Index: src/pmc/socket.pmc
===================================================================
--- src/pmc/socket.pmc	(revision 48245)
+++ src/pmc/socket.pmc	(working copy)
@@ -177,6 +177,23 @@
 
 /*
 
+=item C<getprotobyname(STRING * name)>
+
+C<getprotobyname> returns a protocol number suitable for passing to
+C<socket>, based on the given protocol name. This is normal only
+necessary when opening sockets in raw mode.
+
+=cut
+
+*/
+
+    METHOD getprotobyname(STRING * name) {
+        INTVAL proto = Parrot_io_get_proto_by_name(INTERP, name);
+        RETURN(INTVAL proto);
+    }
+
+/*
+
 =item C<connect(PMC * address)>
 
 Connects a socket object to an address.
Index: src/io/socket_api.c
===================================================================
--- src/io/socket_api.c	(revision 48245)
+++ src/io/socket_api.c	(working copy)
@@ -353,6 +353,17 @@
 
     return new_io;
 }
+
+PARROT_EXPORT
+PARROT_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT
+INTVAL
+Parrot_io_get_proto_by_name(PARROT_INTERP, ARGIN(STRING * name))
+{
+    ASSERT_ARGS(Parrot_io_get_proto_by_name)
+    
+    return PIO_GET_PROTO_BY_NAME(interp, name);
+}
+
 /*
 
 =back
Index: src/io/socket_unix.c
===================================================================
--- src/io/socket_unix.c	(revision 48245)
+++ src/io/socket_unix.c	(working copy)
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #ifdef PIO_OS_UNIX
 
 #  include <sys/socket.h>
+#  include <netdb.h>
 
 /* HEADERIZER HFILE: include/parrot/io_unix.h */
 
@@ -479,7 +480,31 @@
     sa->sin_port = htons(port);
 }
 
+/*
 
+=item C<INTVAL Parrot_io_get_proto_by_name(PARROT_INTERP, STRING * name)>
+
+Return a protocol number based on the name of a protocol
+
+=cut
+
+*/
+
+PARROT_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT
+INTVAL
+Parrot_io_get_proto_by_name_unix(PARROT_INTERP, ARGIN(STRING *name))
+{
+    ASSERT_ARGS(Parrot_io_get_proto_by_name_unix)
+
+    char            * const s        = Parrot_str_to_cstring(interp, name);
+    struct protoent * const protoent = getprotobyname(s);
+    int                     proto_number;
+
+    Parrot_str_free_cstring(s);
+    proto_number = protoent->p_proto;
+    return proto_number;
+}
+
 #endif /* PIO_OS_UNIX */
 
 /*
Index: CREDITS
===================================================================
--- CREDITS	(revision 48245)
+++ CREDITS	(working copy)
@@ -787,6 +787,11 @@
 N: OOLLEY kj
 D: Miscellaneous cleanup and PDD07-conformance
 
+N: Oliver Charles
+D: Initial patch to add 'getprotobyname' to Socket PMC
+U: ocharles
+E: oliver@ocharles.org.uk
+
 N: Ovid
 D: Rename 'pbc_to_c' to 'pbc_to_exe'
 
Index: include/parrot/io_unix.h
===================================================================
--- include/parrot/io_unix.h	(revision 48245)
+++ include/parrot/io_unix.h	(working copy)
@@ -198,6 +198,11 @@
         __attribute__nonnull__(3)
         FUNC_MODIFIES(*socket);
 
+PARROT_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT
+INTVAL Parrot_io_get_proto_by_name_unix(PARROT_INTERP, ARGIN(STRING *name))
+        __attribute__nonnull__(1)
+        __attribute__nonnull__(2);
+
 INTVAL Parrot_io_listen_unix(SHIM_INTERP, ARGMOD(PMC *socket), INTVAL sec)
         __attribute__nonnull__(2)
         FUNC_MODIFIES(*socket);
@@ -254,6 +259,10 @@
        PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(interp) \
     , PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(socket) \
     , PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(r))
+#define ASSERT_ARGS_Parrot_io_get_proto_by_name_unix \
+     __attribute__unused__ int _ASSERT_ARGS_CHECK = (\
+       PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(interp) \
+    , PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(name))
 #define ASSERT_ARGS_Parrot_io_listen_unix __attribute__unused__ int _ASSERT_ARGS_CHECK = (\
        PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(socket))
 #define ASSERT_ARGS_Parrot_io_poll_unix __attribute__unused__ int _ASSERT_ARGS_CHECK = (\
@@ -313,6 +322,8 @@
     Parrot_io_listen_unix((interp), (pmc), (backlog))
 #define PIO_ACCEPT(interp, pmc) \
     Parrot_io_accept_unix((interp), (pmc))
+#define PIO_GET_PROTO_BY_NAME(interp, name) \
+    Parrot_io_get_proto_by_name_unix((interp), (name))
 
 #endif /* PARROT_IO_UNIX_H_GUARD */
 
Index: include/parrot/io.h
===================================================================
--- include/parrot/io.h	(revision 48245)
+++ include/parrot/io.h	(working copy)
@@ -825,6 +825,12 @@
 
 PARROT_EXPORT
 PARROT_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT
+INTVAL Parrot_io_get_proto_by_name(PARROT_INTERP, ARGIN(STRING * name))
+        __attribute__nonnull__(1)
+        __attribute__nonnull__(2);
+
+PARROT_EXPORT
+PARROT_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT
 INTVAL Parrot_io_listen(PARROT_INTERP, ARGMOD(PMC *pmc), INTVAL backlog)
         __attribute__nonnull__(1)
         __attribute__nonnull__(2)
@@ -892,6 +898,9 @@
        PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(interp) \
     , PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(pmc) \
     , PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(address))
+#define ASSERT_ARGS_Parrot_io_get_proto_by_name __attribute__unused__ int _ASSERT_ARGS_CHECK = (\
+       PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(interp) \
+    , PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(name))
 #define ASSERT_ARGS_Parrot_io_listen __attribute__unused__ int _ASSERT_ARGS_CHECK = (\
        PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(interp) \
     , PARROT_ASSERT_ARG(pmc))