Name

uux − unix to unix command execution

Syntax

uux [−] command-string

Description

The uux command gathers 0 or more files from various systems, executes a command on a specified system, and sends standard output to a file on a specified system.

The command-string is made up of one or more arguments that look like a shell command line, except that the command and file names may be prefixed by system-name!.  A null system-name is interpreted as the local system. 

File names may be one of the following:

•A pathname

•A pathname preceded by ~xxx, where xxx is a userid on the specified system and is replaced by that user’s login directory

•Any other syntax that is prefixed by the current directory. 

For example, the following command line gets the f1 files from the usg and pwba machines, executes a diff command and puts the results in f1.diff in the local directory.

uux "!diff usg!/usr/dan/f1 pwba!/a4/dan/f1 > !f1.diff"

When using special shell characters such as <>’!, you should either quote the entire command-string, or you should quote the special characters as individual arguments. 

The uux command attempts to get all files to the execution system. If both the file and command are located on different remote sites, the file is first brought to the local system and is then transferred to the execution system.

If you want to include files as arguments to a command, but you do not want those files to be processed by uux, enclose the filename in parentheses.  For example:

uux a!uucp b!/usr/file (c!/usr/file)

The previous example sends a uucp command to system a. The /usr/file is transferred from system b to the local system, and then is passed to system a. When /usr/file arrives at system a the uucp command executes and sends /usr/file to system c.

If the request is not allowed on the remote system, the uux command notifies you.  This response is sent through remote mail from the remote machine.

Options

−c, -l
Do not copy local file to the spool directory for transfer to the remote machine.  This is the default.

−ggrade
Specifies the grade which is a single letter or number from 0 to 9, A to Z, or a to z.  The highest grade is 0, the lowest grade is z.  The default is A.  Lower grades should be specified for high-volume jobs, such as news. 

−nSends no notification to user. 

−p, -
Reads stdin.

−rQueues the job, but does not start the file transfer. 

−xdebug
Produces debugging output on stdout.  The debug option is a number between 0 and 9.  Higher numbers provide more detailed information.  Debugging is permitted only for those users with read access to L.sys(.).

−zNotify the user if the command fails. 

Warning

An installation may limit the list of commands executable on behalf of an incoming request from uux. Typically, a restricted site permits little other than the receipt of mail through uux.

Restrictions

Only the first command of a shell pipeline may have a system-name!.  All other commands are executed on the system of the first command. 

The use of the shell metacharacter asterisk (*) shell metacharacter may not behave as you expect.  The shell tokens (<<  >>) are not implemented. 

You are not notified when execution on a remote machine is denied.  Only commands listed in /usr/lib/uucp/L.cmds on the remote system are executed at the remote system.

Files

/usr/spool/uucpspool directory
/usr/lib/uucp/*other data and programs

See Also

uucp(1c)
"Uucp Implementation Description" ULTRIX Supplementary Documents Vol. III: System Manager