NCID(1)

📦 version 1.18, in fedora 43, fedora 44

💖 ncid — Network Caller ID Client 💖

okay bestie, sit down, hydrate, because we're about to learn the ncid client, aka the Network Caller ID Client, and it's honestly iconic 🫶

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

ncid [options] [arguments]

Options:

[--no-gui]
[--alt-date               | -A]
[--call-log               | -c]
[--debug                  | -D]
[--delay <seconds>        | -d <seconds>]
[--help                   | -h]
[--hostname-flag          | -H]
[--log-enable <0|1>       | -l <0|1|2>]
[--log-dir <directory>    | -L <directory>]
[--module <module name>   | -m <module name>]
[--noexit                 | -X]
[--pidfile <file>         | -p <file>]
[--PopupTime <0-5>        | -t <0-5 seconds>]
[--ring <0-9|-1|-2|-3|-9> | -r <0-9|-1|-2|-3|-9>]
[--verbose <1-9>          | -v <1-9>]
[--version                | -V]
[--wakeup                 | -W]

Arguments:

[PORT_NUMBER] [HOSTNAME|IP_ADDRESS]

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

So the ncid client is the lil bestie that displays the Caller ID info that the NCID server sends over to it. In the default GUI mode, if the server is set up to send the Call Log, it will load the call log into the call history window when it starts up — and then the history window gets updated by ncid every single time a call comes in. main character behavior fr 💅

The minimum size of the client window at startup shows 8 columns and 5 rows in the history window. You can resize the window bigger, but never smaller than the minimum — the minimum is the moment, periodt. You also get to pick which columns show up in the history window, but you must select at least 3 columns. 3 is the floor, no negotiating 😌

The history window shows one line per call or message, arranged in columns. Every line starts with a line label and has a context menu. Column headers and most line columns have a tooltip so you can hover and get more info 🦋. The help menu shows info about each topic listed.

The view window shows all Line Types that can appear in the history window. It also shows all LineIDS that do appear in the history window. The view menu lets you select Line Types and LineIDS for viewing — anything not selected gets a horizontal line through it. canceled, sorry not sorry 🙈

The message window sends a single line message that you typed over to the server, and the server then passes it along to all connected clients. group chat energy, literally ✨

The ncid client supports three themes:

  • Day: — color theme on a white background.
  • Night: — color theme on a black background.
  • Default: — black and white theme.

It also supports multiple languages 💜 — the supported languages live in the Help menu, and the default language is English.

It runs on Linux, Windows and Mac OS X. If you hand ncid the --no-gui option, it'll run with no GUI at all. lowkey freeing.

If ncid is given the --module <module name> option, it outputs to either an external program or an output module. The client can be configured to call any single module. It cannot call multiple modules — but bestie, you can run multiple clients, each calling a different output module. work smarter 🧚

If ncid is configured to output to an external program, it will test for it — and if it's not found, or if it's not executable, it terminates with an error message. dramatic but valid 💀

The default configuration file for ncid is prefix3=/etc/ncid/ncid.conf.

The distributed output modules are listed in the ncid_modules man page. They get customized as needed in the prefix3=/etc/ncid/conf.d/ncid-<module name>.conf files.

Whenever the server connection breaks, ncid will normally try to reconnect every 15 seconds, and it gives you a visual indication of the countdown and the number of tries 🔥. If the delay between attempts is set to zero seconds, ncid will not attempt a reconnect at all. it's giving "I'm not texting first" 😭

👑 OPTIONS 👑

  • --no-gui — Do not display CID information using a GUI.

Default: display CID using a GUI

  • --alt-date | -A — Display the date in an alternate format. Assuming the date separator is a /, the date is displayed as dd/mm/yyyy.

Default: display the date as mm/dd/yyyy

  • --call-log | -c — Configure ncid to tell the server to send the call log. Only used in the NoGUI mode.

Default: the call log is not sent

  • --debug | -D — Debug mode. Displays all log messages sent to the client logfile.

Default: Verbose 3

  • --delay <seconds> | -D <seconds> — If <seconds> > 0, delay <seconds> between server connection attempts.

If <seconds> = 0, only one attempt to reconnect to server will be made.

