Idea: support multiple input files with -iL
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enhancement
Nmap
- Dominant language
- C
- Stars
- 13.6k
- Forks
- 2.9k
- PR merge metrics
- No merged PRs in 30d
Description
Currently, Nmap only supports reading target specs from one file OR from the command-line. We should be able to support multiple files AND command-line specs at the same time. Some potential implementation ideas:
-iLoption processing changes to not open the file immediately, but to put it into a list or vector of filenames, potentially after astat()check for readability.grab_next_host_specchanges to iterate over both the list of command-line expressions as well as the list of filenames from the -iL options, opening each in turn and yielding expressions from those with the existingread_host_from_filefunction.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by tracing -iL option processing and grab_next_host_spec, then inspect how read_host_from_file currently supplies target expressions. Verify how multiple -iL filenames and command-line specifications should be interleaved or exhausted. Done means Nmap accepts multiple input files together with command-line targets and preserves existing file-reading behavior.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- c
- Domain
- cli, networking
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100