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AIX Version 4.3 System User's Guide: Communications and Networks

Finding Information about Hosts and Users

You can use Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) commands to determine the status of a network, display information about a user, and resolve host information needed to communicate to another host or user.

Status Commands

TCP/IP contains the following commands to determine the status of local and remote hosts and their networks:

finger or f Displays information about the current users on a specified host. This information can include the user's login name, full name, and terminal name, as well as the date and time of login.
host Resolves a host name into an Internet address or an Internet address into a host name.
ping Helps determine the status of a network or host. It is most commonly used to verify that a network or host is currently running.
rwho Shows which users are logged in to hosts on a local network. This command displays the user name, host name, and date and time of login for everyone on the local network.
whois Identifies to whom a user ID or nickname belongs. This command can only be used if your local network is connected to the ARPANET network. Your system manager can tell you whether you are connected to this national network.

To Display Information about All Users Logged In to a Host

To display information about all users logged in to host alcatraz , enter:

finger @alcatraz

Information similar to the following is displayed:

brown    console  Mar 15 13:19
smith    pts0     Mar 15 13:01
jones    tty0     Mar 15 13:01

User brown is logged in at the console, user smith is logged in from a pseudo teletype line pts0, and user jones is logged in from a tty0. Your system administrator can set your system up to where the finger command would work differently. If you encounter any problems using the finger command, call your system administrator.

To Display Information about a User Logged In to a Host

To display information about user brown at alcatraz , enter:

finger brown@alcatraz

Information similar to the following is displayed:

Login name:  brown
Directory:  /home/brown     Shell:  /home/bin/xinit -L -n Startup
On since May 8 07:13:49 on console
No Plan.

Your system administrator can set your system up to where the finger command would work differently. If you encounter any problems using the finger command, call your system administrator.

Related Information

The finger command.

The fingerd daemon.

Communications System Commands for End-Users


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