fingerd(1M)fingerd(1M)NAMEfingerd - remote user information server
SYNOPSIS
/usr/etc/fingerd [-l] [-L] [-S] [-f msg-file]
DESCRIPTIONfingerd 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 ALSOfinger(1), inetd(1M), syslogd(1M), telnet(1C).
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 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.
Page 1
