Clicking mouse button 1 on the Biff button launches your mailer program (the button stays depressed and inoperative until you exit the mailer program). Button 3 gives you a list of your messages. Button 2 instructs Biff to regard as old mail any mail currently in the file. (displaying an "unlit" new mail icon and/or the label "(ignored)"), and to wait until you get yet more mail before notifying you.
Note for those who experience problems:
You can choose between two methods of testing for new mail:
"atime" and "filesize" (the variable "Biff_method" holds the name of
the chosen method, "atime" by default). With the method "atime", Biff
decides that there's new mail when the file has been modified when or
after it has last been accessed (its mtime is no less than its atime).
With the method "filesize", Biff decides that there's new mail when
the size of the file grows, and that there's no new mail when it is
zero or when it shrinks. The "atime" method is better for those who
keep old mail in their spool file. The "filesize" method is better
for those who normally regard all mail in the spool file as new mail.
(It is straightforward, if you know tcl, to add more methods in the
file Biff_tcl; if you write one, please send it to me.)
Client BiffTo set the variable XXXX to the value YYYY, in your ~/.tkgoodstuffrc, include the line:
set XXXX YYYYHere are the variables relating to Biff and their default values (notes: (i) $XXX means: the value of our variable XXX; (ii) "$env(XXXX)" means: the value of the environment variable XXXX):
Variable | Function | Possible Values | Default |
---|---|---|---|
Biff_user | (Helps define other variables) | any username | $env(USER) |
Biff_file | The file to look at for new mail | any filename | {/usr/spool/mail/$Biff_user} |
Biff_mailer | Which program to launch to read the mail | any unix command | exmh |
Biff_update_interval | Time between mail checks | number of seconds | 60 |
Biff_update_offset | time between program execution and first mail check | number of seconds | 1 |
Biff_vigilance_interval | Time between mail checks at times of heightened vigilance (see PopImap ) | number of seconds | 5 |
Biff_vigilance_offset | time between vigilance heightening and first mail check | number of seconds | 5 |
Biff_vigilance_duration | time of heightened vigilance | number of seconds | 30 |
Biff_method | How to check for new mail (see above). | atime/filesize | atime |
Biff_frm | Whether to automatically list newly arrived messages in a dialog | 1/0 | 0 |
Biff_frm_command | What command gives us such a list | any unix command | {frm -s new $Biff_user} |
Biff_nolabel | Omit label on button | 1/0 | 0 |
Biff_nobeep | Don't beep | 1/0 | 0 |
Biff_nomail_image | Icon indicating no mail | any icon file that your wish interpreter understands | $images/flagdown |
Biff_newmail_image | Icon indicating new mail | any icon file that your wish interpreter understands | $images/flagup |
Biff_newmail_foreground Biff_newmail_background Biff_nomail_foreground Biff_nomail_background |
Colors for icons. Foreground works only with bitmaps. | (standard) | chartreuse1 $TKGbuttonbackground $TKGbuttonforeground $TKGbuttonbackground |