Hi all,

In my university we have only Windows computers. I miss the tools I am used to work with on my linux box (emacs & LaTeX i.e.) and I hate the limitations which are set up (for instance, email websites are blocked).

So I use putty and screen on a daily basis to work with from the university with my computer at home. The problem is, I would like to be notified when I receive new email. I can script the part "detect if I have new email" but I don't know how I can display the notification then.

1. IMO the status line of screen does not allow to display custom information.

2. I have tried the splitvt tool: I wanted to have a one-line window where I could output the notification with 'echo you have new mail in mailbox foo'. This did not work: when you echo information in one window, it is automatically resized (eg 3 echo's => a 3-lines window).

3. Screen can split windows but this sucks, too: if you resize your terminal, the splitted windows may disappear. I found no way to force screen to display a one-line window while resizing only the other window.

4. Since I do a lot of work with emacs, I thought I could simply use a splitted window in emacs. I don't know how I can automate this in emacs, though (if screen is running, start with a one-line window on the top, run the script notification.sh in this window -- oh yeah, and get rid of the status line of the shell buffer).

5. One solution is the good, old wall command. So far this is the simplest and most efficient way I found to know If I have new email. But this is suboptimal: lots of wall notification disturb and annoy you.

Do you have any tip regarding this issue?

Thanks
Kloss

Do you have any tip regarding this issue?
You could also do something with your Bash in-screen PS1 (see the MAIL* parameters), you could also monitor a check your run in a different window and you could use "screen -X screen command" from outside screen. A listing of screen commands you'll find with meta+?, "screen -X time" would flash the time at the bottom of your screen for a sec or two. While not that specific it's indicative enough I think if you're not looking to configure hundreds of different alerts. If you want a message try: "screen -X title "New mail" ; screen -X windows", of course you'll loose the title of your screen window but that's a small price.

I don't know about any emacs tips, I don't need to run another O.S. ;-p

Thanks for putting me on the right track!
...does exactly what I wanted


I think you missed some Lisp Configuration:

/me