remind/docs/README.UNIX

$Id: README.UNIX,v 1.4 1998-01-19 03:24:09 dfs Exp $
REMIND version 3.0 for UNIX

REMIND is a sophisticated alarm/calendar program.  Details are given
in the man page, "remind.1".

INSTALLING REMIND:
-----------------

If you have Tcl/Tk (wish 4.1 or higher) installed and are running X Windows:
--------------------------------------------------------------

1) Type: wish ./build.tk from the top-level Remind directory.
   Fill in the various options and hit "Build Remind"

2) Type: "make install" -- you may need to be root to do this.

If you do NOT have Tcl/Tk or are NOT running X Windows:
-------------------------------------------------------

1) Edit the file "src/custom.h" according to your preferences.

2) Edit the file "src/lang.h" to choose a language.

3) Type: "make"

4) Type: "make install" -- you may need to be root to do this.

The subdirectory "www" contains scripts for making a nice calendar
web server.  See the files README and Makefile in that directory.

Two shell scripts, "scripts/remind-all.csh" and
"scripts/remind-all.sh" are provided. These allow automatic mailing of
reminders to all users who create a $HOME/.reminders file.  These two
scripts are equivalent; one is a "sh" script and the other is a "csh"
script.  Pick the one you want to use, and follow the instructions in
the opening comments of the script.

A shell script called "scripts/rem" is provided for those who like to have
'remind' assume a default reminders file.  A man page for this script
is provided.  You should examine the script to ensure that the defaults
are correct.

Many people have asked me why I supply the "rem" script instead of
having Remind assume a default file.  The answer is: That's how I like
it!  My personal preference is for a program which normally takes
parameters to display usage information when invoked with no
parameters.  I like that behaviour so I can quickly get an idea of
what a program does without poring through the man page.  And I think
I'll keep Remind that way.  Sorry to all who dislike it. :-)

A shell script called "scripts/kall" is provided so you can kill your
background remind processes when you log out.  See the man page.  Note
that kall depends on the output of "ps", and may not be portable.

The file "examples/defs.rem" has some sample Remind definitions and
commands, as well as U.S. and Jewish holidays.

OTHER LANGUAGE SUPPORT

Remind has support for languages other than English.  See the file
"src/lang.h" for details.  The language support may vary - you can change
only the substitution filter, or you can translate all of the usage
instructions and error messages as well.  See "src/langs/french.h" for an
example of the latter.

To compile Remind for a non-english language, look at the constants
defined in "src/lang.h".  Then, to compile Remind for Italian (as an
example), type:

	make "LANGDEF=-DLANG=ITALIAN"

If you add support for a non-English language, Remind will accept both the
English and non-English names of months and weekdays in an input script.
However, you should not rely on this feature if you want to write portable
Remind scripts.

At a minimum, you should support month and day names in the foreign
language, and should modify the substitution filter appropriately.
If you are truly diligent, you can translate usage and error messages
too.

Take a look at the files "src/langs/english.h" and
"src/langs/german.h" if you want to add support for your favourite
language.  If you do add another language to Remind, please let me
know!  Here are the basic guidelines:

- Your language file should be called "src/langs/lxxx.h", where lxxx
  is the first 8 characters of the ENGLISH name of your language.

- Your language file should define L_LANGNAME to be the full English
  name of your language, with the first letter capitalized and the rest
  lower-case.

- You can test your language file with the script "tests/tstlang.rem"

RELEASE NOTES -- miscellaneous info that couldn't go anywhere else!

1. POPUP REMINDERS

If you're running under X-Windows and you have the TCL tools,
you can create simple pop-up reminders by creating the following
TCL script called 'popup'.  It pops a message on to the screen and
waits for you to press the 'OK' button.  If you don't press the OK button
within 15 seconds, it exits anyway.  To use it, you can use the '-k' option
for Remind as follows:

	remind "-kpopup '%s'&" .reminders

Or use the following in your Remind script:

	REM AT 17:00 RUN popup 'Time to go home.' &

This Tcl script is a slightly modified version of one submitted by
Norman Walsh.

-------------- Cut Here ---------- Cut Here ---------- Cut Here -------------
#!/usr/local/bin/wish
wm withdraw .
after 15000 { destroy . ; exit }
tk_dialog .d { Message } $argv warning 0 { OK } 
destroy .
exit
-------------- Cut Here ---------- Cut Here ---------- Cut Here -------------


--
David F. Skoll <dfs@doe.carleton.ca>
986 Eiffel Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K2C 0J2
CANADA

Tel. (613) 225-8687