The "finger" program makes information about users available across the internet.
This file describes the *new* program, pfinger, on Panix. Features developed for this program are not necessarily available in reverse.
One of the most common questions (FAQs) about finger is this,
taken from Hahn & Stout's book The Internet Complete
Reference, page 143:
> Is There a Way to Find Out if Someone Has Fingered You?
> No.
(Osborne McGraw Hill, 1994.)
Here's how it does work:
If you type
finger [username]
at a UNIX prompt, where [username] is a valid login id at your site, or
finger [username@site]
where [username@site] represents a valid login at a fingerable site you generally see:
the user's "fullname" as it appears on the system
the user's home directory and login shell
the time and connecting host of the user's last login (in a form
that tells you whether the user is currently on, and, if so,
how long the user has been "idle")
You can cause finger to withhold this information (confirming only the login name). Type:
cd
touch .nofinger
chmod a+x ~
at a UNIX prompt and finger will behave as if the username didn't exist:
Login Name: fff Full Name: ???
To make this information available again simply remove the file .nofinger. (You can use the rm command from a UNIX shell prompt or the R(emove) option from the Files services menu.)
At some sites, you may be told when the user last read mail and
whether there is any unread mail waiting for the user. (This
option may be turned on or off at Panix, at the user's
discretion, but no reliable distinction is currently made between
read and unread mail.)
To make this information _available_ to people fingering you, type:
cd
chmod a+x ~
chmod a+x .mailspool
at a UNIX prompt.
To make this information _unavailable_ to people fingering you, type:
cd
chmod go-x .mailspool
at a UNIX prompt.
(Note that the default is that the information is unavailable;
this command can be used to reset to the default if you've
changed it.)
Menu users can get to a UNIX prompt by typing ! from the main Panix or Files services menus. Type exit at the UNIX prompt to return to the menu.
It is possible to create files of your choosing (called .project and .plan in your home directory) that will display a single line or a file of indeterminate size (respectively) to those fingering you. For these files to be displayed properly, the files must be readable by everyone and your home directory must be searchable by everyone. If you use the Setup program (type "setup" (no quotes) at a UNIX prompt) to create or modify these files, it will also offer to fix the permissions for you.
The new pfinger command also permits you to make a second file of information available to other Panix users who finger you. If you want to use this option, you should use your editor to create a file called .plan.local (note the two periods in the name) in your home directory with the information you want to display. Then, from a UNIX prompt, type:
chmod a+x ~
chmod a+r .plan.local
For full information on using the new finger program, try the command:
man pfinger
at the UNIX prompt.
© Copyright 1999 Public Access Networks Corporation
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