---
name: "checknews"
section: "1cn"
platform: "linux"
package: "cnews"
version: "cr.g7-40.4"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/checknews"
---

# checknews(1cn)

check for unread news

## NAME

checknews - check for unread news

## SYNOPSIS

**checknews**

## DESCRIPTION

*Checknews* informs the user whether he has unread news. It is suitable for running from a **.profile** (or **.login** if you use a certain non-standard shell) file.

*Checknews* normally runs *readnews*(1) with the **-c** option. As a heuristic concession to practicality, if the user has a **.rnlast** file in his $HOME directory, *checknews* runs **rn -c -s3** instead.

## FILES

$HOME/.newsrc\
 /var/lib/news/active

## SEE ALSO

readnews(1CN), rn(1)

## HISTORY

Written at U of Toronto by Henry Spencer.

## BUGS

There are zillions of other news readers in the world, all with their own idiosyncratic approaches to this issue.