---
name: "netkit-rsh"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "rsh-client"
version: "0.17-24"
release: "Debian 12 (Bookworm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/netkit-rsh"
---

# netkit-rsh(1)

remote shell

## NAME

**rsh** – remote shell

## SYNOPSIS

**rsh** \[**-Kdnx**\] \[**-k** *realm*\] \[**-l** *username*\] *host* \[command\]

## DESCRIPTION

**Rsh** executes *command* on *host*.

**Rsh** copies its standard input to the remote command, the standard output of the remote command to its standard output, and the standard error of the remote command to its standard error. Interrupt, quit and terminate signals are propagated to the remote command; **rsh** normally terminates when the remote command does. The options are as follows:

- **-K**

  The **-K** option turns off all Kerberos authentication.

- **-d**

  The **-d** option turns on socket debugging (using [setsockopt(2)](/setsockopt/2.md)) on the TCP sockets used for communication with the remote host.

- **-l**

  By default, the remote username is the same as the local username. The **-l** option allows the remote name to be specified. Kerberos authentication is used, and authorization is determined as in [rlogin(1)](/rlogin/1.md).

- **-n**

  The **-n** option redirects input from the special device */dev/null* (see the BUGS section of this manual page).

If no *command* is specified, you will be logged in on the remote host using [rlogin(1)](/rlogin/1.md).

Shell metacharacters which are not quoted are interpreted on local machine, while quoted metacharacters are interpreted on the remote machine. For example, the command

```
rsh otherhost cat remotefile >> localfile
```

appends the remote file *remotefile* to the local file *localfile*, while

```
rsh otherhost cat remotefile ">>" other_remotefile
```

appends *remotefile* to *other\_remotefile*.

## FILES

- */etc/hosts*

  ## SEE ALSO

[rlogin(1)](/rlogin/1.md), [kerberos(3)](/kerberos/3.md), [krb\_sendauth(3)](/krb_sendauth/3.md), [krb\_realmofhost(3)](/krb_realmofhost/3.md)

## HISTORY

The **rsh** command appeared in 4.2BSD.

## BUGS

If you are using [csh(1)](/csh/1.md) and put a **rsh** in the background without redirecting its input away from the terminal, it will block even if no reads are posted by the remote command. If no input is desired you should redirect the input of **rsh** to */dev/null* using the **-n** option.

You cannot run an interactive command (like rogue(6) or [vi(1)](/vi/1.md)) using **rsh**; use [rlogin(1)](/rlogin/1.md) instead.

Stop signals stop the local **rsh** process only; this is arguably wrong, but currently hard to fix for reasons too complicated to explain here.