Editing Finger (protocol) (section)

==Finger user information protocol==
The finger [[Daemon (computing)|daemon]] runs on [[TCP port]] 79. The client will (in the case of remote hosts) open a connection to port 79. An RUIP (Remote User Information Program) is started on the remote end of the connection to process the request. The local host sends the RUIP one line query based upon the Finger query specification, and waits for the RUIP to respond. The RUIP receives and processes the query, returns an answer, then initiates the close of the connection. The local host receives the answer and the close signal, then proceeds to close its end of the connection.

The Finger user information protocol is based on <nowiki>RFC 1288</nowiki> (''The Finger User Information Protocol'', December 1991). Typically the [[Server (computing)|server]] side of the protocol is implemented by a program '''<code>fingerd</code>''' or '''<code>in.fingerd</code>''' (for ''finger [[daemon (computer software)|daemon]]''), while the [[client (computing)|client]] side is implemented by the <code>name</code> and <code>finger</code> programs which are 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]].

The program would supply information such as whether a user is currently logged-on, [[e-mail address]], full name etc.  As well as standard user information, finger displays the contents of the '''<code>.project</code>''' and '''<code>.plan</code>''' files in the user's [[home directory]].  Often this file (maintained by the user) contains either useful information about the user's current activities, similar to [[micro-blogging]], or alternatively all manner of [[humor]].