From 4bfd864f10b68b71482b35c818559068ef8d5797 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Thomas Voss Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2024 20:54:24 +0100 Subject: doc: Add RFC documents --- doc/rfc/rfc812.txt | 173 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 173 insertions(+) create mode 100644 doc/rfc/rfc812.txt (limited to 'doc/rfc/rfc812.txt') diff --git a/doc/rfc/rfc812.txt b/doc/rfc/rfc812.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..331b9d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rfc/rfc812.txt @@ -0,0 +1,173 @@ + + +Ken Harrenstien RFC-812 +Vic White 1 March 1982 +Network Information Center +SRI International + NICNAME/WHOIS + + + +INTRODUCTION + + The NICNAME/WHOIS Server is an NCP/TCP transaction based + query/response server, running on the SRI-NIC machine, that + provides netwide directory service to ARPANET users. It is + one of a series of ARPANET/Internet name services maintained + by the Network Information Center (NIC) at SRI International + on behalf of the Defense Communications Agency (DCA). The + server is accessible across the ARPANET from user programs + running on local hosts, and it delivers the full name, U.S. + mailing address, telephone number, and network mailbox for + ARPANET users. + + This server, together with the corresponding Identification + Data Base provides online directory look-up equivalent to the + ARPANET Directory. DCA strongly encourages network hosts to + provide their users with access to this network service. + +WHO SHOULD BE IN THE DATA BASE + + DCA requests that each individual with a directory on an + ARPANET host, who is capable of passing traffic across the + ARPANET, be registered in the NIC Identification Data Base. + To register, send full name, middle initial, U.S. mailing + address (including mail stop and full explanation of + abbreviations and acronyms), ZIP code, telephone (including + Autovon and FTS, if available), and one network mailbox, via + electronic mail to NIC@SRI-NIC. + +PROTOCOL + + The NICNAME protocol is similar to the NAME/FINGER protocol + (RFC 742). To access the server: + + Connect to the service host (SRI-NIC) + TCP: service port 43 decimal + NCP: ICP to socket 43 decimal, establishing two 8-bit + connections + + Send a single "command line", ending with . + + Receive information in response to the command line. The + server closes its connections as soon as the output is + finished. + + + [Page 1] + + +RFC 812 1 March 1982 + NICNAME/WHOIS + + +EXISTING USER PROGRAMS + + NICNAME has been chosen as the global name for the user + program, although some sites may choose to use the more + familiar name of "WHOIS". There are versions of NICNAME for + Tenex, Tops-20, and Unix. The Tenex and Tops-20 programs are + written in assembly language (FAIL/MACRO), and the Unix + version is written in C. They are easy to invoke, taking one + argument which is passed directly to the NICNAME server at + SRI-NIC. Normally it is best to use the NIC-supplied + programs, if possible, since the protocol will continue to + evolve. Contact NIC@SRI-NIC for copies. + +COMMAND LINES AND REPLIES + + A command line is normally a single name specification. The + easiest way to obtain the most recent documentation on name + specifications is to give the server a command line consisting + of "?" (that is, a question-mark alone as the name + specification). The response from the NICNAME server will + list all possible formats that can be used. + + The responses are not currently intended to be + machine-readable; the information is meant to be passed back + directly to a human user. The following three examples will + illustrate the use of NICNAME. + +Command line: ? +Response: + Please enter a name or a handle ("ident"), such as "Smith" + or "SRI-NIC". Starting with a period forces a name-only + search; + starting with exclamation point forces handle-only. Examples: + Smith [looks for name or handle SMITH ] + !SRI-NIC [looks for handle SRI-NIC only ] + .Smith, John [looks for name JOHN SMITH only ] + Adding "..." to the argument will match anything from that + point, + e.g. "ZU..." will match ZUL, ZUM, etc. + To have the ENTIRE membership list of a group or + organization, + if you are asking about a group or org, shown with the record, + use + an asterisk character "*" directly preceding the given + argument. + [CAUTION: If there are a lot of members this will take a long + time!] + You may of course use exclamation point and asterisk, or a + period + and asterisk together. + + +[Page 2] + + +1 March 1982 RFC 812 +NICNAME/WHOIS + + + +Command line: dyer +Response: + Dyer, David A. (DAD2) DDYER@USC-ISIB (213) 822-1511 + Dyer, Fred S. (FSD) Dyer@RADC-MULTICS (315) 330-7275 + Dyer, Mary K. (MARY) DYER@SRI-NIC (415) 859-4775 + Dyer, William R. (WRD) WRDyer@RADC-MULTICS (315) 330-7791 + +Command line: mary +Response: + Dyer, Mary K. (MARY) DYER@SRI-NIC + SRI International + Network Information Center + Telecommunications Sciences Center + 333 Ravenswood Avenue + Menlo Park, California 94025 + Phone: (415) 859-4775 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + [Page 3] -- cgit v1.2.3