Mac OS X 10.2 replaces inetd with xinetd. The xinetd process offers an easier way to add, delete, or modify entries in the inetd daemon list. Rather than editing a single file (/etc/inetd.conf), a directory can have xinetd "modules" dropped into it or removed in order to change the configuration, making it much easier to modify system behavior. The xinetd process also add features such as access control and logging. For information on configuring and using xinetd, see the man pages for xinetd and xinetd.conf, or visit xinetd (
http://xinetd.org/).
Services on Mac OS X that formerly were configured with inetd, such as FTP, now use xinetd. Though you should use xinetd, inetd is still running, and may be used to run services alongside xinetd if inetd.conf is configured appropriately.