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Last Updated: July 29, 1998

Finger Gateway Script

The UNIX finger service can be used to provide a form of user directory service. After you have installed the finger service, remote users will have the ability to query user profiles on your Virtual Server. User profiles include information such as full name, login name, home directory, as well as the contents of the ".plan", ".project", or ".forward" files. The ".plan"".project", and ".forward" files must be located in each of your users home directories (if they exist).

  1. The HTML source for the finger client form
  2. Installing the CGI source code

HTML Source for the Finger Client Form

The HTML source below represents a finger client form. 

<html> 
<head> 
<title>Finger Remote User on Remote Host</title> 
</head> 
<body> <
hr size = 3> 
<h3>Finger Remote User on Remote Host</h3> 
<form method="POST" action="/cgi-bin/library/finger/finger.pl"> 
<input name="user" size=8 maxlength=16> <b>@</b> 
<input name="host" size=24 maxlength=72> 
<input type="submit" value="Lookup"> 
</form> <hr size = 3> 
</body> 
</html>

If you are unfamiliar with the FORM HTML element, or would like to learn more about forms, the following URL is an excellent resource:

http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/Software/Mosaic/Docs/fill-out-forms/overview.html

How to Install the Finger CGI

To install the finger CGI on your Virtual Server you will need to do the following:

  1. Download the Finger Form
    You will need to download the Finger Client HTML source and store it somewhere in your "usr/local/etc/httpd/htdocs" directory structure. Feel free to customize the form, add graphics, etc. But be sure that the variable name for each input field is not altered.

  2. Untar the Finger CGI source code
    1. telnet or SSH to your Virtual Server.
    2. change directories to your home directory (type "cd" and hit return)
    3. type "tar -xvf /usr/local/contrib/finger.tar"
      This will install the lookup.pl and util.pl files into your "www/cgi-bin/library/finger" directory.

  3. Customize the Appearance of the Finger CGI
    Two subroutines in the util.pl file are used to print out header and footer information. These functions are print_header_info and print_footer_info. Feel free to modify these functions such that the CGI outputs pages that are in synch with the motifs of the rest of your site.

Once you have completed the installation successfully, you will have a working finger form like the one shown below (go ahead and test it).

@

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