rdate

[Guy Harris]

>I am sure other more enlightened readers will provide more detailed
>information,

Yup, "rdate" uses the "Time Protocol" described in the Internet RFC868. 

>This service on port 37 seems to be a fundmanetal service of inetd on most
>any Unix machine.  I used this to implement rdate for our MIPS machines.

Or, at least, "inetd" on any UNIX machine that uses a 4.3BSD-flavored
"inetd" (which includes SunOS 4.x).  Some of the trivial Internet
protocols are implemented inside "inetd", namely (quoting from the
INETD(8C) manual):

     Postel, Jon, ``Echo Protocol,'' RFC 862, Network Information
     Center, SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif., May 1983.

     Postel, Jon, ``Discard Protocol,'' RFC 863, Network Informa-
     tion  Center,  SRI  International,  Menlo  Park, Calif., May
     1983.

     Postel, Jon, ``Character Generater Protocol,'' RFC 864, Net-
     work  Information  Center,  SRI  International,  Menlo Park,
     Calif., May 1983.

     Postel, Jon, ``Daytime Protocol,'' RFC 867, Network Informa-
     tion  Center,  SRI  International,  Menlo  Park, Calif., May
     1983.

     Postel, Jon, and Ken  Harrenstien,  ``Time  Protocol,''  RFC
     868,  Network  Information  Center, SRI International, Menlo
     Park, Calif., May 1983.