atari email archive

a collection of messages sent at Atari from 1983 to 1992.

Lazy Mail review

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	In response to a number of requests for info on the lazy man's
entry to mail, here is the procedure. If you already have this working
you  should read the warnings section only. This feature is currently NOT 
on SNEEZY or GRUMPY, and Im not sure if I put it on BEEZ or not. If anyone 
on those systems has an interest, let me know and Ill add the needed changes!

	This "feature" will take you directly to mail at login time
(or restart) if you have received new mail since the last time you
ENTERED mail. ( See Warnings below).

	1). Near the end of your LOGIN.COM file (I suggest AFTER everything
that types stuff is completed), add the following line:

	$ @SYS$SYSDEVICE:[UTILITIES.COM]MAILCK

	2). Near the top of LOGIN.COM (BUT at least before the above line)
add the following line:

	$ MAIL	:==@SYS$SYSDEVICE:[UTILITIES.COM]MAIDIR

	Now, every time you login, if new mail has been received, you will
be placed directly in MAIL. ALWAYS leave mail with an 'EX' (normal exit, not
CTRL-Y)
	Note: It is possible that after you have added all this that you
will enter mail on your next login even if no new messages have been received.
This is normal and will happen only once!

WARNINGS:
	
	A). This does not really check for new mail, it simply looks
to see if the revision number of the current mail file matches the
number from the last time you were in mail. If you enter mail then leave
without reading anything, the revision is updated and you will NOT enter
MAIL even if your are told you have new messages, unless additional
messages have been received!

	B). If you use BATCH, then a conditional branch must be made about
line 1 which calls MAILCK.  If you never use BATCH, skip to item C.
If you already have an area of LOGIN.COM for "INTERACTIVE" items only, 
put the line in that section. If the last sentence appears to be GREEK 
to you, then add line 1 (from above) as follows:

	$ IF "''F$MODE()'" .NES. "INTERACTIVE" THEN GOTO SKIP_CHECK
	$ @SYS$SYSDEVICE:[UTILITIES.COM]MAICK
	$ SKIP_CHECK:

	C). Note that this re-defines the word MAIL to call a special
COM file. Mail will still work as it always has, however, this COM file
will display a list of all your mail files when you type MAIL. To skip
the list, simply add anything after the word MAIL. (ie: MAIL N)

	D). Since this ONLY re-defines the word MAIL, it you try to get
to mail in any other way (ie: MAI, MAILS), then the COM file is NOT 
executed. In this case, you will enter mail on next login even if no
new mail was received!

	E). These additions in no way effect LETTERBOM. If you have
made that change, it will still work as expected. If you have not
made that change, you probably dont care what this means anyway!

	F). When using this, a new "file" will appear in your directory.
It will be called MAIL.RVN. Do not remove this file. It uses only 1 to 3
blocks. If you do remove it, MAIL will simply put it back and you will
enter mail on your next login even if no new messages.


	Problems should be mailed back to me! Thanks
	Owen
Message 1 of 1

Mar 09, 1984