SSERVER(8) MIT Kerberos SSERVER(8)

# [NAME](#NAME)

sserver - sample Kerberos version 5 server

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**sserver** \[ **-p** *port* ] \[ **-S** *keytab* ] \[ *server\_port* ]

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

sserver and *sclient* are a simple demonstration client/server application. When sclient connects to sserver, it performs a Kerberos authentication, and then sserver returns to sclient the Kerberos principal which was used for the Kerberos authentication. It makes a good test that Kerberos has been successfully installed on a machine.

The service name used by sserver and sclient is sample. Hence, sserver will require that there be a keytab entry for the service **sample/hostname.domain.name@REALM.NAME**. This keytab is generated using the *kadmin* program. The keytab file is usually installed as **FILE:/etc/krb5.keytab**.

The **-S** option allows for a different keytab than the default.

sserver is normally invoked out of [inetd(8)](/man/os/krb5/inetd.8), using a line in **/etc/inetd.conf** that looks like this:

```
sample stream tcp nowait root /usr/local/sbin/sserver sserver
```

Since **sample** is normally not a port defined in **/etc/services**, you will usually have to add a line to **/etc/services** which looks like this:

```
sample          13135/tcp
```

When using sclient, you will first have to have an entry in the Kerberos database, by using *kadmin*, and then you have to get Kerberos tickets, by using *kinit*. Also, if you are running the sclient program on a different host than the sserver it will be connecting to, be sure that both hosts have an entry in /etc/services for the sample tcp port, and that the same port number is in both files.

When you run sclient you should see something like this:

```
sendauth succeeded, reply is:
reply len 32, contents:
You are nlgilman@JIMI.MIT.EDU
```

# [COMMON ERROR MESSAGES](#COMMON_ERROR_MESSAGES)

1\.

kinit returns the error:

```
kinit: Client not found in Kerberos database while getting


       initial credentials
```

This means that you didn't create an entry for your username in the Kerberos database.

2\.

sclient returns the error:

```
unknown service sample/tcp; check /etc/services
```

This means that you don't have an entry in /etc/services for the sample tcp port.

3\.

sclient returns the error:

```
connect: Connection refused
```

This probably means you didn't edit /etc/inetd.conf correctly, or you didn't restart inetd after editing inetd.conf.

4\.

sclient returns the error:

```
sclient: Server not found in Kerberos database while using


         sendauth
```

This means that the **sample/hostname@LOCAL.REALM** service was not defined in the Kerberos database; it should be created using *kadmin*, and a keytab file needs to be generated to make the key for that service principal available for sclient.

5\.

sclient returns the error:

```
sendauth rejected, error reply is:


    "No such file or directory"
```

This probably means sserver couldn't find the keytab file. It was probably not installed in the proper directory.

# [ENVIRONMENT](#ENVIRONMENT)

See *kerberos* for a description of Kerberos environment variables.

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

*sclient*, *kerberos*, [services(5)](/man/os/krb5/services.5), [inetd(8)](/man/os/krb5/inetd.8)

# [AUTHOR](#AUTHOR)

MIT

# [COPYRIGHT](#COPYRIGHT)

1985-2026, MIT

1.22.2

---

Document: sserver(8) from krb5 1.22.2-r4 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/krb5/krb5.git