Finger-Protocol DNS SRV Records

⸺ by Charles Iliya Krempeaux

⸺ published 2022-12-09T15:16:53-08:00

The could make use of DNS SRV records.

You could use it to change the TCP-port connected to for a finger-request.

You could use it to change the host connected to for a finger-request.

This has a lot of potential!

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For example, if someone runs a command like:

finger joeblow@example.com

A (new) finger-protocol DNS SRV record — could be used to silently change the TCP-port the finger-request is made to.

This, for example, could effectively make the previous command turn into something like:

finger joeblow@example.com:1971

(Or whatever other TCP-port is desired.)

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Also, for example, if someone runs a command like:

finger joeblow@example.com

A (new) finger-protocol DNS SRV record — could be used to change the host the finger-request is made to.

This, for example, could effectively make the previous command turn into something like:

finger joeblow@example.com@fingerhosting.dom

(Where "fingerhosting.dom" is the new host.)

(Or whatever other host is desired.)

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Also, for example, the previous two could be used in combination.

Where a (new) finger-protocol DNS SRV record — could be used to change both the host and TCP-port the finger-request is made to.

Also, for example, if someone runs a command like:

finger joeblow@example.com

This, for example, could effectively make the previous command turn into something like:

finger joeblow@example.com@fingerhosting.dom:7979

Where both the host & TCP-port were changed.

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Why would you want something like this‽ —

Why would you want to use a finger-protocol DNS SRV record‽ —

Well, lots of reasons.

Here are some reasons —

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On many computers —

The operating systems will prevent (regular) programs from using certain TCP-ports.

On many computers — TCP-ports below 1024 cannot be used unless the program runs in ‘god mode’ — i.e., what some OSes call the ‘root’ user.

The finger-protocol is suppose to use TCP-port 79 — which is one of those privileged ‘god mode’ TCP-ports.

IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO RUN A FINGER SERVER IN ‘GOD MODE’!

So being able to switch the TCP-port to a non-privileged TCP-port is desirable!

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Being able to put finger servers, mail servers, web servers, gemini servers, gopher servers, etc etc etc — on different computers is desirable.

For security reasons. For scalability reasons. For safety reasons. Etc.

But the use of the same Internet domain —

example.com

Could suggest they are all on the same computer.

Mail Servers actually have a convention for moving it to a separate computer — DNS MX records.

A (new) finger DNS SRV record could bring this to finger, too.

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Shared hosting —

A (new) DNS SRV record could make shared finger-hosting easier in a lot of different ways.

A single server could serve finger for many Internet domains at the same time.