Sending warning message to all users logged on.

[Peter Gillis]

op system - ux11.11 v1
machine - rp2470

Hi,
Would like to send a message to all users currently logged onto the system. believe wall command is the way to go. Have tried this and no luck. i have checked that the terminal is set to mesg = y, in testing. but no luck. the write command does work. So what do I need for wall to work?

thanks heaps
Maria

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Maria:

Make sure that you have applied patch PHCO_28719. It's fairly old, but may address your problem.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom Maria,

If wall is failing, there should be a message in /var/adm/syslog.log.

Whether the user gets these kinds of messages depends on what protocol they are using to log in and perhaps their environment.

wall should work just fine with telnet, probably ssh, won't do anything for an oracle session.

SEP

[Peter Gillis]

Thanks Steve and James.
I have checked patch PHCO_28719 - yes we have it loaded and applied.
I am unable to find anything in the syslog either.
any further ideas?

thanks Maria.

[LoC_1]

Maria

One possibility is that you are not using the right wall command .
There could be anothe wall in the root's path.
To verify run the following.
#which wall
Should ouput:
/usr/sbin/wall
Also are you getting any error running wall?

Louis

[Peter Gillis]

Hi Louis, The wall command is the /usr/sbin one. I get no error messages when issuing the command. I get absolutely nothing. It is as though I have entered in a command but the system doesnt need to do anything with it. System on which the command is issued, just goes to the next line and command prompt. The receiving terminals appear not to do anything, there is no jump to a blank line or anything like. It just sits at its original command prompt.
regards Maria

[TwoProc]

I think the fact that it sits at the prompt is correct.

I believe that it is waiting for you to finish typing in your message and end it with a ctrl-d.

Try that and let us know.

[Srini Jay · Accepted solution]

Maria,
Can you please type-in the exact command you issued? Was the command waiting in the prompt or just a new line? If it was a new line, then you will have to end the message with CTRL-D.
You can also type the broadcast message in a file and do "wall filename".

Rgds
Srini

[Peter Gillis]

Thanks John and Srini for your suggestions. The cntl-D didnt appear to make any difference, but the use of the file containing the message did the trick. Obviously, the end of command, had something to do with why the message was not sent to all. Still wouldnt mind finding out how single line command works on our system.
thanks heaps
Maria

[Sorrel G. Jakins]

I use:
echo 'donuts in the charge office'|wall

[Peter Gillis]

Sorrel, thanks...I really liked that!
Maria

[TwoProc]

Maria,

Run "stty -a" and verify that "eof" is set to "^D". If not, then there is your problem.

[Peter Gillis]

John, I checked EOF via stty -a. yep it is set to ^D . thanks anyhow.
Maria