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FINGERD(8) UNIX System Manager's Manual FINGERD(8)
NAME
fingerd - remote user information server
SYNOPSIS
fingerd
DESCRIPTION
Fingerd is a simple protocol based on _R_F_C_7_4_2 that provides an interface
to the Name and Finger programs at several network sites. The program is
supposed to return a friendly, human-oriented status report on either the
system at the moment or a particular person in depth. There is no re-
quired format and the protocol consists mostly of specifying a single
``command line''.
Fingerd listens for TCP requests at port 79. Once connected it reads a
single command line terminated by a <CRLF> which is passed to finger(1).
Fingerd closes its connections as soon as the output is finished.
If the line is null (i.e. just a <CRLF> 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 (e.g. eric<CRLF>) 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 deriva-
tions are returned.
SEE ALSO
finger(1)
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 WON'T) to all option commands received.
HISTORY
The fingerd command appeared in 4.3BSD.
This version was modified to support the internet autentication protocol
based on _R_F_C_9_3_1 by Carl Edman <cedman@golem.ps.uci.edu>.
4.3 Berkeley Distribution March 16, 1991 1
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