BIFF(1)

📦
version 0.17.pre20000412 · 3 versions
, in debian bookworm, debian trixie, ubuntu jammy, ubuntu noble, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💌 BIFF(1) — the "bestie, you got mail" command 💌

General Commands Manual · the girl who tells you when the mail lands

✨ NAME ✨

biff — be notified if mail arrives and who it is from 🦋

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

biff [ny]

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

Okay so biff is literally just the vibe-check on whether you want the system to yell at you the second mail shows up during your current terminal session. That's it, that's the whole job. 💅

The options biff supports are, like, extremely simple:

  • n — Disables notification. (girl, silence. 🙈)
  • y — Enables notification. (bestie, turn the notifs ON. 🔥)

When mail notification is enabled, the header and the first few lines of the message will get printed on your screen whenever mail arrives. Iconic behaviour, honestly. And a biff y command is often included in the file .login or .profile so it gets executed at each login — set it and forget it, periodt. ✨

biff operates asynchronously via the comsat(8) service. If that service is not enabled, biff will not do anything. Like, nothing at all. Zero. 💀 In that case, or if you want synchronous notification instead, use the MAIL variable of sh(1) or the mail variable of csh(1).

fr fr, check that comsat(8) is actually running before you start wondering why your screen is dry. 😭

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

✨ HISTORY ✨

The biff command appeared in 4.0BSD. a true elder icon, we respect her 👑

✨ BUGS ✨

ngl, su(1) and biff don't seem to get on too well. 😬 This is probably due to the tty still being owned by the person using su. This can result in Permission denied messages when you're attempting to change the biff status of your session. not the permission denied jump-scare 💀

Please report bugs to netbug@ftp.uk.linux.org including diffs/patches, compiler error logs or as complete a bug report as is possible. give them the whole lore, bestie, don't hold back 🫶

okay bye ily, this was biff from Linux NetKit (0.17-pre-20000412), dated July 31, 1999 — a whole vintage queen serving mail notifs since forever** 🎀🦋💖

📦 where this page comes from