Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!palkovic From: palkovic@linac.fnal.gov (John A. Palkovic) Newsgroups: comp.mail.misc Subject: Re: Problem with biff Summary: SunOS bug Message-ID: Date: 22 Feb 91 20:17:50 GMT References: <1991Feb19.073900.13631@brolga.cc.uq.oz.au> <8671@gollum.twg.com> <1991Feb22.192111.23979@mp.cs.niu.edu> Reply-To: palkovic@linac.fnal.gov (John A. Palkovic) Organization: Bob's School of Quantum Mechanics Lines: 47 In article <1991Feb22.192111.23979@mp.cs.niu.edu> rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert) writes: >>In article <1991Feb19.073900.13631@brolga.cc.uq.oz.au> >> ccandrew@brolga.cc.uq.oz.au (Andrew Vellnagel) writes: >>> I am using Sun OS 4.1 and the mail system is mmdf. In my .login I >>>issue the command 'biff y' yet when mail is sent to me I am not informed. >[...] > A common problem, however, is that on Sun's often the mail is delivered on >a file server, whereas you are logged into a different client work station. Another problem is that there is a bug in SunOS 4.1 in.comsat. It is tickled when your username has eight chars (like palkovic or ccandrew). The upshot is you don't get biff'ed, even if you have done a "biff y." You can get the source for in.comsat from uunet and roll your own or get the patch from Sun. If anyone wants the home rolled version for a Sparc send me mail. This was posted in comp.sys.sun a few weeks ago: ----------- |From: dmk@reykjavik.njin.net (David M. Katinsky) |Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun |Subject: Re: Sun 4.1.1 'biff y' problem :-( |Message-ID: <1500@brchh104.bnr.ca> |Date: 28 Jan 91 21:32:42 GMT |X-Refs: Original: v10n31 |X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 31, message 5 |X-Note: Submissions: sun-spots@rice.edu, Admin: sun-spots-request@rice.edu shahryar@eris.berkeley.edu (Persian Nightmare) writes: >I have a problem with the 'biff y' command on our Sun 4.1.1 system. Ever >since we have switched to Sun 4.1 OS, I have never been able to get the >'biff y' command to work. The weird thing is that only a few users does >this command work for, and for some it doesn't {including our Sys Admin}. I sent a source-code bug fix to Sun. It is filed as bug id 1047697. If memory serves (and it's been several months) the problem affects users with 8 character usernames. David M. Katinsky dmk@pilot.njin.net, dmk@njin.BITNET, {njin, rutgers}!dmk -- palkovic@linac.fnal.gov || {royko,tellab5,simon}!linac!palkovic