How to query RIPE database on the command line?

Question

Using the stock whois (on Fedora) I can easily get information for an IP adress:

$ whois SOME_IP
% This is the RIPE Database query service.
% The objects are in RPSL format.
%
% The RIPE Database is subject to Terms and Conditions.
[..]
% Information related to 'SOME_IP/SOME_AS'
route:     SOME_ROUTE
mnt-by:    SOME_STRING
[..]

Now I want to inverse lookup entries that have the SOME_STRING in 'mnt-by'.

I've done that successfully via the RIPE web interface.

But how to do that via the command line?

(e.g. for easier post-processing/scripting)

RIPE documents the -i option, but:

$ whois.md -h riswhois.ripe.net -i mnt-by SOME_STRING
Warning: RIPE flags used with a traditional server.
[just options listing without -i]
$ jwhois -h riswhois.ripe.net -i mnt-by SOME_STRING
[Querying riswhois.ripe.net]
[riswhois.ripe.net]
% This is RIPE NCC's Routing Information Service
% whois gateway to collected BGP Routing Tables
% IPv4 or IPv6 address to origin prefix match
%
% For more information visit http://www.ripe.net/ris/riswhois.html

% ERROR: Invalid search key

Am I supposed to use another whois client for such queries?

Solution

The documented RIPE whois options work with whois.md and the right RIPE whois server address:

$ whois.md -h whois.ripe.net -i mnt-by SOME_STRING
[..]
route:          SOME_ROUTE
descr:          SOME_DESC
origin:         SOME_AS
mnt-by:         SOME_STRING
source:         RIPE # Filtered
[.. more entries ..]

With GNU jwhois one has to explicitly tell that -i ... should be part of the query:

$ jwhois -h whois.ripe.net -- -i mnt-by SOME_STRING
[Querying whois.ripe.net]
[whois.ripe.net]
% This is the RIPE Database query service.
% The objects are in RPSL format.
%
% The RIPE Database is subject to Terms and Conditions.
% See http://www.ripe.net/db/support/db-terms-conditions.pdf

[..]
route:          SOME_ROUTE
descr:          SOME_DESC
origin:         SOME_AS
mnt-by:         SOME_STRING
source:         RIPE # Filtered
[.. more entries ..]

Note the -- marker in the command. Else -i is interpreted as a jwhois option.

Comments

[Stéphane Chazelas]

jwhois -h whois.ripe.net -- -i mnt-by SOME_STRING works though

[maxschlepzig]

@StephaneChazelas, interesting, I'll update the answer.