Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!njin!spcvxb.spc.edu!terry
From: terry@spcvxb.spc.edu (Terry Kennedy, Operations Mgr)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Fingering BITNET addresses?
Message-ID: <1990Jul12.022528.365@spcvxb.spc.edu>
Date: 12 Jul 90 06:25:28 GMT
References: <11025@medusa.cs.purdue.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: St. Peter's College, US
Lines: 27

In article <11025@medusa.cs.purdue.edu>, khan@cs.purdue.EDU (Muhammad Farrukh Khan) writes:
> How does one finger a bitnet address?  Thanks!

[I'm the maintainer for the DECUS VMS Finger code]

  If the host you're interested in is also directly on Internet, they probably
support regular Finger protocol via TCP. The question then becomes how to find
the equivalent Internet address for the host 8-).

  Other than that, if you have some way of generating NJE commands on BITNET,
you can issue a CPQ N command, which will provide varying levels of output,
depending on the host operating system and networking software. Not all such
software uses this syntax, though.

  A feature for the (impending) major update of VMS Finger is the ability to
respond to Finger requests delivered via mail, so (in the future) you could
send mail to FINGER@SPCVXA.BITNET with text containing Finger commands which
would be executed and the results mailed back to you.

  By the way, there's a mailing list for discussing Finger-style programs. It's
mainly centered on the VMS and RSTS versions, but any other discussions about
Finger, WHOIS servers, etc. are also welcome. To subscribe, send mail to the
request address: i-finreq@spcvxa.spc.edu (or i-finreq@spcvxa.bitnet).

	Terry Kennedy		Operations Manager, Academic Computing
	terry@spcvxa.bitnet	St. Peter's College, US
	terry@spcvxa.spc.edu	(201) 915-9381