FINGERD(8)						      System Manager's Manual							FINGERD(8)

NAME

       fingerd - remote user information server

SYNOPSIS

       fingerd [-s][-l][-p filename ]

DESCRIPTION

       Fingerd	is  a  simple  protocol based on RFC1196 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 required 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 fin-
       ger(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 derivations are returned.

       The following options may be passed to fingerd as server program arguments in /etc/inetd.conf:

       -s     Enable secure mode.  Queries without a user name are rejected and forwarding of queries to other remote hosts is denied.

       -l     Enable logging.  The name of the host originating the query is reported via syslog(3) at LOG_NOTICE priority.

       -p     Use  an alternate program as the local information provider.  The default local program executed by fingerd is finger(1).  By speci-
	      fying a customized local server, this option allows a system manager to have more control  over  what  information  is  provided	to
	      remote sites.

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.

4.2 Berkeley Distribution					   April 1, 1995							FINGERD(8)