Name

Unix Synopsis

Description

You can "broadcast" messages to users of a Merlin database (pool), but Merlin can't reconfigure databases (it is a "read-only" server), so recording and erasing messages must be done via Thor.

Each message is sent as one or more "NOTE:" entry in the normal error queue. It is up to the client program to examine the error queue and deal with the messages, so there is no guarantee that a particular client will actually deliver the message to a user.

If no server is specified, a server on the local machine is used.

daymessage determines whether the server is a Thor or Merlin server by the service name (after the first ':'). A service that begins with "thor" (e.g. "@host:thor", "@host:thor2") is assumed to be a Thor server; one that begin with "merlin" (e.g. "@host:merlin", "@host:merlin2") is assumed to be a Merlin server. If no service is specified (e.g. "@host"), it is assumed to be a Thor server.

If you specify a database, you must also specify a host (a minimal specification, such as "mydb@", suffices). A name that doesn't contain an '@' character is interpreted as a server's name.

Messages should be short -- lines should be less than 70 characters wide, and the whole message should be just a few lines.

If no message is specified on the command line, the message is read from standard input, except for "-MESSAGE NONE" (see below), in which case no message is needed.

Options

NOW: Broadcast message to everyone connected to the server.
RECORD: Record the message, send to users as they connect to server.
FILE: Like RECORD, but message names a file on the server's machine from which server gets the message.
NONE: Erase the server's message.

The following options are common to most or all "thorfilter" programs. They are described in more detail in thorfilters(1).

-SECURE_PASSWORDS TRUE|FALSE

TRUE means don't allow passwords on the command line (require interactive entry). Default: TRUE.

Names the default TCP/IP service or "port" of the Thor server. (Note: a server name that includes a Thor or Merlin service, e.g. "mymachine:merlin", overrides this.) Default: thor.

Return Value

Examples

#!/bin/sh (echo "========================================" echo " The THOR server will go down tonight" echo " at midnight. Be sure to save all" echo " your work and log out before you go" echo " home tonight. -- The management." echo "========================================" ) | daymessage -MESSAGE NOW @host:thor:user

Attach a message to a database. Everyone who opens the database will get the message:

echo "Copyright 2002, unauthorized access prohibited" | daymessage -MESSAGE RECORD company_db@host:thor

Files

Daylight License

Related Topics

sthorman(1) thorserver(1) merlinserver(1)

dt_setmessage(3)

licensing(5)

Daylight Theory Manual, Daylight System Administration Manual

Bugs