NAME

  whois	- Internet username directory service

SYNOPSIS

  whois	[-h server] name ...

  The whois command looks up user, host, and organization names	in the Net-
  work Information Center (NIC)	database.

FLAGS

  Specifies a whois server other than the default server rs.internic.net.

DESCRIPTION

  The name argument can	specify	the following: The name	of a registered	user
  The name of a	registered Internet host The name of some other	entity recog-
  nized	by the whois server By default,	the whois command queries the host
  rs.internic.net.

  The operands specified  to the whois command are concatenated	together
  (separated by	white-space) and presented to the whois	the server.  The
  default action, unless directed otherwise with a special name	is  to do a
  very broad search, looking for matches to name in all	types of records and
  most fields (such as name, nicknames,	host name, and network address)	in
  the database.	 For more information as to what name operands have special
  meaning, and how to guide the	search,	use the	special	name help.

EXAMPLES

  To display the NIC database entry for	the organization osf.org, enter:
  whois	osf.org	Open Software Foundation (OSF-DOM) 11 Cambridge	Center Cam-
  bridge, MAS 02142

  Domain Name:	OSF.ORG	.  .  .

RELATED INFORMATION

  DARPA	Internet Request for Comment: NICKNAME/WHOIS (RFC 812)