Manual page for FINGERD(8C)
fingerd, in.fingerd - remote user information server
SYNOPSIS
/usr/etc/in.fingerd
DESCRIPTION
fingerd
implements the server side of the Name/Finger protocol,
specified in
RFC
742.
The Name/Finger protocol provides a remote interface to programs
which display information on system status and individual users.
The protocol imposes little structure on the format of the
exchange between client and server.
The client provides a single ``command line'' to the finger
server which returns a printable reply.
fingerd
waits for connections on
TCP
port 79.
Once connected it reads a single command line
terminated by a LINEFEED which is passed to
finger.1
fingerd
closes its connections as soon as the output is finished.
If the line is null (only a
LINEFEED
is sent) then
finger
returns a ``default'' report that lists all people logged into
the system at that moment.
If a user name is specified (for instance,
ericLINEFEED) then the
response lists more extended information for only that particular user,
whether logged in or not.
Allowable ``names'' in the command line include both ``login names''
and ``user names''.
If a name is ambiguous, all possible derivations are returned.
SEE ALSO
finger.1
Harrenstien, Ken,
NAME/FINGER,
RFC 742,
Network Information Center,
SRI
International, Menlo Park, Calif.,
December 1977.
BUGS
Connecting directly to the server from a
TIP
or an equally narrow-minded
TELNET-protocol
user program can result
in meaningless attempts at option negotiation being sent to the
server, which will foul up the command line interpretation.
fingerd
should be taught to filter out
IAC's
and perhaps even respond
negatively (IAC
will not)
to all option commands received.
Created by unroff & hp-tools.
© somebody (See intro for details). All Rights Reserved.
Last modified 11/5/97