---
name: "coolmail"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "coolmail"
version: "1.3-13+b1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/coolmail"
---

# coolmail(1)

3D animated mail notificaion utility

## NAME

coolmail - 3D animated mail notificaion utility

## SYNOPSIS

**coolmail** \[option ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

Coolmail is a mail notification utility with 3D animated graphics.  Coolmail watches your inbox and lets you know when you have mail.  Clicking on coolmail can launch your mail reading/writing utility.  While your mail utility is open, clicking on coolmail will cause it to check your inbox at that instant, without waiting for the next regular interval.

## OPTIONS

- \-e command

  Use the specified command to launch your mail utility.  Command is a string, and should be in quotes if it contains spaces.

- \-f filename

  Watch filename, instead of the default mail inbox file.

- \-fr n

  Set the number of frames to generate for each animation to n.  Set this to an suit your preference and your machine's graphics performance.  The default is 15.

- \-h

  Print some help then exit.

- \-int n \| -update n

  Check your mail inbox at n-second intervals.  The default is 30 seconds.

- \-mono

  Run in monochrome mode.

- \-once

  Ring bell when new mail is first detected, but not when more new mail is detected.

- \-af filename

  Specifies the audio file to use rather than the standard system beep.

- \-vol n

  Value between 0 and 100 for the volume setting for both the system beep and the sound file. The default is 50.

- \-v

  Print version and inbox path.

  *Coolmail* also accepts the standard X Toolkit options, such as -geometry, etc.

## EXAMPLES

- coolmail -e "emacs -f rmail" -int 20

  Tells coolmail to check the inbox every 20 seconds, and launch the shell command, emacs -f rmail, when the user clicks on coolmail.

## X DEFAULTS

This program understands the core resource names and classes as well as:

- **frameCount (class FrameCount)**

  Specifies the number of frames to be generated per animation.

- **inbox (class Inbox)**

  Specifies the mail inbox that coolmail will watch.

- **mailCommand (class MailCommand)**

  Specifies the command that should be launched to read and write mail.

- **monochrome (class Monochrome)**

  A Boolean value that enables monochrome mode when true.

- **soundFile (class SoundFile)**

  Specifies the audio file to use rather than the standard system beep.

- **volume (class Volume)**

  Value between 0 and 100 for the volume setting for both the system beep and the sound file.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright 1994

by Byron C. Darrah (darrah@kaiwan.com)

## AUTHORS

Byron C. Darrah (darrah@kaiwan.com) Sound support added by Randall K. Sharpe (rsharpe@ncsa.uiuc.edu)

## SEE ALSO

X(1), [xrdb(1)](/xrdb/1.md)