Configure the clients

In order for client workstations to receive these messages, the messenger service must be active. To activate this service, follow these steps.

For Windows 2000 and Windows XP:

  1. Click Start > Settings... > Control Panel.
  2. Open Services from Administrative Tools.
  3. Scroll down to find Messenger. Ensure that the status is Started and the Startup type is Automatic.

For Windows Server 2003:

  1. Click Start > Control Panel.
  2. Open Services from Administrative Tools.
  3. Scroll down to find Messenger. Ensure that the status is Started and the Startup type is Automatic.

Start WinPopup.exe

  1. Click Start > Run...
  2. Type winpopup.exe in the Open: field.
  3. Click OK.

For Linux:

  1. You need to enable Samba's messenger support. Edit the smb.conf file so that it contains a message command directive. The following is an example line:
    message command = /bin/bash -c 'echo -e WinPopup Message from %f on
    $(date): \n >> /tmp/msg.txt; cat %s >> /tmp/msg.txt; echo -e  
    \n\n >> /tmp/msg.txt; rm %s'
  2. Restart the Samba server. For example, (on Red Hat): /etc/rc.d/init.d/samba restart.
  3. Create a shell script that can read the /tmp/msg.txt file and pop the messages into a window in the background. The following is an example bash script:
    #!/bin/bash

    # Run this script in the background to display a message window where
    # WinPopup messages are displayed in sequence. Samba must be started
    # and smb.conf must be configured to append messages to /tmp/msg.txt

    # remove old messages
    rm /tmp/msg.txt
    touch /tmp/msg.txt
    chmod 666 /tmp/msg.txt

    rxvt -fb -sb -fn lucidasanstypewriter-bold-14 -sl 2048 -bg red -fg
    white -title SMB Network Messages -geometry 80x10+150+280 -e tail -f
    /tmp/msg.txt

    Note:
    This script creates an rxvt window. If you do not have rxvt installed or would rather use an xterm window, substitute xterm instead.
  4. Save the script as tailmsg.sh and be sure to make this an executable file.
  5. Run this file in the background: ./tailmsg.sh &.