---
name: "protocols"
section: "5"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/protocols"
---

# protocols(5)

protocol name database

## NAME

**protocols** – protocol name database

## DESCRIPTION

The **protocols** file contains information regarding the known protocols used in the Internet. For each protocol, a single line should be present with the following information:

```
official protocol name
protocol number
aliases
```

Items are separated by any number of blanks and/or tab characters.

A hash mark (‘#’) indicates the beginning of a comment; subsequent characters up to the end of the line are not interpreted by the routines which search the file.

Protocol names may contain any printable character other than a field delimiter, newline, or comment character.

## FILES

- */etc/protocols*

  ## SEE ALSO

[getprotoent(3)](/getprotoent/3.md)

## HISTORY

The **protocols** file format appeared in 4.2BSD.

## BUGS

A name server should be used instead of a static file. Lines in */etc/protocols* are limited to BUFSIZ characters (currently 1024). Longer lines will be ignored.