away
Lock terminal with an away message
TLDR
Lock terminal and set an away message
$ away [message]
Lock terminal and enable mail check$ away -c [message]
Lock terminal and disable mail check$ away -C [message]
Lock terminal and sleep background tasks for seconds$ away -t [seconds] [message]
Lock terminal and check mail persistently$ away -p [message]
SYNOPSIS
away [options] message
DESCRIPTION
away locks the terminal and displays an away message to anyone who sees the screen. It optionally monitors for new mail and can manage background task timing.
The terminal remains locked until the user authenticates. The away message is visible to other users who may access the terminal.
PARAMETERS
-c, --mail
Enable mail checking-C, --nomail
Disable mail checking-t, --time seconds
Sleep background tasks for the specified number of seconds-p, --persist
Check mail until at least one inbox receives new mail-P, --nopersist
Check mail even if no new mail has arrived-h, --help
Display help information-v, --version
Display version information
CAVEATS
The lock mechanism relies on system authentication. Mail checking requires properly configured mail spool directories. The away message is visible to anyone with physical access to the terminal.