mm was written using the CCMD package developed at Columbia to mimic the command interface on DEC20s. Thus, it has copious internal help, completion of partially typed commands on escape, and help on partial commands when "?" is typed. See the ccmd(l) man page for more details.
mm on the Vax is different from the one for the DEC20s in that it can read several different mail-file formats. So far, it can read babyl type files such as the RMAIL file emacs(1) uses, mbox type files such as mail(1) uses, and mail.txt type files brought over from DEC20s and fixed with the mm-trans(l) program. It can copy messages from one file type to another.
These are the four most useful commands:
send user-name
Send mail to specified user-name or list of user-names. All user-names may be either network or local (with or without an "@").
read msgs
Read specified messages from current file.
delete msgs
Delete specified messages from current file.
help topic
Type a message explaining the specified topic.
Please type "help ?" to the "MM>" prompt for a complete list of commands. After that you can type "help" followed by the individual command name, i.e. "help send".
MM>
At this point, mm is waiting to accept commands. mm has a complete internal help system.
In this typical session, Jane sends a message to John.
$ mm
Columbia MM-32, version 0.1
MM>send jqd1
Subject: Learning...
Message (End with CTRL/D
Use CTRL/B to insert a file, CTRL/E to enter editor,
CTRL/K to redisplay message, CTRL/L to clear screen and
redisplay, CTRL/N to abort.):
Dear John,
Do you have the solution set to the third physics
homework? I really need a copy before the test tomorrow!
-Jane
^D
S>send
Sending...Done.
MM>exit
No messages deleted, so no update needed.
In the above example, note that the "^D" (CTRL-D) terminated the message but left the user in "send" mode (indicated by the "S>" prompt). "send" mode has many of its own commands which can also be found using "?" and <ESC>. In this case the "send" command was used to send the message and terminate "send" mode.
Here John reads his mail:
$ mm Columbia MM-32, version 0.1 N 5) 26-Mar Jane F Doe Learning... (111 chars) MM>read unseen Message 5 (111 characters) Received: by cunixc.columbia.edu; Wed, 20 Jan 88 12:21:43 edt Date: Wed 20 Jan 1988 12:20:11-edt From: Jane F Doe <jfd> Subject: Learning... To: jqd1 Dear John, Do you have the solution set to the third physics homework? I really need a copy before the test tomorrow! Jane R>quit MM>exit No messages deleted, so no update needed.
Note that after showing John the message, mm was left in "read" mode (indicated by the "R>" prompt). "read" mode, like "send" mode, has several of its own commands.
mm's internal help includes specific documentation on each command:
$ mm Columbia MM-32, version 0.1 MM>help headers headers:The HEADERS command takes one argument, a message sequence (defaulting to the current message). It will then output the one-line header summaries of the messages in that sequence.
MM>exit No messages deleted, so no update needed.
Use the bug command in mm to send mail about bugs to the maintainers of mm. For questions about mm send mail to the consultant id (using send consultant at the "MM>" prompt).
The original MM for DEC20s (and its design) was written by a number of people, including Michael McMahon, Stuart McLure Cracraft, Ted Hess and Mark Crispin.