    WRITE(I)                      8/5/73                     WRITE(I)

    NAME
         write  -  write to another user

    SYNOPSIS
         write user [ ttyno ]

    DESCRIPTION
         Write  copies  lines from your typewriter to that of another
         user.  When first called, it sends the message

              message from yourname...

         The recipient of the  message  should  write  back  at  this
         point.  Communication continues until an end of file is read
         from the typewriter or an interrupt is sent.  At that  point
         write writes `EOT' on the other terminal and exits.

         If  you  want  to write to a user who is logged in more than
         once, the ttyno argument may be used to  indicate  the  last
         character of the appropriate typewriter name.

         Permission  to  write may be denied or granted by use of the
         mesg command.  At the outset writing  is  allowed.   Certain
         commands,  in  particular  roff and pr, disallow messages in
         order to prevent messy output.

         If the character `!' is found at the beginning  of  a  line,
         write  calls  the shell to execute the rest of the line as a
         command.

         The following protocol is suggested for  using  write:  when
         you  first write to another user, wait for him to write back
         before starting to send.  Each party should end each message
         with  a distinctive signal ( (o) for `over' is conventional)
         that the other may reply.  (oo) (for `over and out') is sug-
         gested when conversation is about to be terminated.

    FILES
         /etc/utmp to find user
         /bin/sh   to execute `!'

    SEE ALSO
         mesg(I), who(I), mail(I)

    BUGS

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