fingerd(1M)							   fingerd(1M)

NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     fingerd - remote user information server

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     /usr/etc/fingerd [-l] [-L]	[-S] [-f msg-file]

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     fingerd is	a simple protocol based	on RFC742 that provides	an interface
     to	the finger program at several network sites.  The program is supposed
     to	return a friendly, human-oriented status report	on a particular
     person.  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 line terminated by a <CRLF>	and passes the first three words on
     the line as arguments to finger(1).  fingerd closes its connection	as
     soon as the output	is finished.  It can be	invoked	at a remote site using
     the finger	command	by finger user@remote or finger	@remote.

     The options to fingerd are:

     -l	  Causes fingerd to log	all finger requests via	syslog.

     -L	  Causes fingerd to only allow displaying of information on the	local
	  system.  This	disallows chaining finger requests.

     -S	  Causes fingerd to suppress information about login status, home
	  directory, and shell,	which might be used to attack security.

     -f	  Causes fingerd to display the	contents of the	specified message file
	  only;	no user	information is returned.

     Edit the fingerd entry in inetd.conf to enable an option.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     finger(1),	inetd(1M), syslogd(1M),	telnet(1C).

BUGS    [Toc]    [Back]

     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 fouls up the command-line
     interpretation.  fingerd should be	taught to filter out IACs and perhaps
     even respond negatively (IAC WON'T) to all	option commands	received.


									PPPPaaaaggggeeee 1111