Debug trace flows (netdata and ptydata)

When issuing any of the following three trace commands within /etc/inetd.conf (-D ptydata, -D netdata, or -D all), you have the contents in both hexadecimal and ASCII, and the data being sent over the sockets or between the ttys in your syslogd file. If the user is having problems between the parent and the client, try the -D netdata option. If it is between the parent and the child, try the -D ptydata option. If both or either might apply, try the -D all option.

Each set of hexadecimal data is preceded by a three-letter tag. This tag represents the direction the data is flowing from. Figure 1 is a pictorial representation of this flow.
  • Int—client to parent
  • Ont—parent to client
  • Ipt—child to parent
  • Opt—parent to child
Figure 1. Trace between the Telnet client, parent, and child
Start of change
---------------              ---------------           ----------------
|             |    Int       |             |   Opt     |              |
|             |------------> |  Telnet     |---------->|  Telnet      |
|   Client    |   socketfd   |   parent    | primaryfd |    child     |
|             |<------------ |             |<----------|              |
|             |    Ont       |             |   Ipt     |              |
---------------              ---------------           ----------------
End of change

The user types a command on the command line. It flows Int -> Opt. The child responds and the flow is Ipt -> Ont.