WRITE(C)                                   UNIX System V



     Name
          write - writes to another user


     Syntax
          write user [ tty ]


     Description
          write copies lines from your terminal  to  that  of  another
          user.  When first called, it sends the message:

          Message from your-logname your-tty ...
          The recipient of the  message  should  write  back  at  this
          point.  Communication continues until an end-of-file is read
          from the terminal or an interrupt is sent.  At  that  point,
          write displays:

          (end of message)
          on the other terminal and exits.

          If you want to write to a user who is logged  in  more  than
          once,   the  tty  argument  may  be  used  to  indicate  the
          appropriate terminal.

          Permission to write may be denied or granted by use  of  the
          mesg(C)   command.   At  the  outset,  writing  is  allowed.
          Certain  commands,  in  particular  nroff(CT)   and   pr(C),
          disallow messages in order to prevent messy output.

          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.

          The following protocol is suggested for  using  write:  when
          you  first  write  to  another  user, wait for him or her to
          write back before starting to send.  Each party  should  end
          each  message with a distinctive signal ((o) for ``over'' is
          conventional), indicating that the other may reply; (oo) for
          ``over  and  out''  is  suggested when conversation is to be
          terminated.


     Files
          /etc/utmp To find user

          /bin/sh        To execute !


     See Also
          mail(C), mesg(C), who(C)


     Standards Conformance
          write is conformant with:

          AT&T SVID Issue 2, Select Code 307-127;
          and The X/Open Portability Guide II of January 1987.


     (printed 8/24/89)                                  WRITE(C)