(DIR) <- Back
       
       
       # Some fingerd(8) action
       
       Last modification on 2023-05-15
       
       Recently, I set up the *fingerd(8)*[^0] daemon on my OpenBSD server hosting
       this site as a unix-like way to fetch my contact details. What is *finger*
       you may ask?
       
       > fingerd implements a simple protocol based on RFC 1288 that provides an
       > interface to the Name and Finger programs at several network sites.  The
       > program is supposed to return a friendly, human-oriented status report on
       > either the system at the moment or a particular person in depth.  There
       > is no required format and the protocol consists mostly of specifying a
       > single “command line”. -- OpenBSD manpages
       
       Go ahead and try it using:
       
       ```
       $ finger drkhsh@drkhsh.at
       [i|$ echo | nc drkhsh.at 79||drkhsh.at|70
]
       ```
       
       Setting it up was pretty easy on OpenBSD using *inetd(8)*, as everything
       necessary is already included in the base system. So here is a short write-up:
       
       First, instruct *inetd(8)* to listen on port `79` (registered for *finger*)
       with a one-liner:
       
       ```
       79 stream tcp nowait drkhsh /usr/libexec/fingerd -s -u -P /home/drkhsh/finger
       ```
       
       `-s` means secure and disables forwarding to other servers, `-u` allows only
       valid usernames and the `-P` flag instructs *fingerd* to use an alternative
       program instead of printing general system information via local *finger*.
       
       My script looks like this, for example:
       
       ```
       #!/bin/sh
       cat <<EOF
       .................................................................
                       __        __     __           __
       [i|            .--|  |.----.|  |--.|  |--.-----.|  |--.||drkhsh.at|70
]
       [i|            |  _  ||   _||    < |     |__ --||     |||drkhsh.at|70
]
       [i|            |_____||__|  |__|__||__|__|_____||__|__|||drkhsh.at|70
]
       
       ****************************************************************
       
       [contact details]
       
       .................................................................
       EOF
       ```
       
       Pretty simple, huh?
       
       ## Update
       
 (HTM) »pyrate« and I have started a *"finger-ring"*, if you
       want to join, please contact us or jump into `#unix` on
 (HTM) »unix.chat« and post your finger link.
       
       [^0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_(protocol)
       .