Copyright: WinFingerD Help File Version 1.0 (beta)


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WinFingerD v1.0 (beta)

by Amilcar M. Ubiera

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Thank you for downloading WinFingerD, and I hope it helps you to communicate to others in the vast Internet world.

This help file will introduce to you the purposes and features provided under the beta version 1.0 of WinFingerD.

WinFingerD Purpose:

WinFingerD is a TCP/IP (Transport Control Protocol and Internet Protocol) package that runs as a server under Windows 95’s WinSock v1.1 or later.  It will connect to remote hosts and serve “finger” requests about the currently logged in user.  In standard Unix (the most widely used operating system on the internet), the “finger” protocol is used to locate users on certain machines or cluster of machines (domain).  Since Windows 95 is a single-user operating system, in the sense that only one person can be logged in at one time, the reply that WinFingerD provides is, of course, different from what a Unix machine “finger” server would provide.  I will talk about the kind of reply’s this daemon (server) provides.

WinFingerD Features:

Under most UNIX machines, the “finger” reply consists of the person’s login ID, real name, office address and home address; along with what they call a “.plan” file and also, how long the person on the machine has been idle for (i.e. no mouse or keyboard activity, maybe just staring at the screen ).  WinFingerD replies with all.

DISCLAIMER

WinFingerD IS A SHAREWARE PRODUCT, AND IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS-IS” BASIS.  I WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DAMAGE DONE BY THE USE OR MIS-USE OF THIS PRODUCT.  WinFingerD IS STILL IN BETA STAGES, WHICH MAKES IT EVEN MORE LIKELY FOR IT TO EITHER CRASH YOUR SYSTEM OR DAMAGE OTHER FILES ON YOUR HARDDRIVE EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY.

Topics:

I. WinFingerD Installation

II. Setting up WinFingerD

III. Using the “right-click” pop-up Menu

IV. Using the WinFingerD Finger Client

V. Un-Installing WinFingerD

VI. Ordering WinFingerD

VII. Thanks

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I. WinFingerD Installation

Installing WinFingerD is very simple.  The WinFingerD package only contains:

- WinFD.exe	WinFingerD Server executable

- WinFD.hlp	Help File (**this file**)

- WinFD.dll	Idle detection Dynamic Link Library

- uninstall.exe	Program to remove WinFingerD

The steps for a typical install is as follows:

(1) Make a descriptive directory on your harddrive and copy the three files to it.

(2) Make a shorcut in your “startup” folder so that WinFingerD starts up every time you start your computer.

II. Setting up WinFingerD

WinFingerD Configuration Box Screen Shot

1. Setting Up User Information:

Type in the user information under the sections:

Name	- Your real name

Office	- Your office address location

Office Phone	- Your office phone number

Home	- Your home address location

Home Phone	- Your home phone number

2. Setting up Idle Time Away:

Type in a number in the “Set Away After:” edit box.

This number tells the Daemon to set you away after the specified amount of time (in minutes)

3. Setting up the “.plan” and “.away” files:

Click on the browse buttons to the right of the “Plan” and “Away” file edit boxes to search for two text files that will be used for replying to the person that’s inquiring the finger request.

Plan Files:

The plan file provides the requester an idea of what the person is doing in the near future.  This “.plan” file has been used in many ways, but now it is merely used for simple signatures or quotes of what people intend to do with their lives in a facetious and sarcastic manner.  I suggest you use the “.plan” file for productive reasons, but that’s just my opinion.

Anyways, I have added a new response file, as well as the “.plan” file, called the Away file.  This file will be sent to the requesting party when you are away from your machine for a certain amount of time.  (Explained later in the reference)

4. Button definitions:

“OK” Button - The “OK” button closes the configuration dialog box and saves the settings into the Windows 95 registry.

“Apply” Button - The “Apply” button saves the settings into the registry without closing the configuration dialog box.

“Cancel” Button - The “Cancel” button closes the configuration dialog box without saving the settings into the registry.

“Finger” Button - The “Finger” button will let you request a finger from a remote host.

“Stop Server” Button - The “Stop Server” button will close WinFingerD and stop accepting finger requests.

“Help” Button - The “Help” button will bring up WinHelp to show you this file.  (I wonder how you got here? )

“About” Button - The “About” button will bring up a dialog box with the information about the making of WinFingerD.

III. Using the “right-click” pop-up Menu

You can “right-click” on the WinFingerD icon that will show up in your Windows 95 system tray (that is, click with the right-most button on your mouse on top of the WinFingerD icon)

“right-click” pop-up menu

“About WinFingerD”	- will bring up the information about the making of WinFingerD

“Stop Server”	- will stop running the WinFingerD daemon

“Configure”	- will bring up WinFingerD’s configuration dialog box

“Finger”	- will bring up a dialog box will “finger” a remote host

“Away Locked”	- will set you away indefinitely until you deselect it

IV. Using the WinFingerD Finger Client

WinFingerD has an integrated “finger” client with which you can finger a remote host and get user information:

WinFingerD Finger Request Dialog Box

What to type in:

Finger who?	 Type in the user login ID at the remote host

At what macfhine?	 Type in the remote machine that you want to request the

     finger from.

Press the OK button as soon as you are ready.

Or Press the Cancel button if you changed your mind.

V. Un-Installing WinFingerD

Run the “uninstall.exe” program from within the directory that you unzipped WinFingerD to.  This uninstall program will simply delete the appropriate WinFingerD files including:

- WinFD.exe

- WinFD.hlp

- WinFD.dll

and remove the entries used in the Windows 95 registry.  The “uninstall.exe” program and the directory you made will not be deleted.

VI. Ordering WinFingerD

To order WinFingerD, please contact me by e-mail or drop my a line by snail mail.

e-mail:

Amilcar M. Ubiera

amubiera@eos.ncsu.edu

snail-mail:

Amilcar M. Ubiera

3116-A Avent Ferry Rd.

Raleigh, NC. 27606

WinFingerD registered version costs only $10.U.S and will inspire me and other shareware programmers to continue developing good applications and utilities like these.

So please register WinFingerD.

Registering WinFingerD will remove the annoying nag screen the comes up as WinFingerD starts up.

VII. Thanks

I would like to thank everyone that help me get through the hardship of coding WinFingerD, including:

Jason Schwarz (Gandalf) - For asking me to implement WinFingerD in the first place, and braking it so many times while development was in progress (Remember version 0.62 and the idle time problems Jason?).

Jeff Smith (Doc) for always telling me to get back to work on WinFingerD and stop playing Duke Nukem® 3D.

George Mason (Gem) for coming up with several of the aesthetics ideas.

Andy McConnell for taking me away from WinFingerD to go play Duke Nukem® 3D .

Bob Lewis (Wally) for withstanding my cries of anger and frustration when something wasn’t working.

Scott Parkerson (Witsend) for being such a good roommate and actually running my program.

And last but not least… Patrick Williams (no nickname yet, but you will have one ) for inspiring me to code good looking software, and helping me press those CD’s I always need.

And everyone for helping me come up with a cool Nag Screen. Hehehe. Sorry guys, no pornjam on this one.

And many others…