Debian Package a Day ([info]debaday) wrote,
@ 2004-08-13 08:00:00
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ixbiff - notify user when mail arrives by blinking keyboard LEDs
Ixbiff blinks the keyboard LEDs when new mail arrives. The keyboard LEDs used depend upon the daemon's configuration.

For obvious reasons only three mailboxes can be checked.

Currently, ixbiff is Linux specific and requires root access.

Ixbiff supports the standard UNIX mbox format as well as qmail's Maildir format.

Garrett M. tells us:
It's an inbox monitor but, here's the cool part: your keyboard LEDs
light up when you get new mail (awesome).

Way cool.

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[info]andrel
2004-08-13 08:20 am UTC (link)
2^3 = 8. How come it only monitors a max of 3 mailboxes?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]wechsler
2004-08-13 08:39 am UTC (link)
Usign binary means you could only display the status of *one* of your mailboxes (by number) at once, unless you rotated the numbers. At which point you might just as well use the LEDs to flash out your new messages in morse ;)

(waits to be told that that app exists)

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]andrel
2004-08-13 10:00 am UTC (link)
Ah, I misunderstood. I thought it only blinked when a message arrived, not that it keeps blinking when the mailbox has new mail in it.

Morseing on the keyboard LEDs is a classic hack. See e.g. the famous Morse kernel panic module.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]miguelitof
2004-08-13 09:53 am UTC (link)
Cool util, but ultimately useless. Especially since I look at my keyboard maybe once or twice a day. Touch typing has its cons as well as its pros, I guess.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]k8to
2004-08-14 05:13 am UTC (link)
This problem is easily solved! Just use a keyboard LED status indicator!

GAI LEDs is compact http://gai.sourceforge.net/applets.html
led_applet is stylish http://mfcn.ilo.de/led_applet/



(Yes I realize this defeats the point.)

(Reply to this) (Parent)
Useless
[info]rfunk
2004-08-14 07:53 am UTC (link)
It may be useless when you're staring at your screen constantly, but if you ever walk away and the screensaver kicks in, a quick glance at the keyboard leds could let you know if you should bother sitting back down to check your mail.

(Reply to this) (Parent)
I use this and love it
(Anonymous)
2004-08-18 02:18 am UTC (link)
I have a PC in the lounge for mp3/video and a the house router/firewall. Alot of he time the monitor is asleep or has the screen saver on with photos. This app combined with fetchmail lets me know when I have new mail.

The only downside is it really hard to ignore new mail. If I'm sitting on the couch reading a book and listening to music, and the lights start flashing its really hard to ignore the new mail. :) Good spam filters are essential if you don't want to constantly frustrated.

Elvis

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: I use this and love it
(Anonymous)
2004-11-25 03:21 pm UTC (link)
My IBM Thinkpad T22 would go wonky and occasionally insert numbers into whatever I was typing when the num lock led was flashing. (This applied to the embedded number pad keys, which are

7890
uiop
jkl;
m,./

on the T22.) Similarly, bad things would happen when the caps lock key was flashing. The scroll lock key was (and still is) relatively benign, but about daily I seem to lose control of the keyboard.

Now I wonder if ixbiff is controlling more than just the leds, or perhaps i am accidently hitting these keys and am unable to tell because ixbiff is masking the leds. My gut tells me that ixbiff is doing more than just turning on and off the lights because i have a strong memory of the problem occuring only at the instant that the led was on.

I will try again, and I may try to physically block the keys to give ixbiff a chance to redeem itself.

If someone can devise a good way to suspend ixbiff to see the true state of the leds, please do not be bashful.

If someone can demonstrate that this program affects the Thinkpad or other PCs in ways not experienced by still other PCs, please, let's hear it!


Thanks,

bkm
pdx, oregon, usa

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: I use this and love it
(Anonymous)
2004-12-06 11:01 am UTC (link)
Uggh, it was worse than I had remembered. I turned off ixbiff completely, and have not lost control of the keyboard, since. ixbiff and the thinkpad t22 are a no-op at this time


bkm
pdx, oregon, usa

(Reply to this) (Parent)

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