WRITE(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual WRITE(1) NAME write - write to another user SYNOPSIS write [ -f ] user [ ttyname ] DESCRIPTION _W_r_i_t_e copies lines from your terminal to that of another user. When first called, it sends the message Message from yourname@yoursystem on yourttyname at time... 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 _w_r_i_t_e writes `EOT' on the other terminal and exits. If you want to write to a user who is logged in more than once, the _t_t_y_n_a_m_e argument may be used to indicate the appropriate terminal name. Permission to write may be denied or granted by use of the _m_e_s_g command. At the outset writing is allowed. Certain commands, in particular _n_r_o_f_f and _p_r(1) disallow messages in order to prevent messy output. If the character `!' is found at the beginning of a line, _w_r_i_t_e calls the shell to execute the rest of the line as a command. The following protocol is suggested for using _w_r_i_t_e: when you first write to another user, wait for him to write back before starting to send. Each party should end each message with a distinctive signal-(o) for `over' is conventional- that the other may reply. (oo) for `over and out' is sug- gested when conversation is about to be terminated. _w_r_i_t_e will not allow you to write to someone else if either you or he has write permission turned off. This restriction may be overridden with the -f option. This is most often used by the superuser to write to a user who has their write permission off or by a regular user to write to someone when the writer has his own write permissions turned off. Note that it is considered poor etiquette to write to someone when you have write permission off. FILES /etc/utmp to find user /bin/sh to execute `!' Printed 12/27/86 May 5, 1986 1 WRITE(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual WRITE(1) SEE ALSO mesg(1), who(1), mail(1) LOCAL MODS Added the "-f" option. Printed 12/27/86 May 5, 1986 2