MSGS(1)
NAME
msgs − system messages and junk mail program
USAGE
msgs [ −fhlpq ] [ number ] [ −number ]
DESCRIPTION
The msgs command reads system messages. These messages are sent by mailing to msgs. They should be short pieces of information, typically read once by most users of the system.
Most users arrange to invoke msgs at log-in time by including a msgs command line in their Shell start-up file (.login or .profile).
When you invoke msgs, it prompts 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 are displayed. Then, msgs reports the length of the message and asks you whether or not you wish to see the entire message. The possible responses are:
y (or <RETURN>) Type the rest of the message.
n Skip this message and go on to the next message.
− Redisplay the last message.
q Exit the msgs program; resume examination of the message queue at this point when the program is run again.
s (or s−) Append the current message to the file Messages in the current directory. An s− saves the previously displayed message. Either an s or an s− may be followed by a space and a filename to receive the message replacing the default Messages.
m (or m−) Place a copy of the specified message in a temporary mailbox and invoke mail(1) on that mailbox. Both the m and s commands accept a numeric argument in place of the dash (−).
The msgs program maintains a file of message information called .msgsrc in your home directory. It also maintains a directory called /usr/msgs, 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 messages for you. If the contents of bounds is incorrect, remove it. msgs will make a new bounds file the next time it runs.
OPTIONS
−f Suppress printing of “No new messages”. This is useful when msgs is invoked at log-in time (a time when new messages are usually few).
−q Check for new messages. If any are found, print “There are new messages.” (This option is often used in log-in scripts.)
−h Print only the first part of a message.
−l Ignore messages not originating on the local system.
num Start at the message number num, rather than at the next message indicated in the .msgsrc file.
−num Start reading at a message num messages before the “current message” indicated in your .msgsrc file. (This option is useful for reviewing recent messages.)
−p Pipe long messages through more(1).
EXAMPLES
msgs −h 1 Print the first part of all (local and otherwise) messages.
msgs −qh 1 Check for new messages, report on those that are found, and print message headers only for both local and non-local messages.
FILES
/usr/msgs/* message database
~/.msgsrc number of next message to be presented