Finger Server

Name

FING-SRV -- FINGER Server.

Description

The FINGER Server allows users to "put a finger on" (i.e. find information about) other users.

The server is accessed via the FINGER command at the main prompt, or by connection to TCP port 79. The latter is intended for use by FINGER clients only.

If the argument to the FINGER command is of the form <username>, where <username> is usually (but not necessarily) a callsign, the server looks in the FINGER subdirectory for a text file of that name. If found it sends the contents to the user.

If however the argument is of the form <user>@<host>, e.g. "g8pzt@gb7pzt" the server activates a finger client, which attempts to establish communication with the Finger server on the specified <host> to retrieve the desired data.

The server is available by default, and requires no setting up, other than the IP routing and the finger files.

The server's TCP port may be changed, or the server disabled, by using the FINGERPORT=n directive in XROUTER.CFG. Setting the port to zero disables the server.

This server is only partly developed at present, and future versions may return more information.

Examples

FINGER sysop
FINGER sysop@gb7cip
FINGER g8pzt@gb7pzt.ampr.org

Files

If you wish to activate this feature, create a FINGER sub-directory within the XRPi working directory, then simply create a text file for each user, using the user's callsign or any other preferred "nickname" as the filename. Use the name "sysop" for yourself.

The files can contain anything you like, typically the user's name, location, station details, QSL information etc. You may wish to ask your users to submit a short summary about themselves. Please respect people's privacy by including only the details that they are happy to publish.

As an example, the file finger/g8pzt might contain the text:

        Name: Paula
        Qth:  Kidderminster, Worc's IO82VJ
        Age:  (withheld ;-)
        Other: Sysop G8PZT:KIDDER router, Sysop GB7PZT BBS, Fourpak
               Secretary, Unemployed software author with special
               interest in comms software.  Author of: XServ AX25/IP
               BBS, XRouter, XRPi, XS32, Uk White Pages system, PEARL
               Off-line reader for Packet Radio, ELINK Echolink
               repeater system, Rig control software...

See also

FINGER(1) -- Finger Command.
SERVERS(6) -- Servers In XRPi.
TCP-PORTS(6) -- TCP Service Ports.
XROUTER.CFG(8) -- Main Configuration File.