COMSAT(8)	    UNIX Programmer's Manual		COMSAT(8)



NAME
     comsat - biff server

SYNOPSIS
     /usr/libexec/comsat

DESCRIPTION
     _C_o_m_s_a_t is the server process which receives reports of
     incoming mail and notifies users if they have requested this
     service.  _C_o_m_s_a_t receives messages on a datagram port asso-
     ciated with the ``biff'' service specification (see _s_e_r_-
     _v_i_c_e_s(5) and _i_n_e_t_d(8)).  The one line messages are of the
     form

	  user@mailbox-offset

     If the _u_s_e_r specified is logged in to the system and the
     associated terminal has the owner execute bit turned on (by
     a ``biff y''), the _o_f_f_s_e_t is used as a seek offset into the
     appropriate mailbox file and the first 7 lines or 560 char-
     acters of the message are printed on the user's terminal.
     Lines which appear to be part of the message header other
     than the ``From'', ``To'', ``Date'', or ``Subject'' lines
     are not included in the displayed message.

FILES
     /var/run/utmp  to find out who's logged on and on what ter-
     minals

SEE ALSO
     biff(1), inetd(8)

BUGS
     The message header filtering is prone to error.  The density
     of the information presented is near the theoretical
     minimum.

     Users should be notified of mail which arrives on other
     machines than the one to which they are currently logged in.

     The notification should appear in a separate window so it
     does not mess up the screen.













Printed 11/24/99	November 16, 1996			1