>Number:         355
>Category:       bin
>Synopsis:       write(1) should only print a warning if no reply possible
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    gnats-admin (Utility Bug People)
>State:          open
>Class:          change-request
>Submitter-Id:   mhw
>Arrival-Date:   Wed Jul 20 22:20:04 1994
>Originator:     Mark Weaver
>Organization:
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Email: Mark_Weaver@brown.edu           | Brown University
PGP Key: finger mhw@cs.brown.edu       | Dept of Computer Science
>Release:        NetBSD 1.0-ALPHA 20-July-1994
>Environment:

System: NetBSD cis-ts3-slip4.cis.brown.edu 1.0-ALPHA NetBSD 1.0-ALPHA (EXCELSIOR) #4: Sun Jul 17 23:46:04 EDT 1994 mhw@cis-ts3-slip4.cis.brown.edu:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/EXCELSIOR i386


>Description:
	Currently, write(1) won't work if the tty you're on is set to
	'mesg n'.  I propose to change this to a warning message instead.

	When I run X, I have many overlapping xterms, and messages
	often go to a hidden window where I can't see them.  To solve
	this, I turn off messages to all but one tiny window up at the
	top.  The problem is, I can't use write(1) anywhere except that
	tiny window.

	Incidentally, Solaris 2.3 prints a warning, but still allows
	you to do the write.  Not that NetBSD == Solaris, (I hope not! :)
	but I still think a warning is quite sufficient and preferable.
	I have been running with this patch for several months
	with no problems.

>How-To-Repeat:
>Fix:
*** src/usr.bin/write/write.c.mhw1	Fri Dec 17 02:22:31 1993
--- src/usr.bin/write/write.c	Thu Jul 21 01:00:50 1994
***************
*** 90,97 ****
  		exit(1);
  	if (!msgsok) {
  		(void)fprintf(stderr,
! 		    "write: you have write permission turned off.\n");
! 		exit(1);
  	}
  
  	myuid = getuid();
--- 90,97 ----
  		exit(1);
  	if (!msgsok) {
  		(void)fprintf(stderr,
! 		    "warning: you have write permission turned off; "
! 		    "no reply possible\n");
  	}
  
  	myuid = getuid();
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted:


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