WRITE(I)                     8/5/73                      WRITE(I)







NAME

     write  -  write to another user



SYNOPSIS

     write user [ ttyno ]



DESCRIPTION

     Write copies lines from your typewriter to that  of  another

     user.  When first called, it 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 and exits.



     If you want to write to a user who is logged  in  more  than

     once,  the  ttyno  argument may be used to indicate the last

     character of the appropriate typewriter name.



     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       to find user

     /etc/msh        to execute `!'



SEE ALSO

     mesg (I), who (I)



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