Default: 15 seconds

  • --help | -h — Display usage.
  • --hostname-flag | -H — Changes the LINE field to <hostname>:ncid for created messages and adds <hostname> to the IDENT string.

Default LINE field: ncid

  • --log-enable | -l — LogEnable can be set from 0-2.

If LogEnable = 0:

  • do not write to log file (disabled)

If LogEnable = 1:

  • embed process ID xxx in log file name: ncid-xxx.log

If LogEnable = 2:

  • overwrite log file
  • Use the OS name or hostname in log file name: ncid-<OS|hostname>.log
  • Be careful you don't launch multiple processes or they will step on each other!

Default: 2

  • --log-dir | -L — Set the directory for log files. It can be an absolute or relative path. A relative path should only be used when the ncid.conf file is in the same directory as the running client script, an indication the client is running on a limited OS, e.g. Android.

Examples:

set LogDir "/tmp/logs"
set LogDir "logs"

Default: $HOME/NCID/client

  • --module <module name> | -m <module name> — Output the Caller ID information to the external program or output module. <module name> is the name of the output module (program) to use. The selected module is sent all calls and messages.

Default module PATH: /usr/share/ncid/modules

  • --noexit | -X — Configure ncid to ignore the close window button.
  • --pidfile | -p — Name of PID file to create. Set to /var/run/ncid.pid in an rc or init script when used as a service. Set to /var/run/<module name>.pid in an rc or init script when used as a service and when using a output module. There is no default. If pidfile is not set, no pid file will be used.
  • --PopupTime <seconds> | -t <seconds> — Time the popup is forced to stay on top of all windows. Range is 1 second to 5 seconds, or 0 to disable.

Default popup time: 1 second

  • --ring <count> | -r <count> — Execute output module on specific ring count.

All count values: -9 -3 -2 -1 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

For modems that indicate RING, count can be: -9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

A count of -9 executes the output module on each ring.

A count of 0 executes the output module when ringing stops.

A count of 1 should never be used in the US/Canada, because Caller ID is sent between rings 1 and 2.

A count between 2-9 executes the output module on that ring number.

A count greater than 9 is not useful.

For VoIP, using a SIP gateway, count is: -3 -2 -1

For POTS, using a wc2ncid gateway, count is: -2 -1

A count of -1 executes the output module on call termination without pickup.

A count of -2 executes the output module on call termination after pickup.

A count of -3 executes the output module on line busy termination.

Default: output module called as soon as CID received

  • --verbose <0-9> | -v <0-9> — Verbose mode. Verbose mode. Sends information to the client logfile and displays information for the -D option. Set a higher number for more information. Verbose mode 0 turns of logging.

Default: Verbose 1

  • --version | -V — Display version and exit.
  • --wakeup | -W — Works only on X-Windows and Gnome. On the first ring, this causes module ncid-wakeup to be executed to wake the monitor and/or exit the screensaver. Do not use with the --module | -m option.

🌈 ARGUMENTS 🌈

  • PORT_NUMBER — Set the port number.

Default: 3333

  • HOSTNAME|IP_ADDRESS — Set the HOSTNAME or IP_Address.

Default: 127.0.0.1 (localhost)

🎀 FILES 🎀

prefix3=/etc/ncid/ncid.conf
prefix3=/etc/ncid/conf.d/ncid-*
/usr/share/ncid/modules/*

⭐ EXAMPLES ⭐

# Display the date as dd/mm/yyyy
ncid --alt-date

# run ncid in a terminal window, server on remote host
ncid --no-gui tardis.drwho.home

# only speak Caller ID
ncid --no-gui --module ncid-speak

# send CID output to GUI and desktop alert messages
ncid --module ncid-alert

# send CID output to a cell phone
ncid --no-gui --module ncid-page

# run ncid in a terminal window and tell the server to send the call log
ncid --no-gui --call-log

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

ncid.conf.5, ncid_modules.7, ncidd.8

ok that's the whole page bestie, you ate that 🍓 go forth and caller-ID with confidence ✨💅

and that's a wrap from the NCID girlies — this page is from NCID, dated 2023-6-24 🎀🦋💖

📦 where this page comes from