xref: /original-bsd/usr.bin/mail/USD.doc/mail9.nr (revision deff14a8)
Copyright (c) 1980, 1993
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

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@(#)mail9.nr 8.2 (Berkeley) 05/16/94

.sh 1 "Summary of commands, options, and escapes" .pp This section gives a quick summary of the .i Mail commands, binary and valued options, and tilde escapes. .pp The following table describes the commands:
Command Description
+ Same as next
- Back up to previous message
? Print brief summary of Mail commands
! Single command escape to shell
Print Type message with ignored fields
Reply Reply to author of message only
Respond Same as Reply
Type Type message with ignored fields
alias Define an alias as a set of user names
alternates List other names you are known by
chdir Change working directory, home by default
copy Copy a message to a file or folder
delete Delete a list of messages
dp Same as dt
dt Delete current message, type next message
edit Edit a list of messages
else Start of else part of conditional; see if
endif End of conditional statement; see if
exit Leave mail without changing anything
file Interrogate/change current mail file
folder Same as file
folders List the folders in your folder directory
from List headers of a list of messages
headers List current window of messages
help Same as ?
hold Same as preserve
if Conditional execution of Mail commands
ignore Set/examine list of ignored header fields
list List valid Mail commands
local List other names for the local host
mail Send mail to specified names
mbox Arrange to save a list of messages in mbox
next Go to next message and type it
preserve Arrange to leave list of messages in system mailbox
print Print messages
quit Leave Mail; update system mailbox, mbox as appropriate
reply Compose a reply to a message
respond Same as reply
retain Supersedes ignore
save Append messages, headers included, on a file
set Set binary or valued options
shell Invoke an interactive shell
size Prints out size of message list
source Read mail commands from a file
top Print first so many (5 by default) lines of list of messages
type Same as print
undelete Undelete list of messages
unread Marks list of messages as not been read
unset Undo the operation of a set
visual Invoke visual editor on a list of messages
write Append messages to a file, don't include headers
xit Same as exit
z Scroll to next/previous screenful of headers
.(b .pp The following table describes the options. Each option is shown as being either a binary or valued option.
Option Type Description
EDITOR valued Pathname of editor for ~e and edit
PAGER valued Pathname of paginator for Print, print, Type and type
SHELL valued Pathname of shell for shell, ~! and !
VISUAL valued Pathname of screen editor for ~v, visual
append binary Always append messages to end of mbox
ask binary Prompt user for Subject: field when sending
askcc binary Prompt user for additional Cc's at end of message
autoprint binary Print next message after delete
crt valued Minimum number of lines before using PAGER
debug binary Print out debugging information
dot binary Accept . alone on line to terminate message input
escape valued Escape character to be used instead of ~
folder valued Directory to store folders in
hold binary Hold messages in system mailbox by default
ignore binary Ignore \s-2RUBOUT\s0 while sending mail
ignoreeof binary Don't terminate letters/command input with \(uaD
keep binary Don't unlink system mailbox when empty
keepsave binary Don't delete saved messages by default
metoo binary Include sending user in aliases
noheader binary Suppress initial printing of version and headers
nosave binary Don't save partial letter in dead.letter
quiet binary Suppress printing of Mail version and message numbers
record valued File to save all outgoing mail in
screen valued Size of window of message headers for z, etc.
sendmail valued Choose alternate mail delivery system
toplines valued Number of lines to print in top
verbose binary Invoke sendmail with the -v flag
.)b .(b .pp The following table summarizes the tilde escapes available while sending mail.
Escape Arguments Description
~! command Execute shell command
~b name ... Add names to "blind" Cc: list
~c name ... Add names to Cc: field
~d Read dead.letter into message
~e Invoke text editor on partial message
~f messages Read named messages
~h Edit the header fields
~m messages Read named messages, right shift by tab
~p Print message entered so far
~q Abort entry of letter; like \s-2RUBOUT\s0
~r filename Read file into message
~s string Set Subject: field to string
~t name ... Add names to To: field
~v Invoke screen editor on message
~w filename Write message on file
~| command Pipe message through command
~: Mail command Execute a Mail command
~~ string Quote a ~ in front of string
.)b .(b .pp The following table shows the command line flags that .i Mail accepts:
Flag Description
-N Suppress the initial printing of headers
-T file Article-id's of read/deleted messages to file
-d Turn on debugging
-f file Show messages in file or ~/mbox
-h number Pass on hop count for mail forwarding
-i Ignore tty interrupt signals
-n Inhibit reading of /usr/lib/Mail.rc
-r name Pass on name for mail forwarding
-s string Use string as subject in outgoing mail
-u name Read name's mail instead of your own
-v Invoke sendmail with the -v flag
.)b .lp Notes: .b -T , .b -d , .b -h , and .b -r are not for human use.