XMAILBOX(1)XMAILBOX(1)NAMExmailbox - mailbox checker for X using XPM icons
SYNOPSISxmailbox [-toolkitoption ...] [-option ...]
DESCRIPTION
The xmailbox program displays, by default, an image of a mailbox. When
there is no mail, the image shown is that of a mailbox with its flag
down. When new mail arrives, the image changes to that of a mailbox
with the flag up, its door open and a letter visible inside. It can
also optionally play a sound through the SUN workstation's internal
speaker or a PC equipped with a sound-card running Linux. The NCD
audio server, the rplay sound package, the standard SUN audio driver,
Linux and FreeBSD Sun-compatible audio drivers, and an external sound
player program are supported. By default, pressing any mouse button in
the image forces xmailbox to remember the current size of the mail file
as being the ``empty'' size and to change its image accordingly. In
addition, the user can optionally invoke his/her favorite mail retriev‐
ing program.
This program is nothing more than a wrapper around the Mailbox widget
included with the program's source distribution.
OPTIONSxmailbox accepts all of the standard X Toolkit command line options
along with the additional options listed below:
-help This option indicates that a brief summary of the allowed
options should be printed on the standard error.
-update seconds
This option specifies the frequency in seconds at which xmail‐
box should update its display. If the mailbox is obscured and
then exposed, it will be updated immediately. The default is
30 seconds.
-file filename
This option specifies the name of the file which should be mon‐
itored. By default, it watches /usr/spool/mail/username, where
username is your login name.
-volume percentage
This option specifies how loud the bell should be rung when new
mail comes in, or, if the sound option is used, how high the
playing volume should be. The default is 33 percent.
The following standard X Toolkit command line arguments are commonly
used with xmailbox:
-display display
This option specifies the X server to contact.
-xrm resourcestring
This option specifies a resource string to be used. This is
especially useful for setting resources that do not have sepa‐
rate command line options.
X DEFAULTS
The application class name is XMailbox. This program uses the Mailbox
widget. It understands all of the core resource names and classes as
well as:
checkCommand (class CheckCommand)
Specifies a shell command to be executed to check for new mail
rather than examining the size of file. The specified string
value is used as the argument to a system(3) call and may
therefore contain i/o redirection. An exit status of 0 indi‐
cates that new mail is waiting, 1 indicates that there has been
no change in size, and 2 indicates that the mail has been
cleared. By default, no shell command is provided.
file (class File)
Specifies the name of the file to monitor. The default is to
watch /usr/spool/mail/username, where username is your login
name.
onceOnly (class Boolean)
Specifies that the bell is only rung the first time new mail is
found and is not rung again until at least one interval has
passed with no mail waiting. The window will continue to indi‐
cate the presence of new mail until it has been retrieved. The
default is false.
update (class Interval)
Specifies the frequency in seconds at which the mail should be
checked. The default is 30.
volume (class Volume)
Specifies how loud the bell should be rung, or, if the sound
option is used, how high the playing volume should be. The
default is 33 percent.
mailXpmFile (class MailXpmFile)
Specifies the XPM file used when mail exists in the mailbox.
nomailXpmFile (class NomailXpmFile)
Specifies the XPM file used when there is no mail (or no new
mail) in the mailbox.
mailSndFile (class MailSndFile)
Specifies the sound file used when mail exists in the mailbox.
If no file is specified, the standard X Window beep sound is
used.
mailSndComm (class MailSndComm)
Specifies an external sound player program to execute when new
mail exists in the mailbox. You can use "%s" in the command to
include the sound file defined in mailSndFile. In the follow‐
ing example, "%s" will be replaced by "/usr/lib/sounds/ugot‐
mail.au" when xmailbox executes.
xmailbox*mailSndFile: /usr/lib/sounds/ugotmail.au
xmailbox*mailSndComm: /usr/bin/play %s
mailapp (class MailApp)
Specifies the mail retrieving application to run when the user
clicks on the mailbox image. The specified string value is used
as the argument to a system(3) call.
mailNumOfXpmFile (class MailNumOfXpmFile)
Specifies the number of Xpm files to be used for animation.
