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MM Electronic Mail User Manual JOSEPH BRENNAN COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR COMPUTING ACTIVITIES ACADEMIC COMPUTING CONSULTING SERVICES March 1990 Edition, revised December 1990 Some of the content of this manual is taken from earlier MM Manuals written by Sue Zayac, Lisa Covi and Lynn Jacobsen. The current editor and writer is Joseph Brennan, e-mail address brennan@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu. Comments and suggestions for improvements in future editions are welcome. The Unix version of MM was written with CCMD at Columbia University by Chris Maio, Howie Kaye, Fuat Baran, and Melissa Metz. CCMD was also written at Columbia University, by Andrew Lowry and Howie Kaye. 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. Copyright (C) 1991 Columbia University Center for Computing Activities Table of Contents 1. Introduction 1 * What Is MM? 1 * Learning MM 1 * Help 2 2. Sample Sessions and Examples 4 * Getting Started 5 * Sending a Message 6 * Reading Mail 8 * Replying to Messages 9 * Headers 10 * Managing Your Mail File: Delete and Undelete 11 * Reading Old Messages 12 * Forwarding Messages 13 * Copying To and From Regular (Non-Mail) Files 14 * File Transfer Using Kermit 15 * Using Emacs from within MM 17 * Additional Mail Files 20 * Nicknames and Mailing Lists 21 3. Message Sequences 23 * Message Sequences 23 * Description of Message Sequences 23 * Message Sequence examples 23 4. Top Level 25 * What is Top Level? 25 * Commands in Top Level 25 * CCMD 27 5. Read Mode 28 * What Is Read Mode? 28 * Commands In Read Mode 28 6. Send Mode 29 * What Is Send Mode? 29 * Commands In Send Mode 30 7. Customization 32 * How to Customize MM 32 * Description of Variables 32 8. Special Topics 35 * Your Electronic Mail Address 35 * Other Users: the Shell Command finger 36 * Concluding Hints 37 Preface The electronic mail system MM runs on CUCCA's unix-based Connections can also be made computers. If you have an through some departmental account on one of those computers on the Morningside machines, you are welcome to Campus and at the Health use MM to communicate with Sciences Campus. Contact people on campus or around your local departmental the world. administrator for details. All faculty and staff of COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE Columbia University are being offered free accounts with a No matter how you connect, limited amount of connect you need communications time and disk space. For software to let your PC act information, call the as a terminal. Columbia Academic Computing Help Desk supports software called at 854-4854. The host Kermit, available for both computer is known as "Mail" MS-DOS PC's and Macintosh. or cunixf. Kermit can also transfer files between your PC and the Students (and faculty using MM host computer. computers for instruction) have accounts on cunixa, Macintosh and MS-DOS Kermit cunixb or cunixd. There is a can be copied free at the fee for students. To arrange Business Office, 102 for an account, contact the Philosophy Hall; bring your Business Office, 854-3555. own disk. At the Business Office, you can also purchase MM FROM YOUR OWN PC Kermit disks and manuals, and get free handouts. For more Many MM users connect from information on Kermit, their own PC's, on campus or contact Kermit Information at off. That makes it 854-3703. convenient to check mail every day, or many times a LOGGING IN day. Information on how to log in The booklet Preparing for is contained in the handout Data Communications with the Using MM. You should get it PBX gives details of how to when you get your account. connect through the ROLM Once you log in, you can phone system on the start MM. Morningside Campus. If you order the data phone option PUBLICATIONS from Telecommunications (854-6254), you can simply You can get all the run a cable between your PC's publications mentioned here serial port and the connector at the Academic Computing built into the ROLM data Business Office, 102 phone. No modem is used. Philosophy Hall, 854-3555. The microcomputer labs at 215 From off campus, you can dial International Affairs and 251 in to the ROLM PBX using a Mudd also have the handouts modem. The phone numbers are and reference copies of the 854-1812 and 854-1824. They manuals. connect at 2400, 1200 or 300 baud. 1. Introduction * What Is MM? MM is a powerful electronic mail system that allows you to send, read, edit, and manage messages quickly and easily. MM has three different modes. - Top-level is the default or initial mode you are in when you enter MM. At top-level mode you can perform general operations on your mail such as finding out how many messages are in your mailbox and who they are from. Also at top-level, you begin the procedures to read and send mail. - In read mode, you give commands about the mail you are reading. You can for example delete or file it, or reply to it. - In send mode, you give commands about the mail you are sending to other users. Within each mode there are a series of commands that you may use to work with the messages you have received or to compose and send outgoing messages. A command simply consists of an English word, or several, typed at the MM>, Read>, or Send> prompt (the prompts at the three modes) followed by a carriage return. Unlike other Unix programs, MM accepts a command in either upper or lower case. (Notice though that file names are case-sensitive.) MM will attempt to interpret each command: if understood, the command is executed; if not, MM will complain to you about the command error. MM has a large list of commands that do many different things. You don't need to know them all to use MM effectively, but they make a flexible whole within which MM can operate. * Learning MM A good way to learn how to use MM and its commands is to look at this manual while you use MM. The second chapter is a series of examples demonstrating the use of the most common MM commands and should be helpful in getting you started. The other chapters offer a more detailed description of the commands used in the examples, as well as a complete list of all commands and options available at each mode. If, after you have used MM extensively, you feel that something has been left out of the program, feel free to use the bug command, which lets you communicate with the maintainers of MM. We are willing to listen to reasonable suggestions and let you know whether anything can be done. * Help MM has extensive internal help. It is more detailed than this manual. If you are getting unexpected results or don't see quite how to use a command, see whether the online help explains it more fully. There are three versions of help, as shown in the following examples: Typing in a ? at any MM prompt gives all the commands available at that point. The most important example is help ? (help, space, question-mark), which shows what help is available: ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | MM>help ? | | BASIC command, one of the following: | | exit help headers | | review send suspend | | | l | or MESSAGE-HANDLING command, one of the fol| | answer delete forward | | reply type undelete | | | w | or MESSAGE-TAGGING command, one of the follo| | flag keyword mark | | unkeyword unmark | | | | or FILING command, one of the following: | | copy examine expunge | | restore-draft sort write | | | i | or CUSTOMIZATION command, one of the follow| | define profile save-init | | | g | or INFORMATION command, one of the followin| | check count daytime | | status version who | | | : | or some OTHER command, one of the following| | backtrack blank browse | | cd continue echo | | jump list literal | | push route spell | | | | or "!" for shell escape | | | | or other topic, one of the following: | n | addressing basic bit| t | command-history command-line-edit cus| e | filing information int| e | message-sequence message-tagging oth| | signature-file text-mode top| | | | or other mode, one of the following: | | top-level-mode read-mode send-mode | | | | or confirm for a brief help message | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- At the Send> and Read> prompts, slightly different lists appear. Typing in help followed by any command name then gives further information on each of the specific commands. For example, to get more information on the command headers, type help headers: ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | MM>help headers | | | e | The HEADERS command is used to list "headlin| i | in your current mail file. Each summary l| l | number, date, sender, subject, status and | | | o | To use the HEADERS command, type "headers" f| s | number or message-sequence. The default i| | | m | For example: Displays sum| u | headers 2:4 Messages n| i | headers subj meeting Messages w| o | headers unanswered Messages y| r | h from walter after 11/23/88 Messages f| | Nov 23,| | | n | The first example would give you the followi| | | t | K 2) 23-Dec Walter Bourne SAS graph s| o | 3) 6-Feb Jeff Eldredge Technical N| | FA 4) 21-Feb Bea Hamblett sas article| | | o | For more help type "help" and one of these t| | message-sequence basic | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- Typing headers ? gets a screen suggesting possible completions: ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | MM>headers ? message number | | or range of message numbers, n:m | | or range of message numbers, n-m | e | or range of message numbers, n+m (m messag| | or "." to specify the current message | | or "*" to specify the last message | | or message sequence, one of the following:| w | after all ans| g | current deleted fla| t | inverse keyword las| v | new on pre| c | seen shorter sin| e | unflagged unkeyword uns| | or "," and another message sequence | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- 2. Sample Sessions and Examples This section presents a series of sample sessions demonstrating the use of MM. These topics will be covered: - Getting Started - Sending a Message - Reading Mail - Replying to Messages - Headers - Managing Your Mail File: Delete and Undelete - Reading Old Messages - Forwarding Messages - Copying To and From Regular (Non-Mail) Files - File Transfer Using Kermit - Using Emacs from within MM - Additional Mail Files - Defining Mailing Lists In the following examples, what you type appears in bold. After most of the commands, hit the carriage return, marked return or enter on most keyboards, and shown here by the abbreviation <cr>. You do not have to type a space before the carriage return. The escape key is indicated by the symbol [ESC]; it may be marked meta or alt on some keyboards. Control Sequences are represented by <ctrl/> or CTRL- or the caret ^ followed by a letter. To type a Control letter, depress the control key while typing the letter (similar to pressing shift for upper case). * Getting Started MM can be started by simply typing mm to the Unix shell command interpreter. Most people at Columbia use the kornshell (ksh), which is identified by the $ prompt. So to start MM you would type: --------------------- | | | $ mm <cr> | | | --------------------- MM then checks to see whether you have new mail. If you do, it displays a line indicating what the message number is, the date it was received, who the message is from, the subject and the length of the message in characters. ----------------------------------------------- | | | $ mm <cr> | | Columbia MM, version 0.90.0 | d | Please report all bugs using MM's BUG comman| | Suggestions are also welcome. | | Reading /u/student/CC/lmc/mbox | | 19 messages read | g | N 20) 18-May Rob Cartolano Meetin| | | B | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=quit | | MM> | | | ----------------------------------------------- In the example above, the user typed mm. The next three lines show a greeting message. Then Reading... indicates that the old mail is being found in the file /u/student/CC/lmc/mbox. 19 messages read indicates what was already stored in the mail file. The next line indicates that the user has one piece of new mail, from Rob Cartolano. Finally, there is a "hint" line, and the MM> prompt, which is what MM types to show that it is waiting to receive a command from you. The "new mail" line is called a header. It is actually a combination of several header fields that you will become familiar with later on. What do we learn from it? The message is New (not read yet), it's message number 20 in the mail file, and it was sent on 18-May by Rob Cartolano. Rob put the subject as Meeting Canceled and the message is 475 chars long. Usually, you read your new messages each time you start MM, but you don't have to. The headers of the new messages are shown so you can decide about reading them, based on who sent a message, what it's about, and how long it is. * Sending a Message Now that we are in MM, we would like to send a message. Sue is sending mail to Walter with a copy to Maurice. First she starts the MM program, then she types send. MM prompts for the addressee, any carbon copies (cc:), and the topic of the message. After Sue provides this information, she types in the body of the message. When that is finished, she hits the ESC key. ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | $ mm | | Columbia MM, version 0.90.0 | m | Please report all bugs using MM's BUG com| | Suggestions are also welcome. | | Reading /us/us/sue/mbox | | 8 messages read | | | i | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qu| | MM>send | | To: walter | | cc: maurice | | Subject: SPSSX TNote Draft | | Message (End with CTRL-D or ESC | e | Use CTRL-B to insert a file, CTRL-E to | e | through a filter, CTRL-K to redisplay m| u | redisplay, CTRL-N to abort, CTRL-P to r| | | a | I think this is now ready for critical re| | want to find readers or shall I? /sue | | | e | [ D=display S=send TE=text ED=edit TY=typ| | Send>s | | walter... Queued | | maurice...Queued | | | i | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qu| | MM>exit | | No messages deleted. | | [1] + Stopped (signal) mm | | $ | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- In the above example, typing the ESC key terminated the message and left Sue in send mode, indicated by the Send> prompt. Send mode has many of its own commands that you can see by typing ?. To send the message off, she typed s to the Send> prompt. To exit MM she typed exit. If she had decided NOT to send the message, she could have typed quit at the Send prompt. KEEPING A COPY FOR YOURSELF You may want to have a copy of a message he or she has sent. MM does not automatically keep a copy, but there are several ways of accomplishing it. One method is to cc yourself, and you will receive a copy of the message in your mailbox. A second method is to use the fcc command, which sends a copy of the message to a file that you name. In the example, both are done for the sake of demonstration. ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | $ mm | | Columbia MM, version 0.90.0 | m | Please report all bugs using MM's BUG com| | Suggestions are also welcome. | | Reading /us/us/sue/mbox | | 8 messages read | | | i | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qu| | MM>send | | To: walter | | cc: maurice, sue | | Subject: SPSSX TNote Draft | | Message (End with CTRL-D or ESC | e | Use CTRL-B to insert a file, CTRL-E to | e | through a filter, CTRL-K to redisplay m| u | redisplay, CTRL-N to abort, CTRL-P to r| | | a | I think this is now ready for critical re| | find readers or shall I? /sue | | | e | [ D=display S=send TE=text ED=edit TY=typ| | Send>fcc outmsg | | Send>s | | walter... Queued | | maurice...Queued | | sue...Queued | | *outmsg...Sent | | | i | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qu| | MM>exit | | No messages deleted. | | [1] + Stopped (signal) mm | | $ | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- If you want to keep copies of everything you send, you can customize MM so that it does so, using one of the set commands described starting on page 32. The customization commands set default-cc-list and set default-fcc-list can be used to put yourself on every cc list, or a certain file on every fcc list. If you use fcc, either directly or through set default-fcc-list, note that it assumes the file goes into the current directory. This may cause problems if you change from your usual directory and then use MM. You have to start MM from the right directory, or specify the directory in the fcc. The customization command set saved-messages-file is similar to set default-fcc-list, but will always assume the file is in your mail-directory, and may therefore be preferable. The file where the copies go is referred to as an additional mail file. To look at it, at the MM> prompt type get <filename>, and you can then use all the MM commands with the file, like headers, read, and so on. To return to the main mail file, just type get. * Reading Mail The mail sent by Sue in the previous example is now read by Walter. ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | $ mm | | /usr/local/mm | t | N 6) 18-May Sue Zayac SPSSX TNo| | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM>read | | Message 6 (251 chars) | 0 | Received: by cunixf.columbia.edu (5.54/5.1| | Fri, 18 May 90 15:53:45 EDT | | Date: Fri, 18 May 1990 15:53:43 EDT | | From: Sue Zayac <sue@cunixf.columbia.edu> | | To: walter | | Cc: maurice | | Subject: SPSSX TNote Draft | . | Message-Id: <CMM.0.90.580161223.sue@cunixf| | | . | I think this is now ready for proofreading| | find readers or shall I? /sue | | [Press any key to continue] | | | i | [ D=delete H=header R=reply TY=type PRI=pr| | Read> | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- After showing Walter the message, MM remained in read mode, indicated by the Read> prompt. Read mode, like send mode, has several of its own commands. Type a ? at the Read> prompt to see them. If you press <cr> at the Read> prompt, the next unseen message is displayed. When there are no more, <cr> returns you to the top-level prompt, MM>. * Replying to Messages The reply command simplifies sending a message in reply to one you have received. In this example, Walter has just read Sue's message and sends her a reply. ----------------------------------------------- | | | Read>reply | | Message (End with CTRL-D or ESC | n | Use CTRL-B to insert a file, CTRL-E to e| s | through a filter, CTRL-K to redisplay me| n | redisplay, CTRL-N to abort, CTRL-P to ru| | | | Have Lisa and Lynn read it. - Walter | | | | [ D=display S=send TE=text ED=edit TY=type| | Send>s | | sue... Queued | | | i | [ D=delete H=header R=reply TY=type PRI=pr| | Read> | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- Reply is similar to send. Reply automatically fills in "To:" as the original sender, and copies the "Subject:" from the original message. REPLY ALL and REPLY INCLUDING Two keywords can be added to the reply command. Normally, the reply goes just to the sender of the original message, even though there may be other people who received the original message as part of its "To:" or "cc:" lists. If you command reply all, the reply will be sent to all the people who got the original. The second keyword, including, includes the original message in the reply. In the example above, for example, if Walter had delayed replying, Sue might have forgotten what Walter's reply was about. To guard against that, Walter could have typed reply including, so Sue would receive a message containing her own message followed by Walter's response. The included text is set off by > marks. Both keywords can be used together, reply all including. * Headers Another useful command is headers. Headers will give you a headline summary of messages in your mail file. In this example, Walter uses the command headers all to get a list of all his mail messages. [Note: all here is a message sequence that refers to all messages contained in the current mail file. For a complete explanation of what message sequences are and which sequences are available, see page 23]. ----------------------------------------------- | | | $ mm | | /usr/local/mm | | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM>headers all | W | 1) 17-May Margarita Suarez Laser| | 2) 17-May Charlie C. Kim sunos| | A 3) 18-May Don Lanini Emacs| o | 4) 18-May Robert C Lehman Mets | t | A 5) 18-May Robert T. Cartolano Mac s| | R A 6) 18-May Sue Zayac SPSSX| | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM> | | | ----------------------------------------------- Messages that have been answered are marked with an "A" in the first column area. See the next page. A useful variant of the headers command is headers from <name> (where from <name> is another example of a message sequence) to see only messages from certain people. For example: ----------------------------------------------- | | | MM>headers from su | W | 1) 17-May Margarita Suarez Laser| | R A 6) 18-May Sue Zayac SPSSX| | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM> | | | ----------------------------------------------- This is a string search, not a keyword search. Typing only part of the name ("su") will match any name with "su" in it. Two very useful variants of the headers command are headers subject <string> and headers text <string>, which look for any messages with the string in their subject or text fields, respectively. Sometimes you remember getting a message about something, but not when or from whom. Choose a good topic word (or partial word) and one of these commands should help find the message. For example: ----------------------------------------------- | | | MM>headers subj su | | 2) 17-May Charlie C. Kim sunos| o | 4) 18-May Robert C Lehman Mets | | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM> | | | ----------------------------------------------- Again, note that this is a string search, not a keyword search. Think about this when choosing the "Subject" for your own mail. Be specific so your correspondents can do efficient headers searches. For example, don't use something like "meeting"; use "Thursday Brown Bag Meeting". Type help message-sequence at the MM> prompt to see all the variations of the headers command. The letter codes at the left side of the headers display show the status of the message, as follows: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | Message Header Abbreviations | | | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | Letter | Name | Meaning | | | | | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | s s a g e | A | answered | You sent a reply or answer to the me. | | | | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | l l b e e r a s e | | | You marked the message for deletion. It wid | e x i t o r e x p u n g e | D | deleted | from your message file the next time you type . | | | | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | m e s s a g e | F | flagged | You used the flag command to mark the . | | | | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | e R a n d U ) | N | new | The message is both recent and unseen (se. | | | | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | o n t h e m e s s a g e | K | keyword | You used the keyword command to mark a keyword. | | | | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | s e s s i o n | R | recent | The message has arrived as of this MM . | | | | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | r e a d | U | unseen | The message has never been typed or . | | | | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | n | no letter | | The message has already been see. | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Managing Your Mail File: Delete and Undelete You can get rid of messages you no longer need with the delete command: ----------------------------------------------- | | | MM>delete 1,2 | | 1:2 | | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM>headers all | W | D 1) 17-May Margarita Suarez Laser| | D 2) 17-May Charlie C. Kim sunos| | A 3) 18-May Don Lanini Emacs| o | 4) 18-May Robert C Lehman Mets | t | A 5) 18-May Robert T. Cartolano Mac s| | R A 6) 18-May Sue Zayac SPSSX| | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM> | | | ----------------------------------------------- Messages that have been deleted are marked with a "D" in the first column area. Note that after messages are deleted, they are still there until you type exit and leave MM or until you type the command expunge. This is useful if you should change your mind and want to undelete a deleted message: ----------------------------------------------- | | | MM>undel 2 | | 2 | | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM>headers all | W | D 1) 17-May Margarita Suarez Laser| | 2) 17-May Charlie C. Kim sunos| | A 3) 18-May Don Lanini Emacs| o | 4) 18-May Robert C Lehman Mets | t | A 5) 18-May Robert T. Cartolano Mac s| | R A 6) 18-May Sue Zayac SPSSX| | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM> | | | ----------------------------------------------- * Reading Old Messages You can reread messages in your mail file with the read or review command and the message number. ----------------------------------------------- | | | MM>headers 6 | | R A 6) 18-May Sue Zayac SPSSX| | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM>read 6 | | Message 6 (251 characters): | 0 | Received: by cunixf.columbia.edu (5.54/5.1| | Fri, 18 May 90 15:55:07 EDT | | Date: Fri, 18 May 1990 15:55:05 EDT | | From: Sue Zayac <sue@cunixf.columbia.edu> | | To: walter | | Subject: SPSSX TNote Draft | . | Message-Id: <CMM.0.90.580161305.sue@cunixf| | | d | I think this is now ready for critical rea| | want to find readers or shall I? /sue | | [Press any key to continue] | | | i | [ D=delete H=header R=reply TY=type PRI=pr| | Read> | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- You can use read from <name> and read subject <string> and other variants, too. Type help message-sequence for the variants. * Forwarding Messages Messages can be forwarded to other computer IDs with the forward command. Before the message is sent on, you are given an opportunity to preface it with a comment. If you don't wish to insert a comment, just press the "Escape" key (the way you usually finish entering text). MM will send the message with a header indicating it has been forwarded from you and not sent directly from the original sender. Replies will come to you. In this example, Walter sends Sue's message on to two other IDs. He prefaces her message with a note of his own. ----------------------------------------------- | | | Read>forward (message to) lynn,lisa | | Message (End with CTRL-D or ESC | e | Use CTRL-B to insert a file, CTRL-E to | e | through a filter, CTRL-K to redisplay m| u | redisplay, CTRL-N to abort, CTRL-P to r| | | ? | Can you read Sue's new TNote before Friday| | | e | [ D=display ED=edit H=header S=send TY=typ| | Send>s | | lynn... Queued | | lisa... Queued | | | i | [ D=delete H=header R=reply TY=type PRI=pr| | Read> | | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM>exit | | Expunging deleted messages. | | [1] + Stopped (signal) mm | | $ | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- Walter used the TAB key to make the computer finish out the forward command, so "ward (message to)" was printed by the computer. Also, note that when Walter exited MM this time, the message he deleted earlier was expunged. Lynn and Lisa will receive a message containing Walter's line "Can you read..." followed by Sue's message to Walter. The command remail acts similarly, but does not let you insert any comment, and replies will go to the original sender. Remail is for messages that weren't really for you. * Copying To and From Regular (Non-Mail) Files COPYING FROM A FILE INTO A MESSAGE You can insert a regular file into a message. Start as you would in sending a message. When you wish to insert the text from the file, type CTRL-b. You will then be prompted for the name of the file. In this example, Sue sends her document, spssx-tnote.mss, to Lisa and Lynn. ----------------------------------------------- | | | MM>send | | To: lisa,lynn | | cc: maurice | | Subject: SPSSX TNote Draft | | Message (End with CTRL-D or ESC | n | Use CTRL-B to insert a file, CTRL-E to e| s | through a filter, CTRL-K to redisplay me| n | redisplay, CTRL-N to abort, CTRL-P to ru| | | | Here it is: | | ^b | | Insert file: spssx-tnote.mss | | [OK] | | | / | If you have any questions, send me mail. | | | e | [ D=display ED=edit H=header S=send TY=typ| | Send>s | | lisa... Queued | | lynn... Queued | | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM> | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- CTRL-b is not visible on screen, just the resulting prompt Insert file: . It is not necessary to type anything to MM before or after inserting an external file; your entire message can consist of the inserted file. COPYING FROM A MESSAGE TO A FILE The list command copies a message to a regular file. For example, here Lynn has just read Sue's message containing the document, and decides to copy it out to a file, so she can work on it outside MM. ----------------------------------------------- | | | Read>list suesdocument | | | i | [ D=delete H=header R=reply TY=type PRI=pr| | Read> | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- From the MM> prompt, specify a message sequence after list suesdocument. A file created by list starts with a list of message headers (like the result of the headers command) for its contents, followed by a page break, and then copies of each message. There is no page break between the messages, unless you request breaks by typing list /separate-pages .... List does not add to an existing file; the new file created by list will replace an existing one of the same name. * File Transfer Using Kermit Kermit can transfer files between your PC and the host computer that runs MM. File transfer is actually the original purpose of Kermit. There are numerous reasons to use file transfer in connection with MM. You may want to compose long MM messages with your usual PC word processor, to avoid long connect time and to avoid learning emacs. You may want to send a PC file that wasn't originally intended for electronic mail. You and a colleague may want to work together on an article, using electronic mail to send drafts from one PC to another, possibly over long distance. FILE-TO-FILE TRANSFER The basic Kermit operation is to transfer files between the PC and the host. For information, see the handouts Using MS-DOS Kermit and Using MacKermit, and the booklet Kermit User's Guide, at the Business Office, 102 Philosophy Hall (854-3555). You can use file-to-file transfer if you wish. Downloading, use the MM command list at the MM> or Read> prompt to copy a message into a file on the host, and then, at the shell, use Kermit to transfer that file to your PC. Uploading, use Kermit to transfer a file from your PC to the host, and then, when sending a message, use CTRL-b to copy that file into the message. The basic procedure has the drawback that a file is created on the host solely for purposes of transfer. You don't really need it there, and you have to remember to remove it at some point. The following examples show how to transfer directly from and to MM. TRANSFER FROM MM TO PC In this example, Lynn has just read the document sent by Walter, and decides to copy it to a file to be called spssx on her IBM XT. ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | Read>list | "kermit -s - -a spssx" | a | Escape back to your local system and give | | ^]c | | | | Kermit-MS>receive | - | [--Kermit screen showing file transfer| | Kermit-MS>c | | | | Read> | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- The Kermit commands, shown above as indented, are cleared from the screen once the file transfer is complete. The key to the transfer is the command list | "kermit -s - -a spssx", which starts up the host Kermit and tells it to send. Notice the quotation marks. Lynn also could have done this later on from the MM> prompt. If it were message 12, for example, the command at MM> would be list | "kermit -s - -a spssx" 12. TRANSFER FROM PC TO MM Kermit transfers files in a format called ASCII or text. Many MS-DOS word processors keep files in their own special formats, so the files must be translated into ASCII before sending and from ASCII after receiving. Each word processor has a procedure to do so fairly simply. (Macintosh is similar. A file you create should be saved as text. When you try to open a text file for editing, it is converted automatically.) In this example, Lynn has written up comments about Sue's document using her favorite word processor on her XT. She then used the word processor's commands to make an ASCII text version of the document, named comments. Now she is sending it to Sue. ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | MM>send | | To: sue | | cc: | | Subject: spssx tnote | | Message (End with CTRL-D or ESC | n | Use CTRL/B to insert a file, CTRL/E to e| s | through a filter, CTRL/K to redisplay me| n | redisplay, CTRL/N to abort, CTRL/P to ru| | | n | Sue, here are some comments on the spssx t| | | | ^p | | Command: kermit -k | | ^]c | | | | Kermit-MS>send comments | - | [--Kermit screen showing file transfer| | Kermit-MS>c | | | | [Done] | | | L | Lisa is sending her comments separately. | | | | [ D=display S=send TE=text ED=edit TY=type| | Send> | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- CTRL-p does not appear on screen, but only the response to it, the prompt Command: . After the command kermit -k, the cursor drops to the next line, but there is no prompt at all. After the file transfer, the Kermit commands, shown above as indented, are cleared from the screen, so the comment [Done] appears on the line right under Command: . As you can see, MM states that CTRL-p is used "to run a program and insert output". The command kermit -k runs the host Kermit and tells it to stand by to receive a file. Kermit's output is the file that it receives. In the example, Lynn wrote a line of text before and after the file. This is not required; the file could be the entire message. MAC KERMIT Mac Kermit works substantially the same as MS-DOS Kermit, shown in the examples here. Instead of typing CTRL-] c and then send or receive, pull down the file menu and choose send or receive. * Using Emacs from within MM MM's editor, called text mode, is fairly limited. It does line wrap, but the only way to go back and change anything is to backspace to it, erasing the last part you typed, and then retype forward. GNU Emacs, a screen-oriented text editor, is far more powerful. If you know emacs, you may want to use it from within MM. [Note: If you don't know emacs, try the online tutorial. Type edit to the shell prompt $, then type CTRL-h t.] With emacs you can do such things as move easily back and forth, insert, move and delete larger pieces of text, clean up messy lines by re-justifying paragraphs, search for and replace specific strings of characters, and use the ispell spelling checker and correction program. It is difficult to demonstrate the use of a screen-oriented editor on a piece of paper, so this example only shows how to begin and end emacs and then send the edited file. In this example, Lynn is sending comments on the SPSSX TNote back to Sue. She starts her message in text mode. After a line or two, she decides that she needs more editing power. She then hits CTRL-e to move to emacs. ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | $ mm | | /usr/local/mm | | | i | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qu| | MM>send | | To: sue | | cc: lisa | f | Subject: Comments on the SPSSX TNote Dra| | Message (End with CTRL-D or ESC | e | Use CTRL-B to insert a file, CTRL-E to | e | through a filter, CTRL-K to redisplay m| u | redisplay, CTRL-N to abort, CTRL-P to r| | | | I have a couple of comments: | | | e | 1. COuld you make the 2nd exxample short| | | i | 2. In the first exampel, I think your us| | own commands, not a system one. Tiht may| | people. | | | . | 2. Thirdly. Oh drat, I better edit this| | ^E | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- The display in emacs is actually two screens: In the smaller, top screen is the address information. In the larger, bottom screen is the message waiting to be edited. At the very bottom you will see the message Don't forget to save your buffers if you want your changes to take effect. ----------------------------------------------- | | | | a | From: Lynn Jacobsen <lynn@cunixf.cc.columbi| | To: sue | | Cc: lisa | | Subject: Comments on the SPSSX TNote Draft | ) | -----Emacs: *MM Headers* (Text Fill| | | | I have a couple of comments: | | | t | 1. COuld you make the 2nd exxample shor| | | s | 2. In the first exampel, I think your u| h | your own commands, not a system one. Ti| | will confuse people. | | | s | 2. Thirdly. Oh drat, I better edit thi| | | | | | | | | B | -----Emacs: *MM Outgoing* (Text)----| n | Don't forget to save your buffers if you wa| | | ----------------------------------------------- Now make whatever changes need to be made. When you are finished, start returning to MM by typing CTRL-x CTRL-z: ----------------------------------------------- | | | | a | From: Lynn Jacobsen <lynn@cunixf.cc.columbi| | To: sue | | Cc: lisa | | Subject: Comments on the SPSSX TNote Draft | ) | -----Emacs: *MM Headers* (Text Fill| | | | I have a couple of comments: | | | | 1. In the first example, I think you're| | your own commands, i.e., "pp". This| p | people. It would be better to use "| | | e | 2. Could you make the 2nd example short| | don't really need the second "list".| | | c | 3. There's a typo in example 3. It's "| | not "crudmugeon". | | | | | | | | | | | B | -----Emacs: *MM Outgoing* (Text)----| | C-x C-z | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- Immediately after you type CTRL-x CTRL-z but before you are returned to MM, you will see a message like this one at the bottom of the emacs screen: ----------------------------------------------- | | ( | Save file /f/us/us/lynn/.mm-outgoing.21393? | | | ----------------------------------------------- Type a y if you want to save this message. Typing an n will discard the changes made since starting emacs. Actually, emacs will ask first if you are sure you want to discard the message. Now you are back at the Send> prompt. If you like, use the display command to check what your editing looks like. If, at the Send> prompt, you still had second thoughts about the message, you could type the word edit to return again to emacs. The message is sent only when you give a send command. * Additional Mail Files Your main mail file is named mbox. All the messages you have are stored in the one file. When MM starts up, it copies any new mail you have into mbox, and then shows you the headers of the new mail. If you want to keep a large number of old messages, it is a good idea to put them into additional mail files, rather than leave them in mbox. MM can start up faster. You might have just one other file for old mail, or you could classify the mail by topic or sender. Either of the commands move and copy place mail into another mail file. The difference is that move marks the messages for deletion, while copy does not. The command get is used to change between mail files. Here, Sue has decide to start a mail file called waltermail to hold messages from Walter. To be sure, she then gets that file and uses the headers command to check it. ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | MM>move waltermail from walter | i | File does not exist: /f/us/us/sue/walterma| | Do you want to create it? yes | | 4,15:16,22,26,31:32,45,51 | | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM>get waltermail | | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM>headers all | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- Since this is a new mail file, MM first verifies whether Sue wants to create it. The response to the move command then indicates that the messages specified by "from walter" are 4, 15, 16, 22, 26, 31, 32, 45 and 51. In the new file waltermail, they will be numbered 1, 2, 3, etc., as Sue will see in response to the headers all command issued at the end of the example. Since Sue used the move command, the messages are now marked for deletion in mbox. From now on, Sue can type move waltermail at the Read> prompt after reading a message, and that message will be moved to the waltermail file. Once she has typed the command get waltermail, Sue can type the usual MM commands and they will apply to the waltermail file. One thing she will need to do is delete unwanted messages in it, and type the expunge command to eliminate them, so that the file does not become too large. To return to mbox, Sue can then type get mbox, but the command get, with no filename, always refers to mbox, so Sue actually types: ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | MM>get | | | t | [ H=headers R=read REV=review S=send Q=qui| | MM> | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- * Nicknames and Mailing Lists NICKNAMES Probably you will send mail regularly to certain people. If they have long or strange addresses, you may want to define an alias for each of them to save typing or to avoid looking up the address. To do so, use the define command: ----------------------------------------------- | | | MM>define linda muurb@cuvmb | | MM>define rich rich@machine1.com.bfu.edu | | | ----------------------------------------------- Then, when you send mail, type the alias after To:, and MM will send the mail to the real address you defined. After you have defined an alias, you must deliberately save it if you want to use it again. To save an alias definition, use the save-init command. It takes no arguments: --------------------- | | | MM>save-init | | | --------------------- This will update a file named .mminit in your directory (or create it). Whenever you use MM in the future, any aliases in this file will be available. To find out what aliases you have already defined, use the command who ?. This will give a list of aliases. To find out who a particular alias is, type who and the name of the alias. For example: ----------------------------------------------- | | | MM>who ? mail alias, one of the following:| | linda rich | | or recipient name, text string | | MM>who linda | | muurb@cuvmb | | | ----------------------------------------------- MAILING LISTS You can also use an alias as a mailing list. Just define the alias as a group of user IDs: ----------------------------------------------- | | b | MM>define stats sue,maurice,jte,wmbcu@cuvm| | | ----------------------------------------------- Send mail, typing stats after the To: prompt, and MM will send it to the whole list. Although the purpose is different, a mailing list alias is the same thing to MM as a nickname alias. The who command now will show this: ----------------------------------------------- | | | MM>who ? mail alias, one of the following:| | linda rich stats | | or recipient name, text string | | MM>who stats | | sue, maurice, jte, wmbcu@cuvmb | | | ----------------------------------------------- A better way to define a mailing list is to create a file that has all the addresses in the list. (Use emacs for example.) Then use the define command to tell MM about the file. In the example below, we start by creating a file called statspeople containing all the ID's we want in our group. The shell command more shows the contents of a file. ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | $ more statspeople | | sue,maurice,jte,wmbcu@cuvmb.bitnet | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- Now we define stats so that it will be an alias for whatever is in the file statspeople. ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | MM>define stats @@statspeople | | MM>who stats | | @@/us/us/lynn/statspeople | | MM>send | | To: stats | | cc: | | Subject: Time sheets | | Message (End with CTRL-D or ESC | e | Use CTRL-B to insert a file, CTRL-E to ent| a | through a filter, CTRL-K to redisplay mess| a | redisplay, CTRL-N to abort, CTRL-P to run | | | t | There was an error in one of the timeshee| | I will correct it as soon as I can. | | | | lynn | | S>display | a | From: lynn jacobsen <lynn@cunixf.cc.columbi| | To: sue, maurice, jte, wmbcu@cuvmb.bitnet | | Subject: Time sheets | | | l | There was an error in one of the timesheets | | I will correct it as soon as I can. | | | | lynn | | | ----------------------------------------------- The symbols @@ tell MM to use the file statspeople whenever you mail to stats. You can change the file as the people involved change, and each time you send a message to stats, MM will look at the file statspeople to see who is in it now. Note that who stats shows the name of the file, not who is in it. If, instead, you type define stats @statspeople, with only one @, MM will copy the list of names out of statspeople at the time you define it. MM will not look in the file again: even if you change it, MM will not change the definition of stats. In this case who stats will show the list of names. The file can have the same name stats as the alias; we used different names here to clarify the discussion. 3. Message Sequences * Message Sequences When you are working in read mode or send mode, any command you enter will apply either to the message you are reading or to the outgoing message. At top level, however, commands can apply to any or all of the messages in your mailbox. You may, for example, want to read all messages from a particular person about a certain subject. Or perhaps you'd like to delete any message about a meeting or class once the event has passed. Message sequences make this possible. A message sequence is a word or phrase that describes some group of messages that have a particular trait in common. The simplest form is a number or range of numbers. For example, messages 5 through 10 can be specified as follows: 5:10 5-10 5,6,7,8,9,10 5+6 Asterisk (*) means the last message, the highest- numbered message. There are many other message sequences, listed below. Some require a value as suggested in <> brackets. Type help message-sequence to list them online. * Description of Message Sequences - AFTER <date>: all sequence by typing messages sent or something like received after a headers <message certain date or sequence>, and day, as after April then, if it is what 1, 1989 or after you want, type read Tuesday. A time previous sequence can be specified rather than after the date or retyping the same day, as after message sequence Tuesday 1:00pm. again. - ALL: every message - RECENT: messages in your file, that are new as of including any this session with marked for MM. If you have 5 deletion, from new messages when oldest to newest. you log in, then See also INVERSE. they would all be marked recent until - ANSWERED: messages you've ended your you have reply'd to session with MM. or answered. - SEEN: messages you - BEFORE <date>: all have already looked messages sent or at. Most likely received before a all or nearly all certain date or the messages in day. See AFTER. your mailbox are considered seen - CURRENT: the since you usually message MM is read any unseen pointing at, for ones when you start example, the last MM. A message that one read. Also is marked seen will abbreviated as not have a U or N period (.). next to its header. - DELETED: messages - SHORTER <number>: that have been all messages marked for deletion containing fewer with the delete than a certain command, or moved number of using the move characters. command. On a subsequent expunge - SINCE <date>: or exit command, messages sent or the deleted received on or messages will be after a certain physically removed date or day. See from your mail file AFTER. Unlike and gone forever. after, since includes the date - FLAGGED: messages specified. marked by the flag command. - SUBJECT <word>: all messages that have - FROM <user>: a certain word (or messages from a part of a word) in person. It their subject searches both the field. For user ID and the example, to see name in the from messages that have field, so note, for "computer" in the example, that from subject, use sue matches the subject computer. user ID sue but also anyone else - TEXT <word>: all named Sue. Be messages that have careful when a certain word (or deleting from a part of a word) in name. their text. For example, the word - INVERSE: all "computer" might messages, like ALL, not be in the but in inverse subject field of order (most recent some messages, but message first). you can reference all messages that - KEYWORD <keyword- mention "computer" name>: messages in their text by marked by the text computer. You keyword command. might try part of You can define the word instead, keywords to mark like text comput, groups of messages to include by a keyword name. "computing", Whenever you want "compute", etc as to refer to the well. messages marked with a certain - TO <user>: all keyword, you type a messages that were two word sequence: sent to a user, keyword <keyword- including carbon name>. copies, but not blind carbon copies - LAST: the last (the "cc" but not message. Also "bcc" header abbreviated as fields). Most of asterisk (*). the messages in your mailbox are to - LAST <number>: the yourself, but you last n messages. may have some to other people that - LONGER <number>: are cc'd to all messages yourself, and some containing more that were to other than, or exactly, a people besides certain number of yourself. characters. - UNANSWERED: - NEW: messages that messages you did are both recent and not reply to or unseen. Generally answer. this is a message that has arrived - UNDELETED: messages while you were away that haven't been from the computer, deleted via the or perhaps one that delete or move has just arrived commands. while you were working. - UNFLAGGED: messages not flagged. - ON <date>: messages sent or received on - UNKEYWORD <keyword- a certain date or name>: messages not day. See AFTER. included in the keyword. - PREVIOUS SEQUENCE: the last message - UNSEEN: messages sequence used in an that were never MM command. You typed or read. might preview a * Message Sequence examples Here are some simple examples of commands using message This would read messages 3 sequences. You may also use through 8 individually: several in one command to further specify the desired --------------------- messages. | | | MM>read 3:8 <cr> | This would put you into read | | mode and would let you read --------------------- all the flagged messages: This would display the header --------------------- lines of all the messages | | that are unanswered from hmh r | MM>read flagged <c| (note that two message | | sequences are combined, from --------------------- and unanswered): This would read all the --------------------- messages from hmh: | | a | MM>hea from hmh un| --------------------- | | | | --------------------- c | MM>read from hmh <| | | This command marks for --------------------- deletion all messages from 5 through 15 that contain the lines of all messages you string "deadline" in the text have received since (and of the message: including) Monday: --------------------- --------------------- | | | | t o | MM>delete 5:15 tex| | MM>headers since M| | | | | --------------------- --------------------- This would display the header 4. Top Level * What is Top Level? When you start MM you are at the top level. This is identified by the MM> prompt being displayed. At this level, all the power of MM is available to you via a large number of commands that enable you to manage your messages, read them, send new ones, reply to old ones and so forth. This chapter describes the functions and use of each command. At the MM> prompt, you can type help <command-name> for more information on each command, with examples. Of all the top level commands, by far the ones you will use most frequently are read and send. They each start up their own mode that is identified by a different prompt from the top level prompt, MM>. Some of the same commands can be used. See the following chapters on read mode and send mode. * Commands in Top Level Some of the descriptions that follow mention "arguments". When what you type is of the form command something, for example reply 3, reply is the command and 3 is the argument. The argument that reply takes is a message sequence. As you recall from the earlier description of a message sequence, the argument might also be 4:10 or 2,5,7 or from hmh instead of 3. When you are using MM, you can type ? for suggested arguments, like reply ?. The type of argument for each command is suggested here in brackets <>. <Mess-seq> is any message sequence; if none is given the command refers to the "current" message. The argument may be optional in some cases, as noted. - ANSWER: See reply. 