projects / unix-history / blame
| Commit | Line | Data |
|---|---|---|
| bac65f5d BJ |
1 | .TH MSGS 1 2/24/79 |
| 2 | .UC | |
| 3 | .SH NAME | |
| 4 | msgs \- system messages and junk mail program | |
| 5 | .SH SYNOPSIS | |
| 6 | .B msgs | |
| 7 | [ | |
| 8 | .B \-f | |
| 9 | ] [ | |
| 10 | .B \-q | |
| 11 | ] [ | |
| 12 | .B \-h | |
| 13 | ] [ | |
| 14 | number | |
| 15 | ] [ | |
| 16 | \-number | |
| 17 | ] | |
| 18 | .SH DESCRIPTION | |
| 19 | .I Msgs | |
| 20 | is used to read system messages. | |
| 21 | These messages are | |
| 22 | sent by mailing to the login `msgs' and are short | |
| 23 | pieces of information which are suitable to be read once by most users | |
| 24 | of the system. | |
| 25 | .PP | |
| 26 | .I Msgs | |
| 27 | is normally invoked each time you login, by placing it in the file | |
| 28 | .I \&.login | |
| 29 | .I (\&.profile | |
| 30 | if you use | |
| 31 | .IR /bin/sh ). | |
| 32 | It will then prompt you with the first portion of each new message. | |
| 33 | If the message is longer than a couple of lines you will be told how | |
| 34 | long it is and asked whether you wish to see the whole message. | |
| 35 | You can type return, or `y' to see the message, or `n' to skip it | |
| 36 | and go on to the next message. | |
| 37 | An interrupt drops you out of | |
| 38 | .I msgs; | |
| 39 | the next time you run the program it will pick up where you left off. | |
| 40 | .PP | |
| 41 | .I Msgs | |
| 42 | keeps track of the next message you will see by number in the file | |
| 43 | .I \&.msgsrc | |
| 44 | in your home directory. | |
| 45 | In the directory | |
| 46 | .I /usr/msgs | |
| 47 | it keeps a set of files whose names are the (sequential) numbers | |
| 48 | of the messages they represent. | |
| 49 | The file | |
| 50 | .I /usr/msgs/bounds | |
| 51 | shows the low and high number of the messages in the directory | |
| 52 | so that | |
| 53 | .I msgs | |
| 54 | can quickly determine if there are no messages for you. | |
| 55 | If this file | |
| 56 | .I bounds | |
| 57 | is incorrect it can be fixed by removing it; | |
| 58 | .I msgs | |
| 59 | will make a new | |
| 60 | .I bounds | |
| 61 | file the next time it is run. | |
| 62 | .PP | |
| 63 | Options to msgs include | |
| 64 | .B \-f | |
| 65 | which causes it not to say ``No messages.''. | |
| 66 | This is useful in your | |
| 67 | .I \&.login | |
| 68 | file since this is often the case here. | |
| 69 | If you prefer to learn of new messages without running the program | |
| 70 | you can put the command ``msgs \-q'' in your | |
| 71 | .I \&.login | |
| 72 | file. | |
| 73 | This queries whether there are messages, printing | |
| 74 | ``There are new messages.'' if there are. | |
| 75 | The | |
| 76 | .B \-h | |
| 77 | option causes | |
| 78 | .I msgs | |
| 79 | to print the first part of messages only. | |
| 80 | This is most useful when a message number is also given | |
| 81 | on the command line, causing | |
| 82 | .I msgs | |
| 83 | to start at the specified message rather than at the next message | |
| 84 | your | |
| 85 | .I \&.msgsrc | |
| 86 | file indicates. | |
| 87 | Thus | |
| 88 | .IP | |
| 89 | msgs \-h 1 | |
| 90 | .PP | |
| 91 | prints the first part of all messages. | |
| 92 | The | |
| 93 | .I "\-number" | |
| 94 | option will start | |
| 95 | .I number | |
| 96 | messages back from the one indicated in your | |
| 97 | .I \&.msgsrc | |
| 98 | file, useful for reviews of recent messages. | |
| 99 | Within | |
| 100 | .I msgs | |
| 101 | you can also go to any specific message by typing its number when | |
| 102 | .I msgs | |
| 103 | requests input as to what to do. | |
| 104 | .SH FILES | |
| 105 | /usr/msgs/* database | |
| 106 | .br | |
| 107 | ~/.msgsrc number of next message to be presented | |
| 108 | .SH AUTHOR | |
| 109 | William Joy | |
| 110 | .SH SEE ALSO | |
| 111 | mail(1) | |
| 112 | .SH BUGS |