---
name: "finger.conf"
section: "5"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/finger.conf"
---

# finger.conf(5)

finger(1) alias configuration file

## NAME

**finger.conf** – [finger(1)](/finger/1.md) alias configuration file

## DESCRIPTION

The optional **finger.conf** file is used to provide aliases that can be fingered by local and network users. This may be useful where a user's login name is not the same as their preferred mail address, or for providing virtual login names than can be fingered.

Lines beginning with \`\`#'' are comments. Other lines must consist of an alias name and a target name separated by a colon. A target name should be either a user, a forward reference to another alias or the path of a world readable file.

Where an alias points to a file, the contents of that file will be displayed when the alias is fingered.

## FILES

- */etc/finger.conf*

  [finger(1)](/finger/1.md) alias definition data base

## EXAMPLES

```
# /etc/finger.conf alias definition file
#
# Format alias:(user|alias)
#
# Individual aliases
#
markk:mkn
john.smith:dev329
john:dev329
sue:/etc/finger/sue.txt
#
# Network status message
#
status:/usr/local/etc/status.txt
#
# Administrative redirects
#
root:admin
postmaster:admin
abuse:admin
#
# For the time being, 'sod' is sysadmin.
#
admin:sod
```

## SEE ALSO

[finger(1)](/finger/1.md)

## HISTORY

Support for the **finger.conf** file was submitted by Mark Knight \<markk@knigma.org\> and first appeared in FreeBSD 4.2.