[SunHELP] Issue/motd

Wed May 23 09:58:41 CDT 2001

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When I took a Irix Sys. Admin. class at the SGI campus in Mountain View, the
teacher there gave out a copy of a nice "C" shell script that displayed a
nice little xterm window on everyone's desktop that contained a message.
Each host could be specified in the script that you wanted to receive the
message.  The script he wrote was called "netmsg", but I have long since
lost track of this script.  But what I am trying to get at I guess is the
fact that such a script can be created.  If you know of someone that has the
know-how and time to write such a script, this could be your savior.  But of
course, this script only works on "X" hosts and not on command line/telnet
or failsafe sessions.  I would recommend asking around for such a script to
see if you can find someone that has the time/know-how to do it.  I would do
it for you, but I haven't the time.

Good luck!

Christopher A.
Los Angeles, Ca.

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Magnus Abrante [mailto:magnus.abrante at sweden.sun.com] 
Sent:	Wednesday, May 23, 2001 6:59 AM
To:	sunhelp at sunhelp.org
Subject:	Re: [SunHELP] Issue/motd

> Anyone found any good programs for sending login messages
> to users when they logon. Just system specific advice
> and info. I curreently put stuff in /etc/motd
> but that I believe is only read if they start an xterm
> with the 'xterm -ls' option.
> 
> 
> Is there some little piece of software that will alert
> people to messages from the admin independents of whether they
> are using X, which X they are using etc??

Well, /etc/motd is read when a user logs in, and starting a xterm
with the -ls option will invoke the users shell as if the user logged in.

If you wish to send a message to everyone currently logged onto a machine
you can use the "wall" command, this command will however send the message
to all open terminals which corsponds to a login (aka people who have 
performed a rlogin, telnet and to the console of the people who are logged
on via X or such). If you use the "-a" options it will be sent to all 
pseudo-terminals as well (aka xterms etc), which of course can be a bit
annoying from the users point of view. :)

However i do not know any good tool which pops up a window with a message,
this might be a bit trickier to do since you have to own the display, or at 
least have permissions to write to it.
Unless you are running Sun Rays, where you have a command called "utwall" 
which can do that (or play an audiofile on the sunrays, among other things).

    //Magnus Abrante
/* This is my opinion and not the one of my employer */

_______________________________________________
SunHELP maillist  -  SunHELP at sunhelp.org
http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/sunhelp

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charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META NAME=3D"Generator" CONTENT=3D"MS Exchange Server version =
5.5.2448.0">
<TITLE>RE: [SunHELP] Issue/motd</TITLE>
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When I took a Irix Sys. Admin. class at the SGI =
campus in Mountain View, the teacher there gave out a copy of a nice =
"C" shell script that displayed a nice little xterm window on =
everyone's desktop that contained a message.  Each host could be =
specified in the script that you wanted to receive the message.  =
The script he wrote was called "netmsg", but I have long =
since lost track of this script.  But what I am trying to get at I =
guess is the fact that such a script can be created.  If you know =
of someone that has the know-how and time to write such a script, this =
could be your savior.  But of course, this script only works on =
"X" hosts and not on command line/telnet or failsafe =
sessions.  I would recommend asking around for such a script to =
see if you can find someone that has the time/know-how to do it.  =
I would do it for you, but I haven't the time.

<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Good luck!</FONT>
</P>
<BR>

<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Christopher A.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Los Angeles, Ca.</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=3D2> -----Original Message-----</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>From:   Magnus Abrante [<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:magnus.abrante at sweden.sun.com">mailto:magnus.abrante at swed=
en.sun.com</A>] </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Sent:   Wednesday, May 23, 2001 6:59 =
AM</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>To:     =
sunhelp at sunhelp.org</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Subject:        =
Re: [SunHELP] Issue/motd</FONT>
</P>
<BR>

> Anyone found any good programs for sending login =
messages
 > to users when they logon. Just system specific =
advice
 > and info. I curreently put stuff in =
/etc/motd
 > but that I believe is only read if they start =
an xterm
 > with the 'xterm -ls' option.
 > 
 > 
 > Is there some little piece of software that =
will alert
 > people to messages from the admin independents =
of whether they
 > are using X, which X they are using =
etc??

<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Well, /etc/motd is read when a user logs in, and =
starting a xterm</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>with the -ls option will invoke the users shell as =
if the user logged in.</FONT>
</P>

If you wish to send a message to everyone currently =
logged onto a machine
 you can use the "wall" command, this =
command will however send the message
 to all open terminals which corsponds to a login =
(aka people who have 
 performed a rlogin, telnet and to the console of the =
people who are logged
 on via X or such). If you use the "-a" =
options it will be sent to all 
 pseudo-terminals as well (aka xterms etc), which of =
course can be a bit
 annoying from the users point of view. :)

However i do not know any good tool which pops up a =
window with a message,
 this might be a bit trickier to do since you have to =
own the display, or at 
 least have permissions to write to it.
 Unless you are running Sun Rays, where you have a =
command called "utwall" 
 which can do that (or play an audiofile on the =
sunrays, among other things).

<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>    //Magnus Abrante</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>/* This is my opinion and not the one of my employer =
*/</FONT>
</P>
<BR>

<P><FONT =
SIZE=3D2>_______________________________________________</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>SunHELP maillist  -  =
SunHELP at sunhelp.org</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2><A =
HREF=3D"http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/sunhelp" =
TARGET=3D"_blank">http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/sunhelp</A></F=
ONT>
</P>

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