that protocol... |
The line printer daemon Line Printer Daemon protocol The Line Printer Daemon protocol/Line Printer Remote protocol is a network protocol for submitting print jobs to a remote printer. The original implementation of LPD was in the Berkeley printing system in the BSD UNIX operating system; the LPRng project also supports that protocol... that manages printer spooling. |
| nfsd | Processes NFS operation requests from client systems. Historically each nfsd daemon handled one request at a time, so it was normal to start multiple copies. |
| ntpd | Network Time Protocol Network Time Protocol The Network Time Protocol is a protocol and software implementation for synchronizing the clocks of computer systems over packet-switched, variable-latency data networks. Originally designed by David L... daemon that manages clock synchronization across the network. xntpd implements the version 3 standard of NTP. |
| portmap Portmap The port mapper is an ONC RPC service that runs on network nodes that provide other ONC RPC services..... /rpcbind |
Provides information to allow ONC RPC clients to contact ONC RPC servers |
| sshd | Listens for secure shell Secure Shell Secure Shell is a network protocol for secure data communication, remote shell services or command execution and other secure network services between two networked computers that it connects via a secure channel over an insecure network: a server and a client... requests from clients. |
| sendmail Sendmail Sendmail is a general purpose internetwork email routing facility that supports many kinds of mail-transfer and -delivery methods, including the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol used for email transport over the Internet.... |
SMTP daemon. |
| swapper | Copies process regions to swap Virtual memory In computing, virtual memory is a memory management technique developed for multitasking kernels. This technique virtualizes a computer architecture's various forms of computer data storage , allowing a program to be designed as though there is only one kind of memory, "virtual" memory, which... space in order to reclaim physical page Paging In computer operating systems, paging is one of the memory-management schemes by which a computer can store and retrieve data from secondary storage for use in main memory. In the paging memory-management scheme, the operating system retrieves data from secondary storage in same-size blocks called... s of memory Computer storage Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, refers to computer components and recording media that retain digital data. Data storage is one of the core functions and fundamental components of computers.... for the kernel. Also called sched. |
| syslog Syslog Syslog is a standard for computer data logging. It allows separation of the software that generates messages from the system that stores them and the software that reports and analyzes them... d |
System logger process that collects various system messages. |
| syncd | Periodically keeps the file system File system A file system is a means to organize data expected to be retained after a program terminates by providing procedures to store, retrieve and update data, as well as manage the available space on the device which contain it. A file system organizes data in an efficient manner and is tuned to the... s synchronized with system memory. |
| xfsd X Font Server The X font server provides a standard mechanism for an X server to communicate with a font renderer, frequently one running on a remote machine. It usually runs on TCP port 7100.- Current status :... |
Serve X11 X Window System The X window system is a computer software system and network protocol that provides a basis for graphical user interfaces and rich input device capability for networked computers... font Font In typography, a font is traditionally defined as a quantity of sorts composing a complete character set of a single size and style of a particular typeface... s to remote clients. |
| vhand | Releases pages of memory for use by other processes. Also known as the "page stealing daemon" |
| ypbind | Find the server for an NIS Network Information Service The Network Information Service, or NIS is a client–server directory service protocol for distributing system configuration data such as user and host names between computers on a computer network... domain and store the information in a file. |