The MAILCHECK environment variable contains the minimum number of seconds that must elapse before dbx checks for incoming mail. The check is performed just before printing the prompt, if $MAILCHECK seconds have elapsed since the last check. If $MAILCHECK is null or is zero, the check is performed before each prompt. If $MAILCHECK is unset, or is set to a non-numeric value, checking for mail is disabled. The default is 600 seconds (ten minutes).