Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!bloom-beacon!apple!oliveb!ames!killer!jolnet!ralph
From: ralph@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US (Ralph Allas Jr)
Newsgroups: comp.mail.elm
Subject: Re: ELM: Want to remove mail file when done: How?
Summary: Same problem, different reason
Keywords: elm mail
Message-ID: <275@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US>
Date: 14 Mar 89 03:01:28 GMT
References: <390@flatline.UUCP> <4821@pbhyf.PacBell.COM> <7495@killer.Dallas.TX.US> <1252@sialis.mn.org>
Reply-To: ralph@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US (Ralph Allas Jr)
Organization: Jolnet, Public Access Unix, Orland Park (Joliet), Ill.
Lines: 74

In article <1252@sialis.mn.org> rjg@sialis.mn.org (Robert J. Granvin) writes:
>>+ AT&T 3b1, 3.0 OS.
>>+ To get rid of the icon, the mail file has to dissappear -- not just become
>>+ zero lenght. 
> 
>>2. On my 3b1 system (3.5 with the improved wmgr from THE STORE), the icon DOES
>>   disappear a couple of seconds after ELM terminates, even though the
>>   mail file is only zeroed, not deleted.
>
>>   Does anyone know definitively if 3.5 and 3.51 are different in this regard,
>>   or where this is defined/explained in the manuals?
>
>3.5 and 3.51 both delete the mail icon when the mail file either gets
>deleted or goes to zero length.
>

	I recently installed Elm on my 7300, which I'll get back to later,
and I find that it does not delete the /usr/mail/username file, rather it
just empties the file giving it zero bytes...  I earlier installed a program
called Mailcall which gives me a window at the console, only if no one is
logged on there, telling me who has mail.
	Apparently Mailcall looks for the presence of a file rather than
a file larger than zero bytes.  Has anyone else had this problem, and fixed
it?  If so, I'd like to know what you done to do so.  I'm sure I could fix
the problem if I put my mind to it, but I don't want to have to re-invent
the wheel, as another user clearly stated.

	Back to the horror story of Elm and the 7300...  After patiently
awaiting my first attempt to install Elm, a 13 hour ordeal, I found that
when entering vi to create a letter, it would jump back to the menu.  I
finally gave up, assuming that I would have to one day get my hands on 
more RAM for this baby ( 512K is definitely not enough!).  A month later, I
realize, with the help of a few users out here, that the REAL vi is on one
of my encryption disks.  I transferred it over, and now Elm works GREAT!
	Now for the Horor part...  After giving up the first time, I removed
any and all files pertaining to Elm, hoping to do it again some other day.
I then tried installing it again, and to my surprise, this time it took
twice as long because of a mistake on my behalf.  I accidently left Sysinfo
running on the console which took up more memory.  Well, the 7300 churned
and gurgled for about a day, and when it was done, Elm Miraculously worked
fine.  I did my tests, got ready for bed, shut down the machine for the
night, and dreamed of a job well done... (I'm new to unix)
	The next day I came home from work and decided it was time to get back
to the machine and see how well things were going.  I turned on the power
switch, and prepared myself for the 5 minute wait.  I suddenly realized that
the machine was making less noise then it usually did, and it was printing
a line of blocks across the top of the screen.  the floppy drive also would
not turn off.  That was when I realized that the Hard-Drive was not booting
up... (ARgghhh)  You could imagine the look on my face when that happened!
I proved this theory when I stuck in my diagnostic disk and up it came to
the diagnostic menu.  So, why not make use of the program and do a system
diagnostic.  Everything was fine except that the Hard-drive would not respond.
I realized that I'd either have to open this baby up, or spend some more
greenbacks for a new drive.
	I originally wanted to see what made this thing tick, so I stripped
the machine down, and just for kicks and giggles, removed the 20 Meg hard-
drive and it's metal shell.  Handling the unit with care and prayers, I
looked it over for any physical damage.  Everying looked fine, as do most
pieces of electronic equipment when they take a nose-dive, so I set it down
on a soft cushion and noticed I could see and access the flywheel of the
platter motor.  Knowing I had to spend money anyway, I reached in with a
small screwdriver to turn the flywheel.  Yikes, the darn thing wouldn't
turn!!!  So, I then decided to see if I could make it turn with a little
effort.  It did turn, but with some drag, so I kept turning it slowly till
it started to turn freely.  When it came back around, some drag developed
again, but it slowly reduced as I kept turning the flywheel.
	After my extensive tour of the guts of my 7300, I decided to put it
partially together to see if it would boot up.  I switched on the power and
suddenly the motor began to spin and the power-up message came up.  The
look on my face must have been quite pleasing!  I haven't had any problems
as of yet but I did do a complete backup that night!!!


-Ralph