.\" Copyright (c) 1980, 1990 The Regents of the University of California.
.\" All rights reserved.
.\"
.\" %sccs.include.redist.man%
.\"
.\"     @(#)biff.1	6.3 (Berkeley) 06/11/90
.\"
.Dd 
.Dt BIFF 1
.Os BSD 4
.Sh NAME
.Nm biff
.Nd be notified if mail arrives and who it is from
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.Nm biff
.Op Cm yn
.Sh DESCRIPTION
.Nm Biff
informs the system whether you want to be notified when mail arrives
during the current terminal session.
The command
.Pp
.Dl biff y
.Pp
enables notification; the command
.Pp
.Dl biff n
.Pp
disables it.
When mail notification is enabled, the header and first few lines of
the message will be printed on your screen whenever mail arrives.
A
.Li ``biff y''
command is often included in the file
.Pa \&
login
or
.Pa \&
profile
to be executed at each login.
.Pp
.Nm Biff
operates asynchronously.
For synchronous notification use the
.Ar MAIL
variable of
.Xr sh 1
or the
.Ar mail
variable of
.Xr csh 1 .
.Sh SEE ALSO
.Xr csh 1 ,
.Xr mail 1 ,
.Xr sh 1 ,
.Xr comsat 8
.Sh HISTORY
.Nm biff
appeared in the 4.0 BSD release.