write(1)                                                 write(1)



NAME
     write - writes to another user

SYNOPSIS
     write user [line]

ARGUMENTS
     line   Indicates which line or terminal (such as (tty00)) to
            send the message to.  If this argument is not
            specified, the first writable instance of the user
            found in /etc/utmp is assumed and the following
            message posted:

               user is logged on more than one place.
               You are connected to terminal.
               Other locations are:
               terminal


     user   Specifies the name of the person you wish to send a
            message to.

DESCRIPTION
     write copies lines from your terminal to that of another
     user.  Writing to others is normally allowed by default.
     Certain commands, in particular nroff(1) and pr(1) prevent
     messages from being sent to avoid interference with their
     output.  However, if the user has superuser permissions,
     messages can be forced onto a write-inhibited terminal.

     If the character ! is found at the beginning of a line,
     write calls the shell to execute the rest of the line as a
     command.

     Permission to write may be denied or granted by use of the
     mesg command.

     The following protocol is suggested for using the write
     command:

     ⊕    When you first write to another user, wait for them to
          write back before starting to send.

     ⊕    Each person should end a message with a distinctive
          signal (i.e., (o) for ``over'') so that the other
          person knows when to reply.  The signal (oo) (for
          ``over and out'') is suggested when conversation is to
          be terminated.

EXAMPLES
     If you want to write to a user account named cheryl at
     terminal (tty) number 2, enter:



January 1992                                                    1

write(1)                                                 write(1)



        write cheryl tty2

     If Cheryl has her terminal set to receive messages with mesg
     y (refer to mesg(1)), she will receive the message:

        Message from yourname (tty??) [date]...

     where tty?? is your terminal number and date is the time and
     date the message was sent.  Once the connection is
     successful, two bells are sent to your terminal which
     indicates that the data you are typing is being sent.

     The user, Cheryl, should write back at this point.
     Communication can continue until an end of file is read from
     the terminal, an interrupt is sent from either user, or the
     recipient (Cheryl, in this example) has executed the mesg n
     command.  When this occurs, write writes EOT on the other
     terminal and exits.

STATUS MESSAGES AND VALUES
     user is not logged in
          The person you are trying to write to is not logged in.

     Permission denied
          The person you are trying to write to denies that
          permission with the mesg command.

     Warning: cannot respond, set mesg -y
          Your terminal is set to mesg n and the recipient cannot
          respond to you.

     Can no longer write to user
          The recipient has denied permission with the mesg n
          command after you started writing.

FILES
     /bin/write
          Executable file
     /etc/utmp
          Temporary file
     /bin/sh
          Shell file

SEE ALSO
     mail(1), mesg(1), nroff(1), pr(1), sh(1), talk(1N), who(1)

     wall(1M) in A/UX System Administrator's Reference








2                                                    January 1992