---
name: "remote"
section: "5"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd", "openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/remote"
---

# remote(5)

remote host description file

## NAME

**remote** – remote host description file

## DESCRIPTION

The systems known by [tip(1)](/tip/1.md) and their attributes are stored in an ASCII file which is structured somewhat like the [termcap(5)](/termcap/5.md) file. Each line in the file provides a description for a single *system*. Fields are separated by a colon (\`\`:''). Lines ending in a \\ character with an immediately following newline are continued on the next line.

The first entry is the name(s) of the host system. If there is more than one name for a system, the names are separated by vertical bars. After the name of the system comes the fields of the description. A field name followed by an \`=' sign indicates a string value. A field name followed by a \`#' sign indicates a numeric value.

Entries named \`\`tip\*'' and \`\`cu\*'' are used as default entries by [tip(1)](/tip/1.md), and the [cu(1)](/cu/1.md) interface to **tip**, as follows. When **tip** is invoked with only a phone number, it looks for an entry of the form \`\`tip300'', where 300 is the data rate with which the connection is to be made. When the **cu** interface is used, entries of the form \`\`cu300'' are used.

## CAPABILITIES

Capabilities are either strings (str), numbers (num), or boolean flags (bool). A string capability is specified by *capability**=**value*; for example, \`\`dv=/dev/harris''. A numeric capability is specified by *capability**#**value*; for example, \`\`xa#99''. A boolean capability is specified by simply listing the capability.

- **at**

  (str) Auto call unit type.

- **br**

  (num) The data rate (bits per second) used for communications on the serial port. When a modem is used, the data rate used to communicate with the remote modem may be different than this rate. This is a decimal number. The default rate is 115200 bits per second.

- **cm**

  (str) An initial connection message to be sent to the remote host. For example, if a host is reached through a port selector, this might be set to the appropriate sequence required to switch to the host.

- **cu**

  (str) Call unit if making a phone call. Default is the same as the \`dv' field.

- **di**

  (str) Disconnect message sent to the host when a disconnect is requested by the user.

- **du**

  (bool) This host is on a dial-up line.

- **dv**

  (str) UNIX device(s) to open to establish a connection. If this file refers to a terminal line, [tip(1)](/tip/1.md) attempts to perform an exclusive open on the device to ensure only one user at a time has access to the port.

- **el**

  (str) Characters marking an end-of-line. The default is NULL. \`~' escapes are only recognized by **tip** after one of the characters in \`el', or after a carriage-return.

- **fs**

  (str) Frame size for transfers. The default frame size is equal to BUFSIZ.

- **hd**

  (bool) The host uses half-duplex communication, local echo should be performed.

- **ie**

  (str) Input end-of-file marks. The default is NULL.

- **oe**

  (str) Output end-of-file string. The default is NULL. When **tip** is transferring a file, this string is sent at end-of-file.

- **pa**

  (str) The type of parity to use when sending data to the host. This may be one of \`\`even'', \`\`odd'', \`\`none'', \`\`zero'' (always set bit 8 to zero), \`\`one'' (always set bit 8 to 1). The default is even parity.

- **pn**

  (str) Telephone number(s) for this host. If the telephone number field contains an @ sign, **tip** searches the file */etc/phones* file for a list of telephone numbers (see [phones(5)](/phones/5.md)).

- **tc**

  (str) Indicates that the list of capabilities is continued in the named description. This is used primarily to share common capability information.

## FILES

- */etc/remote*

  The **remote** host description file resides in */etc*.

## EXAMPLES

Here is a short example showing the use of the capability continuation feature. It defines a 56k modem connection on the first serial port at 115200 bits per second, no parity using the Hayes command set with standard line editing and end of file characters. The arpavax entry includes everything in the UNIX-57600 entry plus the phone number for arpavax (in this case an @ character so that it is retrieved from the environment).

```
UNIX-57600:\
:dv=/dev/cuau0:el=^D^U^C^S^Q^O@:oe=^D:du:at=hayes:br#115200:pa=none:
arpavax|ax:\
:pn=\@:tc=UNIX-57600
```

## SEE ALSO

[cu(1)](/cu/1.md), [tip(1)](/tip/1.md), [phones(5)](/phones/5.md)

## HISTORY

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

## BUGS

The [tip(1)](/tip/1.md) utility uses its own notion of the serial ports data rate rather than the system default for a serial port.