finger: Point Finger To

finger [user[node]]

With no arguments, finger displays all users presently logged on, who they are, and the time each of them logged on.

When information concerning a specific user is sought, the information displayed is more detailed: the logon name, and the real name are displayed , the home directory of the user is displayed, as well as the logon shell, and when was the last logon time.

user does not need to be logged on for finger to be used.

prompt> finger cantin

Login name: cantin                      In real life: Claude Cantin
Office:  3118 Sx, 993-0822              
Directory: /usr2/people/cantin           Shell: /bin/tcsh
On since Jul 22 08:49:29 on ttyq0       2 hours 59 minutes Idle Time
On since Jul 22 08:49:34 on ttyq1       2 hours 33 minutes Idle Time
On since Jul 22 10:11:35 on ttyq4 from dp1.phy.nrc.ca
On since Jul 22 09:11:02 on ttyq2       1 hour 53 minutes Idle Time
On since Jul 22 11:00:38 on ttyq5 from dp1.phy.nrc.ca
48 seconds Idle Time
Plan:

Progresser, progresser, progresser...

In the above example, cantin is presently logged on. His real name is Claude Cantin. His home directory is /usr2/people/cantin. He is logged on to his account five times, two of which are from a remote localtion (dp1.phy.nrc.ca)

Furthermore, he has a file named .plan in his home directory, whose content is

Progresser, progresser, progresser...

If he did not have the .plan file, the string

No Plan.

In the next example, Ratilal Haria, on node nrcnet0, last logged on Friday December 8th, at 10:52, from the node whose I.P. (Internet Protocol) address is 132.246.20.10. That node was using a windowing interface (we know this because it was logged on to ttyp0 on that machine - not the console).

prompt> finger ratilalnrcnet0

[nrcnet0.nrc.ca]
Login name: ratilal                 In real life: Ratilal Haria
Directory: /home/nrcnet0/ratilal    Shell: /bin/csh
Last login Fri Dec  8 10:52 on ttyp0 from 132.246.20.10
No Plan.