Name

scan - Scan network mailboxes

Syntax

scan [ -ailx ] [ -f file ] [ -o flags ] [ -p app ] [ site… ]

Description

With no arguments given, scan looks in all directories in $/mdss finding any that contain files. Sites with outbound mail are polled in order to deliver the mail. Each site with mail is polled in succession until all sites have been processed.

If one or more site names are given, only those sites are scanned.

By using the optional arguments, scan can do more than just invoke poll when files are found. The options are:

-a

Force scan to think that all site directories contain files.

-i

Scan invisible directories, too. Normally, only visible directories are scanned.

-f file

Match only the directories that contain the named file.

-l

(L) List sites with work pending, including job counts.

-o flags

Option flags to pass on to poll (or the application specified by the -p option). The flags should be enclosed in quotation marks so that scan won’t attempt to process them.

-p app

Sets the application to invoke on sites with work pending. (default is poll).

-x

Scan, but do not invoke poll (or the -p program).

Examples

scan -a -o "-i"

This example calls “poll -i” for all visible site subdirectories in the $/mdss directory, thus forcing the system to dial all sites regardless of time restrictions.

scan -lx pnet01

Scans $/mdss/pnet01, reporting any jobs pending. It will not execute poll.

scan -il -f a0 -p uustat

Scans all directories (visible or not) for those containing the file “a0”. A list of those found is displayed before the uustat program is called to service them.

Notes


Scan is best used when called from a timed cron process.

Scan builds a list of sites that meet the criteria based on the options provided. This list is written out to shell script file, e.g.:

poll -i pro-gort poll -i pro-klatu poll -i pro-barata poll -i pro-nikto

After building the script, scan executes the C-Shell to process the script.

Files

$/mdss/*
directories for networked mail sites,
$tmpdir/scan.x
temporary shell script.

See Also

cron(ADM), mknull(NET), poll(NET)