NOTICE V2.2, SYSTEM_MANAGEMENT, A system for managing login notices
NOTICE V2.2
Copyright © 1992--1998, Hunter Goatley. All rights reserved.
This kit contains all the files necessary for installing the
NOTICE utility. Requires OpenVMS VAX V5.4 or later or
OpenVMS Alpha V1.0 or later.
NOTICE informs users of important (?) notices when they log in to a
VMS system. When a user logs in, he/she is informed of any new
notices added to the system since his/her last interactive login.
NOTICE was written to provide some means for notifying users of
important system changes (new software, new operating hours, etc.)
without having to display a text file each time they log in. The
heart of NOTICE is a normal VMS text library, which contains the text
of all NOTICE messages. When NOTICE is run with the /NEW qualifier, a
brief description of all notices added to the system since the user's
last interactive login is displayed:
$ notice
NOTICE topics. Type NOTICE <topic-name> for more information.
Topic Date Description
--------- ----------- -----------
VUG 22-APR-1992 VMS Users Group meeting, April 23
$
Such a call to NOTICE would typically be placed in the system login
procedure (SYS$SYLOGIN) so it is executed each time an interactive
user logs in.
HOW NOTICE WORKS
----------------
A simple command procedure is provided to help you manage the NOTICE
text library (NOTICE_MGR.COM). Any time you wish to notify your users
of some event, you can add a module to the text library. When NOTICE
is executed with /NEW, it compares their last interactive login time
(which is the last time they logged in *before* the current session)
with the insertion date of each module in the NOTICE text library. If
a module has been added since the last time the user logged in, it is
included in the list of NOTICES that is displayed (accompanied by a
bell).
The /PAUSE qualifier can be given to cause NOTICE to prompt the user
to press RETURN to continue, iff there were new notices.
The /TEXT qualifier can be used with /NEW to force notice to display
the text for all new notices, prompting the user to press RETURN
between each new notice. This is useful for those sites who want to
ensure that users see the notices by displaying the full text at
login. NOTE: If you plan to use /TEXT, be sure your notices can be
displayed on a single screen, otherwise they will scroll off screen
before the user can read them. (SMG$ routines are not used when /NEW
is given.)
Users can examine the actual text of the message by adding the topic
name to the NOTICE command:
$ NOTICE FINALS
NOTICE works like TYPE/PAGE on video terminals---the user is prompted
to press RETURN before each screen is scrolled so they can read the
notice without having it scroll off-screen.
NOTICE can be configured to always display a topic in the NOTICE list.
NOTICE without any parameters will display all of the notices
available.
SETTING UP NOTICE
-----------------
To link NOTICE, just execute the LINK.COM command procedure:
$ @LINK
If you have BLISS, you can use MMK or MMS to rebuild it in the [.SOURCE]
directory.
You must then create the NOTICE text library. You can either use
NOTICE_MGR.COM to do it, or you can execute the following commands:
$ LIBRARY/TEXT/CREATE NOTICE.TLB !Or any other name you want
You then define a system logical to point to the library
(NOTICE_STARTUP.COM can be edited to do this):
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXEC NOTICE_LIBRARY dev:[dir]NOTICE.TLB
The protection on the NOTICE library should be set to W:R and full
access by SYSTEM:
$ SET FILE/PROT=W:R dev:[dir]NOTICE.TLB
With W:R access to the text library, NOTICE requires no privileges,
though you may want to install it to speed access to it:
$ INSTALL ADD dev:[dir]NOTICE.EXE/OPEN/HEADER/SHARE
(Again, this command is included in NOTICE_STARTUP.COM.)
Finally, you'll need to define NOTICE as a foreign command in
SYS$SYLOGIN (by default, SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGIN.COM) and execute it for
all users.
$ notice :== $dev:[dir]notice.exe !Define globally!
$ notice !Display any new notices
There is a help file that can be added to a help library. You may put
it in either the system help library or a site-specific library:
$ LIBRARY/HELP/INSERT SYS$HELP:HELPLIB NOTICE.HLP !System help
ADDING NOTICES TO THE TEXT LIBRARY
----------------------------------
There are only two restrictions on the text of NOTICE messages:
o The TOPIC name *should* be no more than 10 characters. The topic
name cannot be truncated when users type NOTICE <topic>, so keeping
it under 10 characters makes it easier to type the topics.
o The *first* line in the message is used as the brief description
shown at login time and when NOTICE without qualifiers is executed.
A typical format might look like the following:
-------------------------------------------------
New NOTICE utility added to the system
A new utility, NOTICE, has been added to the system to inform you of
important system announcements.
-------------------------------------------------
If the file above was added as module NOTICE to the text library, the
NOTICE listing for it would look like:
$ notice/new
NOTICE topics. Type NOTICE <topic-name> for more information.
