wall

	This is the JargonFile ^(V4.00) entry for wall - Next: wall follower, Prev: walking drives
:wall: /interj./ [WPI] 1. An indication of confusion, usually spoken with a quizzical tone: "Wall??" 2. A request for further explication. Compare octal forty. 3. [[[Unix]], from write all] /v./ To send a message to everyone currently logged in, esp. with the wall(8) utility. It is said that sense 1 came from the idiom like talking to a blank wall. It was originally used in situations where, after you had carefully answered a question, the questioner stared at you blankly, clearly having understood nothing that was explained. You would then throw out a "Hello, wall?" to elicit some sort of response from the questioner. Later, confused questioners began voicing "Wall?" themselves.
* (text is auto-included via JargonExtension by mutante using jargon with VERSION 4.0.0, 24 JUL 1996* - JargonFile by Eric S. Raymond is in the public domain)*

Table of contents

mesg

BSD mandoc
Linux 0.99

NAME

wall - write a message to users

wall [file ]

Wall displays the contents of file or, by default, its standard input, on the terminals of all currently logged in users.

Only the super-user can write on the terminals of users who have chosen to deny messages or are using a program which automatically denies messages.

Reading from a file is refused when the invoker is not superuser and the program is suid or sgid.

A wall command appeared in AT&T System v7 .

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