V1/man/man1/write.1

        11/3/71                                                     WRITE (I)


NAME              write -- write to another user

SYNOPSIS          write user

DESCRIPTION       write copies lines from your typewriter to that of another
                  user. When first called, write sends the message

                         message from yourname...

                  The recipient of the message should write back at this
                  point. Communication continues until an end of file is read
                  from the typewriter or an interrupt is sent. At that point
                  write writes "EOT" on the other terminal.

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

                  If the character "!" is found at the beginning of a line,
                  write calls the mini--shell msh 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 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 suggested when conversation is about to be
                  terminated.

FILES             /tmp/utmp is used to discover the target user's typewriter
                  channel and the sending users s name. msh is used to
                  execute commands.

SEE ALSO          mesg

DIAGNOSTICS       "user not logged in"; "permission denied"

BUGS

OWNER             dmr, ken