Topic Date Description
--------- ----------- -----------
NOTICE 22-APR-1992 New NOTICE utility added to the system
$
When a user types NOTICE NOTICE (in this example), the screen would be
cleared and the following would be displayed:
--------------------------------------------------
Notice NOTICE, dated 23-APR-1992 19:01:23.34
New NOTICE utility added to the system
A new utility, NOTICE, has been added to the system to inform you of
important system announcements.
--------------------------------------------------
MANAGING THE NOTICE LIBRARY
---------------------------
The command procedure NOTICE_MGR.COM can be used to manage the NOTICE
text library. When executed, the following menu is displayed:
$ @notice_mgr
NOTICE library maintenance
1. List the library contents
2. Add/replace a module to/in the library
3. Touch a module in the library (update date)
4. Edit a module in the library
5. Rename a module in the library
6. Delete a module from the library
7. Create a new library
0. Exit
Choice <0>:
NOTICE_MGR is not bullet-proof, but it does work. Typically, you
would add a module using option 2. You will be prompted for the file
name to add (you will be placed in an editor if the named file doesn't
exist) and for the module name. The module name is then used as the
<topic> name on the NOTICE command line.
Option 3, "Touch a module," lets you update the insertion date for a
module so that users will see the module listed again the next time
they log in. A sample use for this option would be an announcement
added a week before an event. To remind users again, you might
"touch" the module again the day of the event so that users will see
it again that day.
NOTICE_MGR is, I believe, pretty self-explanatory and easy to use.
SETTING UP "PERMANENT" NOTICES
------------------------------
If you would like to ensure that a notice is displayed every time a
user is logged in (for very important notices like operating hours
during holidays), you simply add a dollar sign ($) to the beginning of
the name of the module. For example, suppose the file FINALS.TXT
contains the lab hours during finals week. If you add it to the
library with a module name of "$FINALS", the user will see topic
"FINALS" displayed at every login until the module is deleted. Note
that the user never sees the "$" in the topic name---only the NOTICE
administrator knows it's there.
CALLABLE NOTICE
---------------
If you have a program that you run as part of SYLOGIN, you can have it
call NOTICE_MAIN() in the .OBJ file NOTICE_SYLOGIN. The effect is the
same as specifying NOTICE/NEW in the SYLOGIN.COM, except that you
avoid another image activation. NOTICE_MAIN() accepts two parameters,
both flags passed by value. If the first parameter is omitted or 0,
the output is the same as NOTICE/NEW. If the flag is one, the effect
is NOTICE/NEW/PAUSE. The second parameter corresponds to the /TEXT
qualifier; its value can be 0 or 1.
Sample call:
void notice_main(int);
[...]
notice_main(1,0); !Show new NOTICEs, make user press RETURN
To link it, use a command like the following:
$ link sylogin,notice_sylogin,notice/library
LIMITATIONS
-----------
The only known NOTICE limitations are imposed by the use of the text
library (for example, it would be nice to have modules automatically
expire at a certain time). However, the big advantage of using a text
library is that the DCL LIBRARY command can be used to manage the
NOTICE database; a new interface did not have to be written.
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Files in this directory:
AAAREADME.DOC This file
AAAREADME.TOO Change history
LINK.COM Command procedure to link the image
NOTICE.ALPHA_OLB NOTICE object library for Alpha AXP
NOTICE.HLP VMS on-line HELP file for NOTICE
NOTICE.OLB NOTICE object library for VAX
NOTICE_MGR.COM NOTICE database manager procedure
NOTICE_STARTUP.COM Procedure to start NOTICE on a system
NOTICE_SYLOGIN.ALPHA_OBJ Alpha AXP object file for callable NOTICE
NOTICE_SYLOGIN.OBJ VAX object file for callable NOTICE
Files in [.SOURCE]:
CVTHELP.TPU TPU procedure to convert .HELP file to .RNH
DESCRIP.MMS Description file for building NOTICE
HGMACROS.REQ BLISS macros used by NOTICE
NOTICE.B32 BLISS source for main NOTICE routines
NOTICE.HELP Source for NOTICE help text
NOTICE_CLD.CLD CLI$ definitions file
NOTICE_MSG.MSG Messages used by NOTICE
NOTICE_PUT_OUTPUT.B32 BLISS source for output routines
SYLOGIN_SAMPLE.B32 BLISS source for a sample SYLOGIN program
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTACTING THE AUTHOR
Comments, suggestions, and questions about this software can be directed to
the author at one of the following addresses:
E-mail: Hunter Goatley <goathunter@PROCESS.COM>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
This software is COPYRIGHT © 1992--1997, HUNTER GOATLEY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Permission is granted for not-for-profit redistribution, provided all
source and object code remain unchanged from the original distribution, and
that all copyright notices remain intact.
DISCLAIMER
This software is provided "AS IS". The author and Process Software
Corporation make no representations or warranties with respect to the
software and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose.