Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sunybcs!uhura.cc.rochester.edu!ee.rochester.edu!deke
From: deke@ee.rochester.edu (Dikran Kassabian)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: is there any way to
Message-ID: <1990Mar28.153439.6841@ee.rochester.edu>
Date: 28 Mar 90 15:34:39 GMT
References: <22303@netnews.upenn.edu> <ROBERTL.90Mar27172613@bucsf.bu.edu>
Reply-To: deke@ee.rochester.edu (Dikran Kassabian)
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Rochester Department of Electrical Engineering
Lines: 24

In article <> robertl@bucsf.bu.edu (Robert La Ferla) writes:
>I like that idea.  I hope NeXT will incorporate it as an optional feature in
>Preferences.  The obvious default aural alert is the English lady saying
>"You have new mail."

At face value this seems like an easy hack for do-it-yourself types.
stat(2) /usr/spool/mail/`whoami` or whatever file is appropriate, and 
compare atime and mtime.  When mtime increases but atime does not, play 
your favorite sound.

This algorithm needs some more stuff to make it work.  You have to initialize
by tucking away the value of mtime originally read, you have to keep track
of the values of both whenever you decide to play the sound, you have to
choose a sleep(3) time within the loop, etc.  But this could be coded in
an hour or two.  Less if neatness doesn't count.

Of course, this method requires an additional process for every user.  Not
very nice.  The comsat/biff approach is preferable, and probably only slightly
more difficult to implemented.  Nevertheless, a NeXT typically has only one 
user at a time that could possibly want an aural alert about mail... the 
one on the console.

      ^Deke Kassabian,   deke@ee.rochester.edu   or   ur-valhalla!deke
   Univ of Rochester, Dept of EE, Rochester, NY 14627     (+1 716-275-3106)