In fact, inetd.conf is read by inetd.

In our terms, inetd is a meta server, which means it is responsible for listening to (incoming) connections, and firing the right service (like in.telnetd or so on) when a request goes on.

You can look at this behaviour ... Just create an entry in inetd.conf, and put for program something that doesn't exist.

Try telnetting to that port ... and look. It will make the connection (three-way handshake) and then leave with a "connection reset by peer".

inetd is an application by itself and in no way part of the kernel.

Jean-Francois