The range of values can be between 1 and 8. The default value
is 1 = no animation. See ANIMATION section below for details.
mailAnimUpdate (class MailAnimUpdate)
Specifies the interval of displaying a series of Xpm icons in
milliseconds. The default is 1000 milliseconds or 1 second.
See ANIMATION section below for details.
mailAnimOnce (class MailAnimOnce)
Specifies the whether the XPM icon animation sequence is
repeated continuously or only once. The default is "false",
that is, repeat until the user clicks on the icon.
ACTIONS
The Mailbox widget provides the following actions for use in
event translations:
check() This action causes the widget to check for new mail and display
the flag appropriately.
ack() This action causes the widget to lower the flag until new mail
comes in.
unset() This action causes the widget to lower the flag until new mail
comes in, and to start any mail-reading application defined via
the mailapp resource.
set() This action causes the widget to raise the flag until the user
resets it.
The default translation is
<ButtonPress>(2): unset()
<ButtonPress>: ack()
i.e. with a double click you lower the flag and start your mail-reading
application, while with a single click you only acknowledge the mail in
your mailbox, lowering the flag.
ANIMATIONxmailbox has built-in support for eye-catching animation when new mail
comes in, in addition to the optional sound support. Animation can be
achieved by displaying a sequence of XPM icons with slight differences
in each icon. The interval of displaying different icons is controlled
by mailAnimUpdate measured in milliseconds. Values between 500 and
1000 seems to provide smooth animation. However, you should experiment
with this parameter on your system.
In order to use this feature, you have to create a series of XPM icons
with a base name such as "xmail.xpm" in a directory such as
"/usr/X11/lib/icons/pixmap". Now, for each XPM icon created, prepend a
number before the base name starting from 0. For example, you've cre‐
ated "0xmail.xpm", "1xmail.xpm", "2xmail.xpm", and "3xmail.xpm". Now,
set the mailNumOfXpmFile entry to a value of "4" since there are four
XPM icons created. Finally, set the mailXpmFile entry to
"/usr/X11/lib/icons/pixmap/xmail.xpm". Note that "xmail.xpm" does not
have any numbers prepended. When you start xmailbox and a new mail
comes in, xmailbox will show the icons "0xmail.xpm", ..., "3xmail.xpm",
"0xmail.xpm", ..., "3xmail.xpm", ... in that sequence until you've
pressed the icon.
Note: If you do not specify mailXpmFile but set a value other than 1 to
mailNumOfXpmFile, xmailbox will toggle between the internal "mail" and
"nomail" icons.
ENVIRONMENT
DISPLAY to get the default host and display number.
XENVIRONMENT
to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global
resources stored in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property.
SEE ALSOX(1), xrdb(1)AUTHORS
Dimitrios P. Bouras (dbouras@hol.gr)
The first version of xmailbox was a hack based on the X11R5 XBiff writ‐
ten by Jim Fulton, MIT X Consortium, and Ralph Swick, DEC/MIT Project
Athena.
William K. W. Cheung (wcheung@mail.spiralcomm.com)
Added optional sound output using the standard SUN audio driver,
Linux's Sun-compatible audio driver, the rplay sound package, or the
NCD audio server, as well as optional mail application execution upon
clicking on the mail icon. Added the capability to show a series of
XPM icons when new mail arrives.
CONTRIBUTORS
Brian Clapper (bmc@telebase.com)
Added extra compiling options to allow sound support under FreeBSD
2.0.5 and 2.1.
Laurent Martin (martin@@isia.cma.fr)
Added the capability to use an external sound player application to
play a sound when new mail arrives.
COPYRIGHT
Xbiff is Copyright 1988, X Consortium. See X(1) for a full statement
of rights and permissions.
X Version 11 Release 6 XMAILBOX(1)
