biff(1)
Name
biff − be notified if mail arrives and who it is from
Syntax
biff [y|n]
Description
The biff command informs the system whether you want to be notified when mail arrives during the current terminal session. The command, biff y, enables notification; the command, biff n, disables it. The biff command with no options displays the current status of biff.
When mail notification is enabled, the header and first few lines of the message will be printed on your screen whenever mail arrives. A biff y command is often included in the file .login or .profile to be executed at each login.
The biff command operates asynchronously. For synchronous notification use the MAIL variable of sh() or the mail variable of csh(.).
Options
n Disables notification that mail has arrived.
y Enables notification that mail has arrived.