AFAIK, this is how 'finger' works:
* You execute a command for the finger client. This can be in
the syntax of 'finger username@domain', or 'finger -l
user@domain'. -l specifies long format.
* Your request gets sent to the server computer, which runs (I
think), fingerd (a finger daemon). Your request can, at this
point, be accepted or rejected (many servers will reject a
finger request). Anyway, if your request is accepted, then
the finger daemon on the server looks a couple of things:
(A), /etc/passwd, and (B), ~username/.plan. It will also
(sometimes) tell you if they have unread mail or not.
* Here's what I get if I run 'finger [EMAIL PROTECTED]':
[wcnet.org]
Login Name TTY Idle When Where
mtrausch Michael Trausch pts/10 <Apr 9 10:22> dialup-1-34-pb.w
* This is the "short" finger format. Now, if I run the long
format, which is 'finger -l [EMAIL PROTECTED]':
[wcnet.org]
Login name: mtrausch In real life: Michael Trausch
Directory: /home/36/mtrausch Shell: /bin/wcic-shell
Last login Fri Apr 9 10:22 on pts/10 from dialup-1-34-pb.w
No unread mail
No Plan.
* No plan means that I have no ~/.plan file. If I had a .plan
file, then it would display it. It says no unread mail because
fetchmail downloaded all of my mail for me :)... (I love these
wonderful Linux programs :)).
Any other questions? If I got any of this wrong, will one of you gurus
correct me?
- mike
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--- Michael B. Trausch, [EMAIL PROTECTED] 100% MS Free! ---
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Tagline for Friday, April 09, 1999
My weight is perfect for my height... which varies.
LinuxTaRT version 2.27
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--- Web Page: http://www.wcnet.org/~mtrausch/ ---
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On Fri, 9 Apr 1999, Justin Wilson wrote:
JW>Date: Fri, 09 Apr 1999 14:56:43 -0500
JW>From: Justin Wilson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
JW>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
JW>Subject: Passwd file and fingering
JW>
JW> Here is what I want to do:
JW> Our server has a distinction between corprate users and personal
JW>users. Each corporate account has additional emails, etc. I want to be able
JW>to search users via about 4 different criteria. How can I accomplish this via
JW>finger? I assume when you finger a user, it just looks at the username and
JW>Real name. Is there a way to add more fields which finger recognizes? I
JW>assume finger looks at the password file? Am I correct there?
JW>
JW>
JW> Justin
JW>
JW>--------------
JW>Justin Wilson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
JW>http://jsw.tctc.com ICQ#:3336804
JW>
