FINGER(1N) COMMAND REFERENCE FINGER(1N)
NAME
finger, f - user information lookup program
SYNOPSIS
finger [ -b ] [ -f ] [ -h ] [ -i ] [ -l ] [ -m ] [ -p ] [ -q
] [ -s ] [ -w ] [ username ... ]
DESCRIPTION
By default finger lists the login name, full name, terminal
name and write status (as a '*' before the terminal name if
write permission is denied), idle time, login time, and
office location and phone number (if they are known) for
each user currently logged in. (Idle time is minutes if it
is a single integer, hours and minutes if a ':' is present,
or days and hours if a 'd' is present.)
A longer format also exists and is used by finger whenever a
list of peoples names is given. (Account names as well as
first and last names of users are accepted.) This format is
multi-line, and includes all the information described above
as well as the user's home directory and login shell, any
plan which the person has placed in the file .plan in their
home directory, and the project on which they are working
from the file .project also in the home directory.
A quick format also exists, which prints the username, login
port, and login time.
Finger gets personal information about a user from the gecos
field in the entry for the user in the file /etc/passwd.
This field is manipulated by the user via the chfn(1)
command. The format of this field is determined by the file
/usr/lib/chfn. This file contains the labels used for the
table headings of the reports printed by finger. If there is
no /usr/lib/chfn finger uses a set of default labels for the
output headers. These default labels are as follows:
Name This is the users full name.
Extension This is the users office phone
number.
Mail Stop This is the users company mail
address.
Home Phone This is the users home phone
number.
Machine This is the name of the machine
where the users primary activity
is.
Printed 10/17/86 1
FINGER(1N) COMMAND REFERENCE FINGER(1N)
If /usr/lib/chfn exists, its contents will be used instead
of the default labels. It can be changed to suit the needs
of the user. (See chfn(1) and chfn(5)). Finger's output will
change accordingly.
OPTIONS
-b Brief version of long format. Suppress printing of
login shell and home directory.
-f Suppress printing of headers on listings.
-h Suppress printing of the .project file.
-i Print data in quick format with idle time.
-l Force long output format.
-m Match arguments only on user name.
-p Suppress printing of the .plan file.
-q Print data in quick format.
-s Force short output format.
-w Print data in narrow short format, which doesn't give
the full name or titles for other gecos field elements.
FILES
/etc/utmp Login data
/etc/passwd User account data file
/usr/adm/lastlog Last login times
$HOME/.plan Personal plan file
$HOME/.project Personal project file
/usr/lib/chfn gecos format file
RETURN VALUE
[USAGE] Incorrect command line syntax. Execution
terminated.
[NP_WARN] An error warranting a warning message
occurred. Execution continues.
[NP_ERR] An error occurred that was not a system
error. Execution terminated.
[P_WARN] A system error occurred. Execution continues.
Printed 10/17/86 2
FINGER(1N) COMMAND REFERENCE FINGER(1N)
See intro(2) for more information on system
errors.
[P_ERR] A system error occurred. Execution
terminated. See intro(2) for more
information on system errors.
CAVEATS
Only the first line of the .project file is printed.
SEE ALSO
chfn(1), w(1), who(1n), chfn(5).
Printed 10/17/86 3
%%index%%
na:72,79;
sy:151,334;
de:485,2529;3158,309;
op:3467,782;
fi:4249,462;
rv:4711,460;5315,278;
ca:5593,123;
se:5716,163;
%%index%%000000000151