Research V4 development
[unix-history] / man / man1 / write.1
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DR
1.th WRITE I 8/5/73
2.sh NAME
3write \*- write to another user
4.sh SYNOPSIS
5.bd write
6user [ ttyno ]
7.sh DESCRIPTION
8.it Write
9copies lines from your typewriter to that of
10another user.
11When first called,
12it sends the message
13.s3
14 message from yourname...
15.s3
16The recipient of the message should write back at this point.
17Communication continues until an end of file is
18read from the typewriter or an interrupt is sent.
19At that point
20.it write
21writes `EOT' on the other terminal and exits.
22.s3
23If you want to write to a user who is logged in more than once,
24the
25.it ttyno
26argument may be used to indicate the last character
27of the appropriate typewriter name.
28.s3
29Permission to write may be denied or granted by use of the
30.it mesg
31command.
32At the outset writing is allowed.
33Certain commands, in particular
34.it roff
35and
36.it pr,
37disallow
38messages in order to prevent messy output.
39.s3
40If the character `!' is found at the beginning of a line,
41.it write
42calls the mini-shell
43.it msh
44to execute the rest of the
45line as a command.
46.s3
47The following protocol is suggested for using
48.it write:
49when you first write to another user, wait for him to
50write back before starting to send.
51Each party should end each message with a distinctive
52signal
53(
54.bd (o)
55for `over' is conventional) that the other may reply.
56.bd (oo)
57(for `over and out') is suggested when conversation
58is about to be terminated.
59.sh FILES
60/tmp/utmp to find user
61.br
62/etc/msh to execute `!'
63.sh "SEE ALSO"
64mesg(I), who(I)
65.sh BUGS