21 for an example. You can also refer - BACKTRACK: Not yet MM to a file functioning. It listing the users, will be used in as explained at the conjunction with example. To keep the follow command the alias to track a permanently, use "conversation". A the save-init conversation in command. this case is considered to be - DELETE <mess-seq>: all messages with Marks a message or the same subject. set of messages for Backtrack moves you deletion. The to the previous messages are not message in the erased until the conversation. exit or expunge command is given. - BLANK: Blanks your screen if you are - ECHO <text>: Prints on a video display the same text back terminal. If not, at the terminal. then it does Useful in files of nothing. mm commands that you would take. - BROWSE <mess-seq>: See TAKE. Displays headers of the messages - EDIT <mess-seq>: specified. It then Edits a message or allows you several set of messages in options including your mail file, reading each using the editor message, replying specified in your to it, flagging it, .mminit file. The and deleting it. default editor is Type ? during emacs. browse to see a list of the - EXAMINE <filename>: options. Changes your current mail file - BUG: Can be used to to an additional report problems or file in read-only suggestions to the mode. It is like maintainers of MM. the get command Bug puts you into except that the send mode with a file is read-only, predefined list of and the file addresses to send reference date is the message about not updated. the bug. You send it the normal way - EXIT: Ends your you would send any current MM session other message. The and suspends the response may take a process. It will short while, i.e. a also erase any day or two. Note, messages you have for help and advice marked for deletion on using MM, send in the current mail mail to file (the one you "consultant" are in when you instead of using exit). See BYE and bug. QUIT. - BYE: Exits you from - EXPUNGE: MM and kills the Permanently process. It also eliminates messages asks you whether marked for you would like to deletion. It expunge deleted actually writes out messages. See EXIT a new copy of the and QUIT. file without the deleted messages, - CD <directory>: The so in effect it cd command is makes the file similar to the cd shorter. The command in the command exit does shell. It changes an expunge for you. the current working directory to one - FINGER: The finger specified as an command is the same argument. The one available to default directory you at the shell. is your home It shows you (login) directory. information about The current working other users on the directory is the system. See the starting point for examples on page path names not 36. For further beginning with "/". information, type man finger at the - CHECK: Checks for shell prompt, or new messages that !man finger at any may have arrived of the MM prompts. while you are using MM. MM does an - FLAG <mess-seq>: automatic check Makes the messages every 5 minutes. specified "stand out" in your mail - CONTINUE: If you file by marking quit at the Send> them as flagged. prompt, continue You can refer to returns you to the them with the Send> prompt. message sequence flagged. Flagged - COPY <filename messages are also mess-seq>: Copies displayed when you messages to an start MM, along additional mail with the unseen file. It takes two messages. arguments: the first is the - FOLLOW: Not yet filename of the functioning. It additional mail will be used in file, and the conjunction with second is a message the backtrack sequence. The command to track a messages are left "conversation". A unchanged in the conversation in original mail file. this case is If the file to copy considered to be to does not exist all messages with yet, it is created. the same subject. See MOVE. Follow moves you to the next message in - COUNT <mess-seq>: the conversation. Accepts a message sequence (default - FORWARD <mess-seq>: all) and displays Forwards a message the message numbers you have received and total number of to some other messages in the address. It is sequence. similar to REMAIL, but it allows you - DAYTIME: Tells you to insert a message the current date on top of the one and time. being forwarded. You are the - DEFINE <alias "sender" of the user(s)>: The forwarded message, define command is so replies come to used to create you. nicknames or mailing lists, - GET <filename>: known in MM as Changes your aliases. The two current mail file arguments are to the file named. first, the alias All MM commands now you will use, and apply to that file. second, the real With no argument, address (which may refers to your main be a list of users, mail file. See separated by EXAMINE. commas). See page - HEADERS <mess-seq>: Lists "headline" starts on a new summaries of page. The default messages in your print-filter is current mail file. /usr/local/bin/prin If you follow this will ask what command with a printer you want to message sequence, use. If you it will output all connect via Kermit the headers of that from a PC with its sequence in order own printer of lowest message directly attached, number to highest. try the command set See page 10 for a print-filter detailed pcprint, and print explanation of each will then direct of the fields that printing to your appear when you use PC's printer. As this command. an example of the full command, print - HELP: Displays help /separate-pages on various topics 6:10 prints including all the messages 6 to 10 commands at the with each on its level at which help own page. is being invoked. To find out the - PROFILE: Helps you things you can get set up an help on type help environment for ?. You can also using MM type help <command> corresponding to for help on that your preferences in command. message handling. It asks you a - JUMP <message>: series of questions Resets a certain and then makes MM message to be the remember your current message. responses (via the For instance, jump .mminit file). It 10 will make does not go through message number 10 all of the .mminit be the current options possible. message. For further details see the chapter on - KEYWORD <word-list Customization. mess-seq>: Allows you to group - PUSH: Gives you a together related new (inferior) messages by shell. At that assigning them point you can then keywords. The do anything you first argument is could ordinarily do one or more in the shell, and keywords separated you get back to MM by commas, and the by exiting the second argument shell. A different specifies what option is to enter messages to assign shell commands at them to. Later, any of the MM when you use the prompts simply by message sequence preceding them with keyword <word>, it a "!", e.g. !man refers to all finger. Still messages to which another option is you gave that to quit from MM by keyword. quit or exit and then return to MM - LIST </switch afterwards. filename mess-seq>: This use of list - PWD: The pwd formats messages command is similar nicely and copies to the pwd command them to a file. in the shell. It The difference from displays your copy is that the current working file cannot be read directory. See the by MM. There are cd command to three arguments. change your working The first is directory. optional, either /headers-only, - QUIT: Quits out of which lists only MM, without the header (meaning expunging, and what you would see suspends the from a header process. See BYE command), or and EXIT. /separate-pages, which puts a page - READ <mess-seq>: break between Starts reading the messages. The messages specified second argument is in read mode. For the name of the more information file. The last see the chapter on argument is a read mode. Without message sequence. an argument, read will read any - LIST </switch | messages you have "shell-command" not yet seen. mess-seq>: This use of list formats - REMAIL <mess-seq>: messages nicely and Similar to forward, sends them as input but the message is to a shell command. sent as is, with There are three nothing added arguments. The except modification first is optional, to the header either fields to indicate /headers-only or who did the /separate-pages, as remailing. Each described above. message in a The second argument sequence is sent as is a pipe symbol a separate piece of (|) followed by any mail. The original shell command, in sender will get any double quotes, that replies. will take the input. The last - REPLY <mess-seq>: argument is a Most commonly used message sequence. in read mode to This use of list reply to the can be used to current message, print messages by but can also be putting the commanded from top- appropriate shell level. With no print command in argument, refers to quotes (like "lpr the current -P<printer>"). It message. When can also be used to invoked from send the message top-level, it will into Kermit so you ask who to reply to can copy it to a after you type the file on your PC; command send: type see page 15. sender, all (meaning everyone - LITERAL <command>: who received the Literal is a prefix message), or none to the list, print (meaning don't send and type commands a reply to this that causes them to message); also type ignore the including to dont-print-headers, include the only-print-headers, original message in dont-type-headers the reply, for and example sender only-type-headers including. variables. - RESTORE-DRAFT - MARK <mess-seq>: <filename>: Marks a message or Continue sending a set of messages as message you saved seen. in mid-composition using the - MOVE <filename save-draft command mess-seq>: Moves (page 31). messages into an additional mail - REVIEW <mess-seq>: file. It works Like read, but when like copy, but also no message sequence marks the messages is specified, for deletion from review prompts you your current mail for one. file. See COPY. - ROUTE <user>: - NEXT: Goes to the Forwards all mail next message in the sent to you to file and types it another address. if it is not The address can be deleted. The next either a local user message is ID or a remote mail considered to be address in the form the one directly user@host. To stop after the current the forwarding, one. type route with no argument. The - PREVIOUS: Goes to command creates a the previous file called message in the file .forward in your and types it if it directory. is not deleted. The previous - SAVE-INIT: Used message is after one or more considered to be define or set the one directly commands to save before the current the definition or one. setting permanently in the file called - PRINT </switch .mminit . See mess-seq>: Prints DEFINE and the the specified chapter on messages using the Customization. print program defined by the - SEND: Start writing print-filter a message to be variable. The sent. See the first argument is chapter on send optional, and the mode. An only possibility is alternative format /separate-pages, is send <user>, which puts a page specifying the user break between you are sending to. messages, so each - SET <variable-name value>: Customize commands will MM to act appear. If you differently, by define the output resetting one of file as /dev/tty, its variables. See the commands the chapter on themselves will be Customization. displayed at your terminal as well as - SHOW <variable-name the output from the or mail-alias>: commands. MM With no argument, closes the file and displays the restores input from current MM the terminal when environment any of the variable settings following happen: and mail aliases, end of file, as established by command error, or a the set and define take command with commands. You can no argument (this also specify a suppresses the particular variable "[End of ...]" or alias to see message). Note, what value it has each time MM starts currently. See up it automatically DEFINE and the takes the files chapter on .mminit and .mmrc Customization. in your login directory. - SORT: Sorts the mail file - TYPE <mess-seq>: chronologically by Displays the the dates the messages specified messages were without going into generated. read mode. - SPELL <mess-seq>: - UNANSWER <mess- Invokes the program seq>: Removes the indicated by the answered status speller variable on from messages. the message specified. (The - UNDELETE <mess- default speller is seq>: "Undeletes" ispell.) You messages; that is, should spell one it removes the message at a time. marker that calls Type man ispell in for deletion. the shell (or !man (Expunged messages ispell at any of no longer appear in the MM prompts) for headers and cannot more information. be "unexpunged".) Once you are in ispell, type ? for - UNKEYWORD <word- help or X to exit list mess-seq>: without changing Removes specified the file. keyword(s) from the specified - STATUS: Tells you message(s). relevant information and - UNFLAG <mess-seq>: statistics about Removes the flag, your current as set by flag. message file, i.e. how many messages - UNMARK <mess-seq>: are deleted, Unmarks messages; unseen, how large that is, makes them the file is, etc. appear unseen. Typing status verbose gives you - VERSION: Shows MM's in addition the current version process ID number number, copyright and user name. notice, and bug report address. - SUSPEND: Suspends execution of MM. - WHO <mail-alias or It may be continued user>: Shows how a later with the given mail address shell fg will be translated (foreground) by the mail system command. Modified into a list of one mail files will be or more actual saved before recipients. With control is returned an alias, shows the to the shell. users (or the file containing a list - TAKE <filename of users). With a filename filename>: user ID, usually Directs MM to an shows the user ID, external file of MM but will show any commands and forwarding or other executes the re-addressing that commands. It takes may be in effect. three arguments: the first is the - WRITE <filename>: file containing the Writes out a new commands; the other copy of the mail two are optional file. It does not and are for output remove deleted and error messages messages. With the respectively. If optional filename no output file is argument, it will specified, the make a copy of your commands themselves mail file with the will be invisible new name. and only the results of the * CCMD At any MM prompt, you are using a command parser called CCMD, which you can use to help you enter commands. Partially typed commands can be completed by typing [TAB]. For example, to issue the command check, you could type just ch and then [TAB]. The reason this works is that only one command begins with ch. Try typing c[TAB]: it will be completed too, but not perhaps as you wish, since there is more than one command starting with c; abort with <ctrl/u>, or backspace over it. If the partially typed command takes an argument, CCMD will describe what it is. For example, if you type cop[TAB], CCMD fills it out as copy (into file), meaning you should fill in a file name. To see whether a command has a default argument, type [TAB] where you would normally type the argument. For example, headers [TAB] is completed as headers current. If you want the default, just press [RETURN]; otherwise, abort with <ctrl/u>, or backspace over it and type what you want instead. If there is no default, your terminal will beep. Lastly, CCMD performs the ? help function. At almost any point, you can type ? to see a list of suggestions. Sometimes it just reminds you how to type out a command, and other times it may show you something you never heard of that looks useful. Follow up by typing help <command> for more information. 5. Read Mode * What Is Read Mode? Read mode reads and processes the messages in your mail file. Its commands are very similar to the ones in top level, but refer only to the message being read. So, for instance, if you were to type MM>read 3, you would be put into read mode, and commands would then, for the most part, apply only to message 3. If you had typed MM>read 3:10 (meaning to read messages 3 through 10, individually and one right after the other), any commands you would type in read mode would apply to whichever message between 3 and 10 is currently being read. * Commands In Read Mode Start read mode by typing MM>read followed by a message-sequence. With no message-sequence, MM>read is taken to mean MM>read unseen, and it will let you read each new message you have not seen. If there are no new messages, it simply returns you to the top level. When you start MM, it tells you whether you have new messages. During a session, MM checks for more incoming mail every 5 minutes, or you can force a check with the check command. Most of the top-level commands are also available in read mode. Read mode is identified by the Read> prompt. You can get descriptions of the read mode commands by typing help ? or help <command> at the read prompt. The major difference is that the commands do not take message sequences as arguments, but refer instead to the current message. For example, delete refers to the message you just read. The command kill is the only read mode command that does not also operate at top-level. Reply works somewhat differently in top-level and read modes. - KILL: Combines including. The delete and next: alternative to marks the current sender is all, message for which sends the deletion and then reply to everyone types the next who received the message. original message. The second keyword - REPLY: Most can be including, commonly used in which includes the read mode rather text of the than top-level. In original message read mode, the two above the reply. optional keywords Therefore, the for reply should be following commands added immediately are all commonly after the command. used: reply, reply The simple command all, reply reply is the same including, reply as the full command all including. reply sender not- 6. Send Mode * What Is Send Mode? Send mode is invoked by typing the send command at top level or in read mode. Whenever you send or forward a message, reply or answer a message, or send a bug report, send mode is invoked in some form. Suppose you type send followed by a <cr>: --------------------- | | | MM>send <cr> | | To: | | | --------------------- At this point, MM is awaiting a list of addresses to send the message to. Valid addresses are of the form userID, userID@host, or userID, userID, userID (i.e., several user ID's separated by commas). Suppose you want to send a message to hmh, jhs and jcs. You would say --------------------- | | | MM>send <cr> | s | To: hmh, jhs, jc| | | --------------------- The list of addresses is terminated with a carriage return. Notice that spacing and case will be ignored. You could just as well have said hms,jhs,jcs. They are separated by space here only for readability. This is known as specifying the to-list in sending a message. The next thing it will ask you for is a cc-list: --------------------- | | | MM>send <cr> | | To: hmh <cr> | | cc: | | | --------------------- The cc-list is optional. You can put in one or more valid userIDs in the same form as in the to-list. Cc's are used to let someone see a copy of a message that isn't really directed to them. Suppose you have a message for hmh and mmc, and you want vla to be aware that you sent it: --------------------- | | | MM>send <cr> | > | To: hmh, mmc <cr| | cc: vla <cr> | | Subject: | | | --------------------- The last prompt is for the subject of the message. While it is optional, you should always use it, by putting in a few words or a phrase that describes the topic of your message. This is what your readers will see as the subject when they see they have new mail. For example, here is what you might say if if you are sending a message to the above people about the recent difficulties you've had getting in touch with them: ----------------------------------------------- | | | MM>send <cr> | | To: hmh, mmc <cr> | | cc: vla <cr> | | Subject: Problems calling you <cr> | | Message (End with CTRL/D or ESC | t | Use CTRL/B to insert a file, CTRL/E to en| / | CTRL/F to run text through a filter, CTRL| L | CTRL/L to clear screen and redisplay, CTR| | program and insert output.): | | | ----------------------------------------------- Now you can actually type in the body of the message itself. Suppose you want to send a message to the above people, saying I am having problems getting in touch with you on a regular basis. Is there a good time to call you at home or another number I can use?. To do this you should type: ----------------------------------------------- | | | MM>send <cr> | | To: hmh, mmc <cr> | | cc: vla <cr> | | Subject: Problems calling you <cr> | | Message (End with CTRL/D or ESC | t | Use CTRL/B to insert a file, CTRL/E to en| s | through a filter, CTRL/K to redisplay mes| | redisplay, CTRL/N to abort, CTRL/P to run| y | I am having problems getting in touch with | | Is there a good time to call you at home or| | can use?<cr> | | [ESC] | | | | Send>send | | hmh... Queued | | mmc... Queued | | vla... Queued | | MM> | | | ----------------------------------------------- The message is typed in and ended with [ESC]. It is then sent with the send command. MM responds by confirming the delivery to hmh and mmc and vla. Thereafter, it returns you to the top level MM> prompt. This message was typed using MM's text mode. See page 17 for information on using Gnu-Emacs as the editor. The following commands can be used while you are entering text: - <ctrl/b>: insert a the text of the file into the place message as it where you are appears thus far. currently typing. You will be - <ctrl/l>: clears prompted with the screen, then Insert File: at types the text of which point you the message as it should type the appears thus far. name of the file you want inserted - <ctrl/n>: aborts and then a carriage the message return. You can (defaults to asking then continue before aborting the typing more of the message). message or send it. - <ctrl/r>: retypes - <ctrl/c>: clobber the line that you MM and return to are typing, from the shell, heralded leftmost character by the $ prompt. to rightmost. When you type <ctrl/c>, mm will - <ctrl/p>: runs a prompt you by program from the asking Do you shell and appends really want to exit the output to the MM?. In most cases current message. you should type no and use the - <ctrl/u>: erases standard methods to the line that you exit MM. are typing, from leftmost character - <ctrl/e>: invoke to rightmost. the editor specified in the - <ctrl/w>: erases EDITOR variable the last word you entry in your typed. .mminit file. If you already started - <delete> or typing the message, <backspace>: delete the text is carried the last character. into the editor. The default is gnu- - [ESC] or <ctrl/d>: emacs. escape to send mode heralded by the - <ctrl/f>: runs the Send> prompt at message through a which point any of filter: uses what the send mode you have typed as commands apply. To input to some send the message, program and type send and then replaces it with a carriage return. the output from the program. - <ctrl/k>: types out * Commands In Send Mode As you see above, simply typing send at the MM> prompt will not immediately put you into send mode with the Send> prompt. What will do that is finishing the text of your message with an [ESC] or <ctrl/d>. However, if you want to change some attribute (like add or subtract an address from the header, change the subject, etc.) you will need to get to the Send> prompt by [ESC] or <ctrl/d>. Then you can use any of the send mode commands. At the send prompt you also can specify header fields such as: Bcc, Cc, Fcc, From, In-reply-to, Reply-to, Subject, Text, To, User-header. Several commands are available only in send mode. Those commands that are the same as the top-level command generally refer to the message being composed (rather than the current message of your incoming mail file). The exceptions to this are headers and type, which still refer to the current message. The following send mode commands differ from top-level commands: - DISPLAY <field>: specify some Displays the address(es) with a message you've to or cc command in typed so far, with order to send the its header fields message. Erase (address, subject). cannot erase the If the message is sender field. Here very long and you are the fields you just want to can follow the display one of the erase command with: fields, you can type display to or - all: erase the display cc or entire message display subject or - bcc: erase the display text. blind carbon- Following are the copies address optional fields you list can use with the - cc: erase the display command. carbon copies Of these, display address list header and display - fcc: erase the all are most field containing useful. the file name the message was - all: shows the to be copied to entire message - from: erase the and headers. from address - bcc: shows only - in-reply-to: the blind carbon erase the copy recipients in-reply-to - cc: shows only field. the carbon copy - reply-to: erase recipients the reply-to - fcc: shows only field the file name - subject: erase that will the subject receive a copy - text: erase the of your outgoing text of the message message - from: shows only - to: erase the to the from address address list - header: shows - user-header: only the message remove some user headers (To, defined header From, etc.) - reply-to: shows only the reply-to field - INSERT <filename>: - subject: shows Inserts the only the subject contents of a file - text: shows only as an addendum to the text your message. For - to: shows only example, to insert the to the file Addendum, recipients you would type insert Addendum. - BCC <user>: Sends a - ERASE <field>: blind carbon copy, Erases completely