NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       whois - Internet username directory service

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

       whois [-h server] name...

       The  whois  command  looks up user, host, and organization
       names in the Network Information Center (NIC) database.

OPTIONS    [Toc]    [Back]

       Specifies a whois server other  than  the  default  server
       rs.internic.net.

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       The name argument can specify the following: The name of a
       registered user The name of a registered Internet host The
       name  of  some other entity recognized by the whois server
       By default, the whois command queries the  host  rs.internic.net.


       The  operands specified  to the whois command are concatenated
 together (separated by white-space) and presented to
       the whois the server.  The default action, unless directed
       otherwise with a special name  is   to  do  a  very  broad
       search,  looking  for  matches  to  name  in  all types of
       records and most fields (such  as  name,  nicknames,  host
       name,  and  network  address)  in  the database.  For more
       information as to what name operands have special meaning,
       and how to guide the search, use the special name help.

EXAMPLES    [Toc]    [Back]

       To  display  the  NIC  database entry for the organization
       osf.org, enter: whois  osf.org  Open  Software  Foundation
       (OSF-DOM) 11 Cambridge Center Cambridge, MAS 02142

       Domain Name:  OSF.ORG .  .  .

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

       DARPA  Internet  Request  for Comment: NICKNAME/WHOIS (RFC
       812)



                                                         whois(1)