ARCHIVED: In Unix, what is chfn?

In Unix, the chfn (change finger) command updates the finger information field in your /etc/passwd entry. The contents of this field can vary among systems, but this field usually includes your name, your office and home addresses, and the phone numbers for both. When people use the finger command to look up information about you, they will see the contents of the finger information fields from your /etc/passwd entry.

On most systems, to use the chfn command, at the Unix shell prompt, enter chfn. The program will then display the finger information fields, usually starting with your name, including the current value within [] (square brackets), for example:

  Name [Darth Vader]: 

To change the value, after the : (colon), enter a new value. To clear the field, enter none. To accept an existing value, leave the field blank. When you have finished modifying an entry, press Enter.