a which is like a field of your carbon-copy except message, like to, no one who receives cc, subject, text, the message sees or all. For the list of bcc example, to erase recipients. This the text of your is useful if you message, enter want to send a note erase text. Note, to someone and logically enough, don't want the if by erasing you person to know that end up with no to someone else is or cc field, you also receiving a will have to copy of the message. For <filename>: Saves example, bcc the message text in brennan. the file you name. The text can be - CC <user>: Adds recovered later more carbon-copy with restore-draft addresses to the (page 26). This cc-list. To add lets you interrupt jhs and jcs, you sending the message would type cc jhs, but keep the text, jcs. so that you can resume at some - FCC <filename>: other time. Defines a file name or set of file - SUBJECT <text>: names that will Replaces the receive copies of subject of the your outgoing current message you message. This will are sending. To not appear in the change the current outgoing message. subject to be The file will be in Budgets, you should current directory type subject unless you specify Budgets. The a path. subject, of course, can consist of more - IN-REPLY-TO <text>: than one word, if Takes a line of you so desire. text as an argument to make the in- - TEXT: If you have reply-to field of gotten to the Send> the message you are prompt and then sending. This want to add more field is intended text on to message, to reflect which you can use this message you are command. You may answering. It will look at the text be generated already in the file automatically by MM by typing <ctrl/l> when you use the or <ctrl/k> or have reply or answer it appear commands. automatically every time by changing - REPLY-TO <user>: the setting of the Specifies the display-outgoing-me Reply-to field for to yes. To add messages. This This is a test you directs replies to would simply say a different user ID from the one you --------------------- are using. | | Possibly you have | Send> text <cr> | C more than one ID or | This is a test [ES| address and want | Send> | the replies to go | | to one of the other --------------------- IDs, or possibly you want someone - TO <user>: Adds else to collect the more addresses to replies. The the to-list. For command refers to example, to add the message being jem, mmc, rdl to sent. If you have the to-list, you done set default- would simply type reply-to, then use reply-to followed --------------------- by null to remove | | , the reply-to field | Send> to jem, mmc| from a particular | | message. --------------------- - SAVE-DRAFT 7. Customization * How to Customize MM Various options of MM can be changed to customize it. They all start out with either default values or no value, and you do not have to change any of them to use MM. This manual describes MM behavior based on the default values. Once you have worked with MM, you may want to try changing some of them. Four commands are important in customizing: - SET <variable-name value>: Set changes the particular option to the value you want. - SAVE-INIT: Save-init makes the set permanent by saving the new value in the file .mminit . - SHOW <variable-name>: Show displays the current value of the variable. With no variable name it shows all of them. - PROFILE: Profile takes you through some of the most likely options and asks which way to set each one. It does what set and save-init do. Many of the variables take values meaning yes (always, ok, true, yes) or no (false, never, no), or the value ask, which means to prompt you for yes or no each time. Some variables instead take text or other values. For example, to change the setting of the append-signature variable to yes, you would enter: --------------------- | | | | a | MM>set append-sign| | | | | --------------------- * Description of Variables The following are the variables and the optional settings available followed by the system defaults. Many of these settings are fairly obscure and you will not find much need to change them. For longer descriptions of each variable, type help set <variable-name>. The most commonly changed variable settings are indicated by checkmarks. - ALIASES-USE-GROUPS: default is If yes, aliases /usr/ucb/more -x defined using the (the more program). define command show only the alias name - DEFAULT-BCC-LIST: in the to field of Defines a list of outgoing messages. recipients that If no, all the user should always be ID's that the alias included in the has included will bcc: (blind carbon be listed. The copy) header field. default is no. There is no default. - @zf<4> APPEND- SIGNATURE: If yes, - @zf<4> DEFAULT-CC- the .signature file LIST: Gives a list in your home of addresses that directory will will always be in automatically be the cc (carbon added to the bottom copy) header field of your outgoing of your outgoing mail. The default messages. There is is no. no default. - AUTO-STARTUP-GET: - @zf<4> DEFAULT-FCC- If yes, MM will get LIST: Defines a your mail file for file name (or list you automatically of file names) in upon entry. The which to put a default is yes. carbon copy of all outgoing messages. - AUTOWRAP-COLUMN: There is no The numeric default. You argument specifies should specify the the column at which path, because to perform otherwise the file automatic word is always assumed wrapping while to be in the collecting a current directory. message. If the number is positive, - DEFAULT-FROM: it indicates the Defines what will absolute column at go in the from which to wrap. If field in outgoing it is negative, it mail. In addition, indicates the your user ID will number of column appear in the spaces from the Sender: field for right side of the outgoing mail. screen. If it is There is no zero, no wrapping default. is done. The default is -7. - DEFAULT-MAIL-TYPE: Indicates the mail - CLEAR- format for new or SCREEN: If yes, the empty files. There browser will clear are currently four the screen at every mail formats opportunity. The available: babyl, default is yes. mbox, mtxt and MH. The default is - BROWSE-PAUSE: If mbox. yes, always pause between messages - READ- when browsing. The COMMAND: Defines a default is yes. command to automatically - @zf<4> CHECK- execute when you INTERVAL: Defines type <cr> while the time in seconds reading messages. between each check The default is for new mail. The next. default is 300 (5 minutes). 0 means - DEFAULT-REPLY-TO: never. Defines a reply-to: field automatically - CLEAR-SCREEN: If in out-going mail. yes, the screen is There is no cleared at startup default. and between messages. The - SEND- default is yes. COMMAND: Defines the command to - CONTINUOUS-CHECK: automatically If yes, checking execute when you for new mail is type <cr> at the also done in send send> prompt. and read modes. There is no The default is no. default. - D- - DIRECTORY-FOLDERS: AUTOMATIC- This is only SEND: If yes, send relevant when using message MH format mail automatically on files. This <ctrl/d> from text variable will allow mode. The default MM to not add a is no. slash when trying to complete a mail - CONTROL-E-EDITOR: folder name on the If yes, <ctrl/e> command line. This invokes the editor is because the MH in message format uses a collection mode. directory for a The default is yes. mail folder. The default is no. - CONTROL-L-CONFIRM: If yes, typing - DISPLAY-FLAGGED- <ctrl/l> will enter MESSAGES: If yes, a <cr> as well as display flagged clear the screen: messages when the if there is a mail file is read command typed at into MM. The the prompt when you default is yes. type CTRL-L, the screen will be - @zf<4> DISPLAY- cleared and the OUTGOING- command will be MESSAGE: If yes, executed. The the contents of the default is no. message you've already composed - CONTROL-N-ABORT: If will be displayed yes, then <ctrl/n> when you re-enter aborts the current text mode. The command. If ask, default is no. then <ctrl/n> should ask before - DONT-PRINT-HEADERS: aborting. If no, Gives a list of then <ctrl/n> never header fields that aborts. The should not appear default is ask. when you use the print or list - CRT-FILTER: Gives commands. There is the program to use no default. to display messages one screen of text - @zf<4> DONT-TYPE- at a time. The HEADERS: Gives a list of header numeric argument is fields that should the octal default not be shown when file mode for files displaying created by move, messages. There is copy, etc. The no default. See default of 600 page 35 for an gives the highest example. level of protection, which - EDITOR: Indicates is read/write by the editor you want owner only. to use when creating or editing - ONLY-PRINT-HEADERS: messages. The Gives a list of default is header fields that /usr/local/bin/emac would be the only ones shown when you - AUTOMATIC- use the print or SEND: If yes, then list commands. the message will There is no automatically be default. sent from send-text mode when [ESC] is - ONLY-TYPE-HEADERS: typed. The default Gives a list of is no. header fields that would be the only - EXPUNGE-ON-BYE: If ones displayed yes, MM will during message automatically typeout. There is expunge the no default. messages marked for deletion when you - @zf<4> PERSONAL- exit using the bye NAME: Gives a command. The string for your default is ask. name as it should appear in outgoing - FAST-INIT-FILE: If mail in the from yes, then use fast field. There is no format default. So if you initialization don't enter a file, which means personal-name, your write the file user ID and name ~/.mmfast as a from /etc/passwd summary of your will appear in that .mminit file. The field. default is yes. - @zf<4> PRINT- - FINGER-COMMAND: FILTER: Defines the Defines the command program to use to to execute when the print messages. finger command is The default is called. The /usr/local/bin default is finger. /print. If you are using Kermit on a - GNUEMACS-MMAIL: If PC and have a your editor printer directly variable is not hooked up to it, emacs, then this try setting it to variable doesn't pcprint. apply. If it is emacs and the value - PROMPT-FOR-BCC: If of this variable is yes, prompt for yes, it will use blind carbon copy the mmail mode in during send the editor gnuemacs command. The automatically. default is no. This gives you a window for the - PROMPT-FOR-CC: If headers or message yes, prompt for to which you may be carbon copy during replying and a send command. The window for the text default is yes. of your message. The default is yes. - PROMPT-FOR-FCC: If yes, prompt for the - OPTIONS- name of a file to FILE: Gives the automatically put a name of a file that copy of your contains header outgoing message fields you would into during the like to appear in send command. The all your outgoing default is no. mail. For example, if you want to make - PROMPT-RCPT-ALWAYS: a header Office: If yes, always 816 Watson, you may prompt for the first create a file recipients when called .mm-headers, sending or with the file replying. The consisting of the default is no. header line. Then say set header- - @zf<4> READ-PROMPT: options-file .mm- Defines the string headers. All your to be used as the outgoing messages read prompt. The will then bear the default is Read>. Office... header. There is no default - @zf<4> REPLY-ALL: for this variable. If yes, replies go to all recipients - INCOMING-MAIL: (not just sender). Gives the file name The default is no. of the mailbox that MM should check for - @zf<4> REPLY- new mail. The INCLUDE-ME: If yes, default is when you are /usr/spool/mail/you replying to a ID. message and say reply all, replies - KEYWORDS: Defines a go to your user ID list of keywords also. The default you may use in is no. conjunction with the keyword - REPLY-INDENT: Gives command. By the indentation defining keywords string to be used here, you will be for the included able to use command message when completion in including original assigning your message into reply. keywords when you The default is "> use the keyword ". command. There is no default. - INITIAL- DISPLAY: If yes, - INCLUDE- display the headers HEADERS: If yes, associated with the the index headers reply to a message (like headers after the reply command) for each command is typed. message will be The default is no. listed out before displaying messages - REPLY-INSERT: If using the list yes, the reply command. The command includes default is yes. the original message - ON-SEPARATE- automatically. The PAGES: If yes, put default is no. a form feed between each message listed - @zf<4> SAVED- while printing a MESSAGES-FILE: group of messages. Defines a file that The default is no. will automatically receive copies of - MAIL-DIRECTORY: all your outgoing Defines the messages. There is directory in which no default. If the to keep your directory is not primary mail file specified, the and related files. mail-directory is The default is ~, assumed. your home directory. - @zf<4> SEND-PROMPT: Defines the string - MAIL-FILE: Defines to be used as the the file in which send prompt. The to store incoming default is Send>. messages (new mail). The default - SEND-VERBOSE: If is mbox. yes, after entering send at the send - MMAIL-PATH: Defines prompt to mail your the file name for outgoing message, the gnuemacs mmail the recipients of library. This is the mail you have not for general just sent will be usage. There is no displayed. The default. default is yes. - MODIFY-READ-ONLY: - - If yes, then when BACKGROUND: If yes, you are using a MM won't wait for read-only mail file the sendmail (as when using the program to finish examine command) running before you can modify the continuing with MM file in the buffer commands. The (the disk is still default is yes. read-only). Otherwise, you will - SENDMAIL-VERBOSE: get an error If yes, display the message when you mail sender program try to use any messages about mail command that marks delivery. The the messages (i.e. default is no. read, delete, etc.) The default is yes. - SPELLER: Defines the spell checker - MOVEMAIL-PATH: that is to be used Defines the path with the spell for the MM program command. The to move mail from default is ispell. the spool directory to your home - SUSPEND-ON-EXIT: If directory. The yes, when using the default is exit command to get /usr/local/lib/mm/m out of MM, the process will be suspend d. The - NEW-FILE-MODE: The defaulteis yes. ADDRESS: If yes, - SUSPEND-ON-QUIT: If strange mail yes, when using the address formats quit command to get will be accepted by out of MM, the MM in the reply, process will be forward, and edit suspended. The commands (e.g. default is yes. hostname::username) default is ask. - TEMP-DIRECTORY: Gives the directory - USER-HEADERS: Gives to create temporary a list of header files in. The fields you may wish default is ~, your to add to outgoing home directory. messages. Defining this variable - @zf<4> TERSE-TEXT- allows for command PROMPT: If yes, the completion to be prompt for message used with the body in text mode user-header command will be just Msg:. in send mode. The default is no. There is no default. - TOP-LEVEL-PROMPT: Gives the string to - @zf<4> USER-LEVEL: be used as the Defines the level top-level command of expertise for prompt. The the user. The default is MM>. options are novice and expert. If the - CRT-FILTER- level is set to ALWAYS: If yes, novice, the one- messages will be line display of piped to crt-filter "hints" will appear regardless of at each of the length. If no, prompts. At expert your crt-filter level, the "hints" will be used only disappear. The when the message is default is novice. too big to fit on your screen all at - USER-NAME: Defines once. The default the user name for a is no. particular UID. For the general - @zf<4> USE-EDITOR- user population ALWAYS: If yes, the this command does editor defined by not apply. If you the editor variable would like to have will automatically a nickname appear be used to compose in the from field, messages. The use the default is no. personal-name variable. - INVALID- 8. Special Topics * Your Electronic Mail Address An electronic mail address at Columbia looks like this one: brennan@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu In general, the format is userid@host, and the host portion is usually subdivided by periods. The address shown above is interpreted as follows: - brennan is the user ID. Some user IDs are the first or last name of the person. The most common form actually is initials, followed by a number to distinguish people with the same initials. Your user ID may therefore look like jpb7. - cunixf is the machine where brennan is located. This is the "mail" host for officers and staff. Students are on cunixa, cunixb or cunixd. - cc indicates the department responsible for the machine; cc stands for Computer Center. Some Columbia departments have their own machines, and will have a different designation here. - columbia.edu identifies Columbia University. Mail can be sent almost anywhere in the world by using a full address like the one shown above for brennan. There are numerous electronic mail networks in the United States and in the rest of the world that interconnect. Your correspondents do not have to use MM as their mail program. Each mail program actually is translating mail into and out of a common format, making it possible for correspondents to be on very different types of machines that run different mail programs. The electronic mail network has been patched together, and there are some exceptions to the above statements. You may find you want to correspond with someone whose address does not match the usual format or whose mail program does not work well with the common format that MM uses. For advice, call the Help Desk at 854-4854, or send mail to consultant, and experienced CUCCA staff will look into the problem. One of the main obstacles to communication is that there are very few electronic mail directories. Usually, you and your colleague will need to exchange addresses by some other contact before you can start sending mail. Ask people to send a test message to your address. Received mail will show the address it came from in the header (see the next page). In some cases, you also see a routing, a list of intermediate addresses through which the message passed. MM's reply command will send mail back to the address shown in the from field. You might use the define command (page 21) to create an alias for someone you will mail to regularly. Full addresses are difficult to remember and to type accurately. Mail that cannot be delivered is returned, after a time, with a system message indicating why delivery failed. Look at the header and see whether you typed the address correctly. If you don't see what the problem is, a good way to get help is to use MM's forward command to send the returned message to consultant, so CUCCA experts can examine the full header and the message about nondelivery, and advise on what else to try. Within Columbia, mail can be addressed in short form. The system assumes the rest of the address is the same as the sender's. For example, another cunixf user can address just to brennan, and a user on cuvmb can address just to brennan@cunixf. (By the way, MM is not available on cuvmb, so the user there would be using some other mail program, like VMM or MAIL, but that will not be apparent to brennan.) In the near future (as we go to press), the address columbia.edu will be set up so that outsiders do not have to specify where at Columbia (like cunixf.cc), but can just send to userid@columbia.edu, and mail will be directed by the system to the correct machine. The full address will still be good as well. HEADERS This is the header of a message sent from a person at Johns Hopkins University in reply to a message from brennan at Columbia: ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | Return-Path: <xyz@welchlab.welch.jhu.edu> | i | Received: from welchlab.welch.jhu.edu by cun| E | id AA03285; Fri, 29 Sep 89 12:47:40 | ) | Received: by welchlab.welch.jhu.edu (4.0/4.0| E | id AA29525; Fri, 29 Sep 89 12:47:22 | u | From: Archy Bargy <xyz@welchlab.welch.jhu.ed| c | Message-Id: <8909291747.AA29525@welchlab.wel| | Subject: Re: ELM... | r | To: brennan@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Joseph B| | Date: Fri, 29 Sep 89 12:47:22 EST | i | In-Reply-To: <CMM.0.88.623089573.brennan@cun| | Brennan" at Sep 29, 89 12:26 (noon) | | X-Mailer: Elm [version 2.1 PL1] | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- The from field, about halfway down, shows the user is Archy Bargy, and most importantly that his user ID is xyz@welchlab.welch.jhu.edu, which is the address to use to send him mail. The format is very similar to Columbia's. The first field of this message, return-path, also shows the correct address, but sometimes does not appear. Headers on mail from outside Columbia can be much longer. Since most of the data is not of much interest, you may want to hide some of the headers when you read mail. One of the customization commands, set dont-type-headers, will hide whatever header fields you name as arguments. For example, if you customize with set dont-type-headers received, return-path, message- ID, resent-message-ID, then most of the excess material in the example would not appear on screen. If you do use set, remember to type save-init before leaving MM, to save the setting. * Other Users: the Shell Command finger The MM command finger actually does the shell command finger. You will get the same results whether you type the command at an MM prompt or at the shell prompt $. In these examples, the shell prompt is shown. Note the use of small and CAPITAL letters. The command finger by itself shows who is logged in right now: ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | $ finger | 9 | Umax 4.3 (B4_0.16) XPC NFS Fri Nov 3 15:3| | | | login name tty idle when | 2 | brennan Joseph Brennan p3 Fri 08:| 5 | caldano Dan Caldano A3 Fri 08:| 0 | dcl Don Lanini 52 Fri 09:| | ... | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- The display is usually so long that it runs off the screen. To hold it still, it is actually better to type finger | more; the pipe symbol (|) sends the data into more, another command that displays data one screen at a time. The command finger -Q with a name or part of a name may help find a user ID: ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | $ finger -Q dan | d | Dan Caldano cal| p | Dan Cooper coo| | Daniel B. Dobkin dbd| | Daniel J Lazarus djl| | Danny M Lee dml| k | Alena P Danchak pta| | ... | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- This display shows all users that exist whose first or last names start with "dan". The column on the right shows their user IDs. The command finger with a user ID shows information about the user: ----------------------------------------------- | | | | | $ finger brennan | | brennan Joseph Brennan p3 | | No new mail. | | No plan. | | | | | ----------------------------------------------- In this case, Joe Brennan is logged in now. If he were not, in place of p3 Fri 08:23... would be Last login <date, time>.... The phrase No new mail means no mail is waiting to be read. If you had sent Joe mail, you can infer from no new mail and from the login time that he's read it by now. The command finger -v with a user ID shows a more "verbose" version. For more on finger, type man finger at the shell prompt, or type !man finger at an MM prompt. * Concluding Hints COMMAND RETRY small file, but if you feel you are terribly short on After you become more adept disk space, you can put set at using MM, you may want to fast-init-file no in your use a feature called command .mminit, and MM will stop retry. This means that after writing .mmfast. You can you have typed a command and then delete it. hit return, then realize that was not what you meant to do, After your .mminit file is you can redo the command. taken, MM then takes the file When you get the prompt back ~/.mmrc, which contains other from MM, if the very next MM commands. For example, if thing you type is <ctrl/p>, you want to read your new MM will redisplay your last mail automatically every time command. You can then delete you go into MM, you can put the offending parts and run the read command into your the command you wanted. This .mmrc file. saves you from having to retype the entire command. If you have a .mailrc file in You can also use this command your directory (a file with in conjunction with the aliases for the "Mail" command <ctrl/n> to go program), it is also taken backwards and forwards upon entry to MM to find the (<ctrl/n> moves you forward) aliases. Other "mail" through the commands you have commands are ignored. typed during the current MM session. See the take command for an explanation of how other files can be taken also. COMMENTS MM will accept comments on SHELL COMMANDS any line. Comments are useful inside files run by You can issue shell commands the take command (see help from inside MM. Just precede take). Precede comments by the command with the #. If you want to put exclamation point "!". special characters like # or [ESC] into text, use the quoting character, ctrl/v. ctrl/v followed by any BELLS character simply inserts that character. Thus, # indicates Type a <ctrl/g> into your that the rest of the line is text to insert a bell sound comment, while ^v# (ctrl/v (actually a "beep" on most and then #) indicates terminals). Since the bell literally the character #. can be annoying to readers, save it for appropriate times. FILES USED BY MM AT STARTUP Whenever MM starts up, it COMMUNICATIONS BREAKTHROUGH first takes the file ~/.mminit to set up your One disadvantage of environment. Since reading electronic mail is that your of the .mminit file can be readers may misunderstand somewhat slow, MM knows how your tone of voice. You can to write a faster version of state something ironically it, called ~/.mmfast. You and be taken seriously. For will never need to modify suggestions on how to this file in any way, since overcome the problem, type MM takes care of keeping it man smiley at the shell up to date with your .mminit prompt. file. .mmfast is a very