Programming a shell script messaging programme

[pinhead]

Hello people,
I would like to make a simple messaging programme that allows to send messages over the network from one computer to another. It should have functionalities like sending messages to certain groups and single users and it would also be nice to save the messages locally in some file. Is that possible?

Is there anywhere a good example to get started? Thanks.

[Roxoff]

You may want to dig out the source code for the 'write' terminal command which does most of what you want already.

[pinhead]

Many thanks! That's a good hint to get started

[pinhead]

Is this task also possible without "write"-, "talk"- or "message"-command?

[Irithori]

Yes, pidgin has a console brother called finch.
Install finch and you can use about any IM protocol out there.

However, for learning purposes the write sourcode is probably easier to understand.

[pinhead]

I want to implement a shell script solution (without write, talk and message) and not use a programme that already exists.

[Cancerous]

I want to implement a shell script solution (without write, talk and message) and not use a programme that already exists.

Program*

A programme is like a listing of events or a timetable.

[pinhead]

Thanks. Does anyone know which commands aside from write, talk and message could be used to build a messaging program? Could netcat be an option?