xref: /openbsd/usr.bin/mesg/mesg.1 (revision 7b36286a)
1.\"	$OpenBSD: mesg.1,v 1.12 2007/05/31 19:20:13 jmc Exp $
2.\"	$NetBSD: mesg.1,v 1.3 1994/12/23 07:16:31 jtc Exp $
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31.\"	@(#)mesg.1	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
32.\"
33.Dd $Mdocdate: May 31 2007 $
34.Dt MESG 1
35.Os
36.Sh NAME
37.Nm mesg
38.Nd display (do not display) messages from other users
39.Sh SYNOPSIS
40.Nm mesg
41.Op Cm n | Cm y
42.Sh DESCRIPTION
43The
44.Nm mesg
45utility is invoked by a user to control write access others
46have to the terminal device associated with the standard error
47output.
48Write access is allowed by default, and programs such as
49.Xr talk 1
50and
51.Xr write 1
52may display messages on the terminal.
53.Pp
54The options are as follows:
55.Bl -tag -width Ds
56.It Cm n
57Disallows messages.
58.It Cm y
59Permits messages to be displayed.
60.El
61.Pp
62If no arguments are given,
63.Nm mesg
64displays the present message status to the standard error output.
65.Pp
66The
67.Nm mesg
68utility exits with one of the following values:
69.Bl -tag -width flag -compact -offset indent
70.Pp
71.It Li "\ 0"
72Messages are allowed.
73.It Li "\ 1"
74Messages are not allowed.
75.It Li >1
76An error has occurred.
77.El
78.Sh FILES
79.Bl -tag -width /dev/[pt]ty[pq]? -compact
80.It Pa /dev/[pt]ty[pq]?
81.El
82.Sh SEE ALSO
83.Xr biff 1 ,
84.Xr talk 1 ,
85.Xr write 1
86.Sh STANDARDS
87The
88.Nm
89utility is compliant with the
90.St -p1003.1-2004
91specification.
92.Sh HISTORY
93A
94.Nm mesg
95command appeared in
96.At v2 .
97