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Mapilli

Modern Python asyncio Finger protocol (RFC 1288) client library

Mapilli is a modern, async-first implementation of the Finger protocol for Python 3.10+. It provides both a programmatic API and a command-line interface.

Features

  • Async/await API - Built on asyncio for non-blocking I/O
  • Simple CLI - Query Finger servers from the command line
  • RFC 1288 compliant - Full support for the Finger protocol specification
  • Type hints - Full type annotations for better IDE support
  • Modern Python - Requires Python 3.10+

Quick Example

# Query a user
mapilli alice@example.com

# List all users on a host
mapilli -h example.com

# Verbose/whois output
mapilli -W alice@example.com

import asyncio
from mapilli import FingerClient

async def main():
    async with FingerClient() as client:
        response = await client.query("alice@example.com")
        print(response.body)

asyncio.run(main())

Why Mapilli?

The Finger protocol (RFC 1288) is a simple protocol for querying user information on remote systems. While the protocol dates back to 1991, it's still used in certain environments and is a great example of simple network programming.

Mapilli brings the Finger protocol into the modern Python ecosystem with:

  • asyncio support for efficient, non-blocking network operations
  • Type safety with full type annotations
  • Clean API inspired by modern Python libraries

Getting Started

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.