XLASSIE(1x)

📦
version 1.8 · 3 versions
, in debian trixie, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💖 XLASSIE 💖

okay bestie, so xlassie is a mailbox counter for X, and no cap it's about to be your new fave. it's written for 1x (the X11 user-commands corner of the manual, iykyk), and the version we're vibing with is xlassie 1.8. let's get into it 🦋

✨ NAME ✨

xlassie — mailbox counter for X 💌

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

xlassie [options]

👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

okay so xlassie is literally a glow-up replacement for XBiff, the standard X mail notification tool. it kept everything good and added a whole bunch of useful enhancements, like:

  • Counts the number of new messages you have 🔢
  • Can query remote mail on a POP3 server or on an IMAP server 🌈
  • Can count local mail with an mbox or a maildir style spool 📬
  • Uses less memory than XBiff (or any other X mail checker) 💅
  • Can run a command when clicked on, and/or when new mail arrives ⚡
  • Can toggle an LED indicating availability of mail 💡
  • Supports both the KDE and the WindowMaker applet protocols 🫶
  • Runs as a standard X application ✨

when the count is 0 (no mail), the number shows up in a less obtrusive color — quiet, demure, respectful. the moment mail arrives? beep 🔔 and the updated unread message count pops up. main character energy fr.

when xlassie is running, these interactive commands are available to you:

q             Quit gracefully.
mouse click   Spawn 'clickcommand' (if any), otherwise update mail
count.

xlassie 1.8</purlple>

🌸 OPTIONS 🌸

here comes the big list bestie, don't panic, it's giving comprehensive:

  • -h, -help — print usage and exit the chat 💨
  • -v, -version — print version and exit
  • -V, -verbose — chatter on about this and that 🗣️
  • -name <name> — set application class name (default: xlassie)
  • -bg <color> — background color (default: White)
  • -fg <color> — foreground color (default: Black)
  • -hilight [<color>] — use a different foreground color when there is non-zero mail (default: Red) 🔥
  • -update <number> — check mail every <number> seconds (default: 5 sec local, 60 sec remote)
  • -bell — ring bell when count increases from zero 🔔
  • -led [<number>] — light-up keyboard LED <number> if mail exists (default: 1) 💡
  • -fn <fontname> — font for the new mail count
  • -display <displayname> — X server to connect to
  • -geometry <geometry> — window geometry
  • -shape — use a shaped window 🦋
  • -spool <filename> — file to use for mail spool or maildir directory
  • -mailcommand <command> — command to execute on new mail arrival
  • -clickcommand <command> — command to execute when clicked upon (default: CHECK_MAILBOX)
  • -offset <number> — mail display count offset (for debugging) 🐛
  • -pop3 <server> — connect to pop3 server rather than local mail spool
  • -apop3 <server> — like -pop3, but uses a different method. use when -pop3 doesn't find the correct number
  • -imap <server> — use the IMAP protocol instead of pop3
  • -imapfolder <folder> — use this folder instead of INBOX
  • -username <name> — username for pop3/imap server, when different from local username
  • -password <password> — password to use on pop3/imap server. use the password 'ask' to be prompted for the password on stdin. 🔐
  • -offline — don't exit when the server is unreachable
  • -wmaker, -kde — do stuff to get swallowed into the WindowMaker or KDE dock. normally unneeded: WindowMaker and KDE should be autodetected 🫶
  • -nokde, -nowmaker — don't do the stuff to get swallowed 🙈

💜 X RESOURCES 💜

when reading X resources, two class names are recognized — xlassie and xbiff — in that order, unless the -name is used. the class name xbiff lets resources common to both xbiff and xlassie be easily configured, while the class name xlassie lets resources unique to this program through. if no resources are specified, suitable defaults will be used. command-line arguments can be used to override resource settings. these are the resources allowed (e.g, "xlassie.RESOURCE"):

  • name: name — use the specified name as a class name for this application (default: xlassie).
  • background: color — use the specified color as this application's background color. the bg resource is also recognized (default: White).
  • foreground: color — use the specified color as this application's foreground color. the fg resource is also recognized (default: Black).
  • hightlight: color — use the specified color as this application's foreground color when there is non-zero mail. the hilight resource is also recognized (default: Red). (bestie yes, that's spelled hightlight in the manpage, don't come for me) 🙈
  • update: number — use the specified number to note how many seconds should be used to check mail every (default: 5 seconds local, 60 seconds remote).
  • bell: boolean — use the specified boolean value to affect the ringing of the system bell when mail is received (default: False).
  • led: number — use the specified number to light the LED specified if mail exists (default: 1).
  • font: fontname — use the specified fontname as the application's font. the fn resource is also recognized.
  • geometry: geometry — use the specified X window geometry.
  • shape: boolean — use the specified boolean value to affect shaped window creation (default: False).
  • spool: filename — use the specified filename as the mail spool or maildir directory.
  • mailcommand: command — use the specified command to execute on new mail arrival. the mailcmd resource is also recognized. if you have a %d in the command, it will get replaced with the number of new messages. remember to put quotes around the command if it's longer than one word. if you want the command to run the background, put a '&' at the end.
  • clickcommand: command — use the specified command to execute when application is clicked on. the clickcmd resource is also recognized (default: CHECK_MAILBOX).
  • pop3: server — use the specified pop3 server rather than local mail spool.
  • apop3: server — use the specified pop3 server rather than local mail spool but while using a different access method. this option is useful when -pop3 doesn't find the correct number.
  • imap: server — use the specified imap server rather than local mail spool.
  • username: name — use the specified login name for pop3/imap server access when different from local username.
  • password: password — use the specified login password for pop3/imap server access.
  • offline: boolean — use the specified boolean value to affect whether access is continued in the case a remote server is unreachable (default: False).
  • wmaker: boolean — use the specified boolean value to affect the ability to get swallowed into a WindowMaker dock (default: False).
  • kde: boolean — use the specified boolean value to affect the ability to get swallowed into a KDE dock (default: False).
  • nokde: boolean — use the specified boolean value to affect the inability to get swallowed into a KDE dock (default: False).
  • nowmaker: boolean — use the specified boolean value to affect the inability to get swallowed into a WindowMaker dock (default: False).

🌈 ENVIRONMENT 🌈

  • if set, MAIL is the mail spool or maildir directory to use — unless otherwise specified on the command line. 💌

🫶 AUTHOR 🫶

original XLassie by Trent Piepho <xyzzy@speakeasy.org>.

modified by:

  • Barak A. Pearlmutter <barak@cs.may.ie>
  • Nadim Shaikli <nadim@arabeyes.org>

Copyright (c) 1998-2001, Trent Piepho. Copyright of modifications held by their respective authors.

Licensed under the GNU General Public License v2 (GPL).

that's the whole page bestie, you ate 💅✨

and for the cute sign-off: this is xlassie 1.8, from the XLASSIE(1x) page in the User Commands manual, dated October 2024 — go count those emails, queen 👑💖

📦 where this page comes from