NAME

inquire − Low level interface to the whois database. 

SYNOPSIS

inquire {-write | -exist | } [username] [-option]

DESCRIPTION

inquire is part of the finger distribution.  inquire will read, write, or check for the existance of a user in the whois database.  This database is used by various programs to get information about a users. 
 
By default inquire will dump all information it knows about a users to standard output.  This includes a nickname, work address, work phone, home address, home phone, birthday, current project, supervisor, and a remark. 

OPTIONS

-write Write the specified options to the user USERNAME database entry.  Only those options that are specified on the command like will be written. 

-exist Returns 0 if this person exists in the watson database.  Non-zero if not. 

-option
is actually one of the following:

-nickname name
Adds/changes the nick name (name the user’s likes to be addressed as). to name

-workaddress workaddress
Adds/changes the work address field to workaddress. 
 
This field is usually in the format:
 

CompanyName; StreetAddress, City, State  ZIP

-workphone workphone
Adds/changes the work phone field to workphone. 
 
This field is usually in the format:
 

(XXX) XXX-XXXX ext. XXXX

-homeaddress homeaddress
Adds/changes the home address field to homeaddress
 
This field is usually in the format:
 

StreetAddress, City, State  ZIP

-homephone homephone
Adds/changes the home phone field to homephone. 
 
This field is usually in the format:
 

(XXX) XXX-XXXX

-birthday birthday
Adds/changes the birthday field to birthday. 
 
This field SHOULD be of the form shown below so that progams such a bwiz(8l) can read them:

 
Jun 14

-project project
Adds changes the project field to project.  This field will be placed in the whois output as:

Hacking PROJECT for SUPERVISOR

-supervisor supervisor
Adds changes the supervisor field to supervisor.  This field will be placed in the whois output as:

Hacking PROJECT for SUPERVISOR

-remark remark
Adds changes the remark field to remark.  The remark field is usually serveral lines of text that the user wishes any user that fingers them to see. 

NOTES

inquire is not intended to be run by the end user.  It should be used as an interface to the database will a shell, such as watson(1l), above it. 

FILES

/usr/lib/finger/dbase/∗Database information for whois.

SEE ALSO

finger(1l), bwiz(8l), watson(1l)

AUTHOR

Keith M. Gabryelski (ag@amix.commodore.com)

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