Gang, we made a RIPE version of the well known whois client. This version will by default query "whois.ripe.net", includes the -a flag for other than RIPE database information, and has some compiled in features that can find secondary RIPE database servers nearer to your machine. Check the README and Makefile for this. Below is the manpage. You can find this version on: ftp.ripe.net:/tools/ripe-whois.tar.Z If anyone has problems compiling or running the thing, please let us know. -Marten ----------------- WHOIS(1) USER COMMANDS WHOIS(1) NAME whois - TCP/IP Internet directory service, RIPE version SYNOPSIS whois [ -h host ] [ -v ] [ -a ] identifier DESCRIPTION whois searches for an object in the RIPE Network Management database. The key can be either a name (such as "Karrenberg"),a nic-handle (such as "DK58"), a network number ("192.87.45") or a domain name ("ripe.net"). OPTIONS -h host Select alternate host to direct the query -a This causes the server to include information from non-RIPE whois databases in the reply. Currently these are the public parts of the US NIC and NSFnet databases. Please note that the RIPE NCC does not maintain these databases. The information is included for for your convenience only. -v verbose mode (debugging purposes only) EXAMPLES example% whois karrenberg person: Daniel Karrenberg address: RIPE Network Coordination Centre address: Kruislaan 409 address: NL-1098 SJ Amsterdam address: Netherlands phone: +31 20 5925065 fax-no: +31 20 5925155 e-mail: dfk@ripe.net nic-hdl: DK58 changed: dfk@ripe.net 920407 changed: ripe-dbm@ripe.net 920407 source: RIPE RIPE VERSION This is the RIPE version of the whois client program. This is intended for European users as it will query a RIPE whois server by default rather than the US NIC whois server. For questions refer to <ncc@ripe.net>. For more information about the RIPE database please also refer to <ncc@ripe.net> This version also includes a compiled-in option to find secondary RIPE database servers closer to your machine, if there are any. Sun Release 4.1 Last change: 23 July 1992 1