This is netkit-telnet-0.16.

This package updates netkit-telnet-0.14.

If you're reading this off a CD, go right away and check the net
archives for later versions and security fixes.

Contents:
	telnet		Client for telnet protocol
	telnetd		Daemon for telnet protocol

Note: These programs do not provide encryption or strong
authentication of network connections. As such, their use for remote
logins is discouraged. The "ssh" protocol and package can be used
instead.

Requires:
	Working compiler, libc, and kernel, and a recent version of
	ncurses or libtermcap.

Security:
	This release probably does not contain new security fixes. On
	the other hand, vast amounts of suspicious pointer manipulation
	in telnetd were cleaned up, so it is quite likely that this
	version is less dangerous than previous ones.

	In any event, telnetd is evil legacy code and is not
	trustworthy - do not run it unless you absolutely need it.


	netkit-telnet-0.14 contained a fix for a set of remote (and
	possibly serious) denial of service attacks possible against
	older versions of the telnet daemon.

	Do not under any circumstances use telnetd older than
	NetKit-0.09!

DEC Alpha:
        The currently available Compaq C compiler does not provide
	a C++ compiler, so it cannot compile telnet. Compiling
	telnetd it may produce a few warnings, but they should be
	harmless.

Installation:
	Do "./configure --help" and decide what options you want. The
	defaults should be suitable for most Linux systems. Then run
	the configure script.

	Do "make" to compile.
	Then (as root) do "make install".

	Save a backup copy of any mission-critical program in case the
	new one doesn't work, and so forth. We warned you.

  ***	If you have an old kernel, you may need to apply the enclosed
	pty-hang patch to it. I don't unfortunately know at the moment 
	which kernel versions need the patch, but current 2.0.x and
	2.2.x should be ok without it.

	The following test will tell you if you need the patch: telnet
	to localhost, do "cat >/dev/null", and type 256 characters
	without any newlines. If you need the patch, telnetd will hang
	completely at this point. If it refuses to accept more input,
	but does not hang, you do not need the patch.

Bugs:
	Please make sure the header files in /usr/include match the
	libc version installed in /lib and /usr/lib. If you have weird
	problems this is the most likely culprit.

	Also, before reporting a bug, be sure you're working with the
	latest version.

	If something doesn't compile for you, fix it and send diffs.
	If you can't, send the compiler's error output.

	If it compiles but doesn't work, send as complete a bug report as 
	you can. Patches and fixes are welcome, as long as you describe 
	adequately what they're supposed to fix. Please, one patch per
	distinct fix. Please do NOT send the whole archive back or
	reindent the source.

	Be sure to send all correspondence in e-mail. Postings to netnews 
	will not be seen due to the enormous volume.

	Please don't report known bugs (see the BUGS file(s)) unless you
	are including fixes. :-)

	Mail should be sent to: netbug@ftp.uk.linux.org


Note: please see http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~dholland/computers/netkit.html
if you are curious why it's been so long since the last NetKit release.
(The short version is that I gave things to some other people, who let
them kind of slide.)

I do not currently plan to continue maintaining NetKit; I am doing this
release and perhaps one or two more, and then I intend to give the source
tree to Red Hat or some similar organization for long-term maintenance.

David A. Holland
12 December 1999
