finger(1) finger(1)
NAME
finger - display information about local and remote users
SYNOPSIS
finger[ option]...[ loginname] Format 1
finger[ -l] loginname@hostname... Format 2
DESCRIPTION
The finger command displays information about all users currently
logged in.
Format 1: Display information about local users
finger[ option]...[ loginname]
OPTIONS
No argument specified
By default, finger displays concise information about all
logged-in users (short output format).
The information printed in the short format includes:
- the login name
- the full name of the user as entered in the comment field of
the /etc/passwd file
- the terminal name (with an asterisk (*) prepended if write
permission is denied)
- the idle time, i.e. the period in which no input has been made
- the login time, i.e. the time at which the user logged in.
- the name of the system from which the user logged in. This
information is output only if the user logged in remotely.
The idle time is displayed in one of the following formats:
n minutes
n:n hours, minutes
dn:n days, hours
where n is a decimal integer.
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finger(1) finger(1)
No option specified
If you specify one or more loginname arguments, finger displays
more information (long format) for each loginname specified,
regardless of whether or not the corresponding users are logged
in.
The long output format includes the following extra information:
- the user's home directory and login shell.
- the time at which the user logged in. If the user is not
currently logged in, the time refers to the user's last login
time.
- the last time the user received mail, and the last time the
user read his or her mail.
- the first line of the file $HOME/.plan.
- the first line of the file $HOME/.project.
-b Suppresses printing of the user's home directory and login shell
in the long format.
-f Suppresses printing of the header in the short output format.
-h Suppresses printing of the $HOME/.project file in the long for-
mat.
-i Forces "idle" output format, containing only:
- the login name,
- the name of the terminal,
- the login time,
- the idle time.
-l Forces the long output format.
-m Matches the specified arguments only on the defined login names
(not the first or last names).
-p Suppresses printing of the $HOME/.plan file in the long format.
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finger(1) finger(1)
-q Forces "quick" output format, containing only:
- the login name,
- the name of the terminal,
- the login time.
-s Forces the short output format.
-w Suppresses printing of the full name in the short format.
loginname
Name of a local user: either the first or last name of a user, or
an account (= login) name.
Format 2: Display information about remote users connected to the local
system via a TCP/IP network
This format is only possible, if in.fingerd has been activated in
inetd.conf [see fingerd(1M) and inetd.conf(4)].
finger[ -l] loginname@hostname...
OPTIONS
-l Forces the long output format.
loginname@hostname
loginname must be a login name defined on a remote system; host-
name can be the name of any remote system that is connected to
the local system via a TCP/IP network.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
This example prints information on all users currently logged in.
Since no argument is specified, the short output format is used by
default.
$ finger
Login Name TTY Idle When Where
eddie ??? term/tty002 Mon 08:02
arthur Arthur Dent *pts/0 4 Mon 08:25 sirius
julia ??? term/tty004 2 Mon 10:04
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finger(1) finger(1)
Example 2
Information on a user named arthur is to be displayed. Since a
loginname is specified here, the required details are output in the
long format.
$ finger arthur
Login name: arthur (messages off) In real life: Arthur Dent
Directory: /home2/arthur Shell: /sbin/sh
On since Jul 23 08:25 on pts/0 from sirius
4 minutes 18 seconds Idle Time
No unread mail
Project: The ultimate question.
Life, the Universe and Everything.
FILES
/var/adm/utmp
File containing the login names of users currently logged in.
/etc/passwd
File containing all login names. The first and last names of
users are indicated in the comment field.
/var/adm/lastlog
File storing the time at which each user last logged in.
$HOME/.plan
File containing all the plans of a user.
$HOME/.project
File containing all the projects in which a user is involved.
SEE ALSO
passwd(1), who(1), whois(1).
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