MSGS(1)

NAME
msgs - system messages and junk mail program

SYNOPSIS
msgs [ -f ] [ -q ] [ -h ] [ number ] [ -number ]

DESCRIPTION
Msgs is used to read system messages. These messages are sent by mailing to the login `msgs' and are 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 first portion of each new message. If the message is longer than a couple of lines you will be told how long it is and asked whether you wish to see the whole message. You can type return, or `y' to see the message, or `n' to skip it and go on to the next message. An interrupt drops you out of msgs; the next time you run the program it will pick up where you left off.

Msgs keeps track of the next message you will see by 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 this file bounds is incorrect it can be fixed by removing it; msgs will make a new bounds file the next time it is run.

Options to msgs include -f which causes it not to say ``No messages.''. This is useful in your .login file since this is often the case here. If you prefer to learn of new messages without running the program you can put the command ``msgs -q'' in your .login file. This queries whether there are messages, printing ``There are new messages.'' if there are. The -h option causes msgs to print the first part of messages only. This is most useful when a message number is also given on the command line, causing msgs to start at the specified message rather than at the next message your .msgsrc file indicates. Thus

    msgs -h 1

prints the first part of all messages. The -number option will start number messages back from the one indicated in your .msgsrc file, useful for reviews of recent messages. 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

AUTHOR
William Joy

SEE ALSO
mail(1)

BUGS