File: inetutils.info,  Node: The .netrc file,  Prev: File transfer parameters,  Up: ftp invocation

11.7 The '.netrc' file
======================

The '.netrc' file contains login and initialization information used by
the auto-login process.  It generally resides in the user's home
directory, but a location outside of the home directory can be set using
the environment variable 'NETRC'.  Both locations are overridden by the
command line option '-N'.  The selected file must be a regular file, or
access will be denied.

   The following tokens are recognized; they may be separated by spaces,
tabs, or new-lines:

'machine name'
     Identify a remote machine name.  The auto-login process searches
     the '.netrc' file for a machine token that matches the remote
     machine specified on the 'ftp' command line or as an open command
     argument.  Once a match is made, the subsequent '.netrc' tokens are
     processed, stopping when the end of file is reached or another
     machine or a default token is encountered.

'default'
     This is the same as machine name except that default matches any
     name.  There can be only one default token, and it must be after
     all machine tokens.  This is normally used as:

          default login anonymous password user@site

     thereby giving the user automatic anonymous ftp login to machines
     not specified in '.netrc'.  This can be overridden by using the
     '-n' flag to disable auto-login.

'login name'
     Identify a user on the remote machine.  If this token is present,
     the auto-login process will initiate a login using the specified
     name.

'password string'
     Supply a password.  If this token is present, the auto-login
     process will supply the specified string if the remote server
     requires a password as part of the login process.  Note that if
     this token is present in the '.netrc' file for any user other than
     anonymous, 'ftp' will abort the auto-login process if the '.netrc'
     is readable by anyone besides the user.

'account string'
     Supply an additional account password.  If this token is present,
     the auto-login process will supply the specified string if the
     remote server requires an additional account password, or the
     auto-login process will initiate an 'ACCT' command if it does not.

'macdef name'
     Define a macro.  This token functions like the 'ftp' 'macdef'
     command functions.  A macro is defined with the specified name; its
     contents begin with the next '.netrc' line and continue until a
     null line (consecutive new-line characters) is encountered.  If a
     macro named init is defined, it is automatically executed as the
     last step in the auto-login process.