NAME

     fingerd, in.fingerd - remote user information server


SYNOPSIS

     finger  stream  tcp   nowait   nobody   /usr/sbin/in.fingerd
     in.fingerd
     tcpd finger /usr/sbin/in.fingerd in.fingerd


DESCRIPTION

     Fingerd is a simple protocol based on RFC742  that  provides
     an interface to the Name and Finger programs at several net-
     work 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 specify-
     ing 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 par-
     ticular 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).


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.