---
name: "bootptab"
section: "5"
platform: "macos"
package: "bootp"
version: "534.120.2"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/bootptab"
---

# bootptab(5)

Internet Bootstrap Protocol server database

## NAME

**bootptab** – Internet Bootstrap Protocol server database

## DESCRIPTION

The file */etc/bootptab* contains a list of host entries used by **bootpd** (see [bootpd(8)](/bootpd/8.md)) to associate a hardware address with a particular IP address.

The **bootptab** file contains two sections.   The two sections are separated by a single line containing just "%%".  The first section is ignored.  The second section  contains host entries, one host per line.  The format of the line is:

```
hostname     hwtype     hwaddr     ipaddr     bootfile
```

## EXAMPLES

Here is an example */etc/bootptab*:

```
#
# bootptab example
#
%%
# machine entries have the following format:
#
# hostname      hwtype  hwaddr              ipaddr          bootfile
client1         1       00:01:02:03:04:05   10.0.0.20       boot0
client2         1       00:a0:b2:ef:ff:0a   10.0.0.20       boot
```

## SEE ALSO

[xinetd(8)](/xinetd/8.md), [tftpd(8)](/tftpd/8.md), netinfo(5), [exports(5)](/exports/5.md)