MSGS(1)MSGS(1)NAMEmsgs - system messages and junk mail program
SYNOPSISmsgs [ -fhlpq ] [ number ] [ -number ]
msgs-s
msgs-c [ -days ]
DESCRIPTION
Msgs is used to read system messages. These messages are sent by
mailing to the login `msgs' and should be short pieces of information
which are suitable to be read once by most users of the system.
Msgs is normally invoked each time you login, by placing it in the file
.login (.profile if you use /bin/sh). It will then prompt you with the
source and subject of each new message. If there is no subject line,
the first few non-blank lines of the message will be displayed. If
there is more to the message, you will be told how long it is and asked
whether you wish to see the rest of the message. The possible
responses are:
y type the rest of the message.
RETURN synonym for y.
n skip this message and go on to the next message.
- redisplay the last message.
q drops you out of msgs; the next time you run the program it will
pick up where you left off.
s append the current message to the file ``Messages'' in the
current directory; `s-' will save the previously displayed
message. A `s' or `s-' may be followed by a space and a file
name to receive the message replacing the default ``Messages''.
m or `m-' causes a copy of the specified message to be placed in a
temporary mailbox and mail(1) to be invoked on that mailbox.
Both `m' and `s' accept a numeric argument in place of the `-'.
Msgs keeps track of the next message you will see by a number in the
file .msgsrc in your home directory. In the directory /usr/msgs it
keeps a set of files whose names are the (sequential) numbers of the
messages they represent. The file /usr/msgs/bounds shows the low and
high number of the messages in the directory so that msgs can quickly
determine if there are no messages for you. If the contents of bounds
is incorrect it can be fixed by removing it; msgs will make a new
bounds file the next time it is run.
The -s option is used for setting up the posting of messages. The line
msgs: "| /usr/ucb/msgs -s"
should be include in /etc/sendmail/aliases to enable posting of
messages.
The -c option is used for performing cleanup on /usr/msgs. An entry
with the -c option should be placed in /usr/lib/crontab to run every
night. This will remove all messages over 21 days old. A different
expiration may be specified on the command line to override the
default.
Options when reading messages include:
-f which causes it not to say ``No new messages.''. This is useful
in your .login file since this is often the case here.
-q Queries whether there are messages, printing ``There are new
messages.'' if there are. The command ``msgs -q'' is often used
in login scripts.
-h causes msgs to print the first part of messages only.
-l option causes only locally originated messages to be reported.
num A message number can be given on the command line, causing msgs
to start at the specified message rather than at the next
message indicated by your .msgsrc file. Thus
msgs-h 1
prints the first part of all messages.
-number
will cause msgs to start number messages back from the one
indicated by your .msgsrc file, useful for reviews of recent
messages.
-p causes long messages to be piped through more(1).
Within msgs you can also go to any specific message by typing its
number when msgs requests input as to what to do.
FILES
/usr/msgs/* database
~/.msgsrc number of next message to be presented
AUTHORS
William Joy
David Wasley
SEE ALSOaliases(5), crontab(5), mail(1), more(1)BUGS4th Berkeley Distribution May 9, 1986 MSGS(1)