4 .TH MH-PROFILE %manext5% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
6 mh-profile \- user profile customization for nmh message handler
8 .I $HOME/.mh\(ruprofile
12 is expected to have a file named
14 in his or her home directory. This file contains
15 a set of user parameters used by some or all of the
17 family of programs. Each entry in the file is of the format
20 .IR profile\-component ": " value
23 If the text of profile entry is long, you may extend it across several
24 real lines by indenting the continuation lines with leading spaces or tabs.
26 .SS "Standard Profile Entries"
27 The possible profile components are exemplified below. The only mandatory
28 entry is `Path:'. The others are optional; some have default values if
29 they are not present. In the notation used below, (profile, default)
30 indicates whether the information is kept in the user's
34 context, and indicates what the default value is.
41 transactions in directory \*(lqMail\*(rq. This is the
42 only mandatory profile entry. (profile, no default)
48 Declares the location of the
50 context file. This is overridden by the environment variable
55 (profile, default: <nmh\-dir>/context)
61 Keeps track of the current open folder.
62 (context, default: folder specified by \*(lqInbox\*(rq)
68 Defines the name of your default inbox.
69 (profile, default: inbox)
72 .BR Previous\-Sequence :
75 Names the sequence or sequences which should be defined as the `msgs' or
76 `msg' argument given to any
78 command. If not present or empty,
79 no such sequences are defined. Otherwise, for each name given, the
80 sequence is first zero'd and then each message is added to the sequence.
83 man page for the details about this sequence. (profile, no default)
86 .BR Sequence\-Negation :
89 Defines the string which, when prefixed to a sequence name, negates
90 that sequence. Hence, \*(lqnotseen\*(rq means all those messages that
91 are not a member of the sequence \*(lqseen\*(rq. Read the
93 man page for the details. (profile, no default)
96 .BR Unseen\-Sequence :
99 Names the sequence or sequences which should be defined as those
100 messages which are unread. The commands
106 will add or remove messages from these
107 sequences when they are incorporated or read. If not present or
108 empty, no such sequences are defined. Otherwise, each message is
109 added to, or removed from, each sequence name given. Read the
111 man page for the details about this sequence.
112 (profile, no default)
118 The name of the file in each folder which defines public sequences.
119 To disable the use of public sequences, leave the value portion of this
120 entry blank. (profile, default: \&.mh\(rusequences)
123 .BI atr\- seq \- folder :
126 Keeps track of the private sequence called \*(lqseq\*(rq in the specified
127 folder. Private sequences are generally used for read\-only folders.
130 man page for details about private sequences.
131 (context, no default)
137 Defines the editor to be used by the commands
143 (profile, default: %default_editor%)
148 If defined and set to 1, then the
150 program will automatically
151 invoke the buildmimeproc (discussed below) to process each message as a MIME
152 composition draft before it is sent.
153 (profile, no default)
159 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new message files.
162 for an explanation of the octal number.
163 (profile, default: 0600)
166 .BR Folder\-Protect :
169 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new folder
172 for an explanation of the octal number.
173 (profile, default: 700)
179 Sets default switches to be used whenever the mh program
181 is invoked. For example, one could override the \*(lqEditor:\*(rq profile
182 component when replying to messages by adding a component such as:
185 repl: \-editor /bin/ed
188 (profile, no defaults)
191 .IB lasteditor "-next:"
194 Names \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq to be the default editor after using
195 \*(lqlasteditor\*(rq. This takes effect at \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt
203 the draft with \*(lqlasteditor\*(rq, the default editor is set to be
204 \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq. If the user types \*(lqedit\*(rq without any
205 arguments to \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq, then \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq is used.
206 (profile, no default)
212 The contents of the folder-stack for the
215 (context, no default)
218 .BR Alternate\-Mailboxes :
219 mh@uci\-750a, bug-mh*
225 which addresses are really yours.
228 knows which addresses should be included in the
231 knows if the message really originated from you.
232 Addresses must be separated by a comma, and the hostnames listed should
233 be the \*(lqofficial\*(rq hostnames for the mailboxes you indicate, as
234 local nicknames for hosts are not replaced with their official site names.
235 For each address, if a host is not given, then that address on any host is
236 considered to be you. In addition, an asterisk (`*') may appear at either
237 or both ends of the mailbox and host to indicate wild-card matching.
238 (profile, default: your user-id)
245 Indicates aliases files for
250 This may be used instead of the
253 switch. (profile, no default)
259 Indicates a default draft folder for
267 man page for details. (profile, no default)
270 .BI digest\-issue\- list :
275 the last issue of the last volume sent for the digest
277 (context, no default)
280 .BI digest\-volume\- list :
285 the last volume sent for the digest
287 (context, no default)
295 your maildrop, if different from the default. This is
296 superseded by the environment variable
298 (profile, default: %mailspool%/$USER)
302 RAND MH System (agent: Marshall Rose)
306 your mail signature. This is superseded by the
311 is not set and this profile entry is not present, the \*(lqgcos\*(rq field of
312 the \fI/etc/passwd\fP file will be used.
313 Your signature will be added to the address
315 puts in the \*(lqFrom:\*(rq header; do not include an address in the
316 signature text. (profile, no default)
319 .SS "Process Profile Entries"
320 The following profile elements are used whenever an
322 program invokes some other program such as
326 can be used to select alternate programs if the
327 user wishes. The default values are given in the examples.
333 This is the program used by
335 to process drafts which are MIME composition files.
341 This program is used to refile or link a message to another folder.
344 to file a copy of a message into a folder given
345 by a \*(lqFcc:\*(rq field. It is used by the draft folder facility in
352 message into another folder. It is used to refile a draft message in
355 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt.
363 to incorporate new mail when it
364 is invoked with no arguments.
370 This program is called to initialize the environment for
378 This program is used to list the contents of a message in response
381 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt. It is
382 also used by the draft folder facility in
388 to display the draft message.
394 This is the program used to automatically mail various messages
395 and notifications. It is used by
399 option. It is used by
401 to post failure notices.
402 It is used to retrieve an external-body with access-type `mail-server'
403 (such as when storing the body with
410 This is the program used to filter messages in various ways. It
413 to filter and display the message headers
414 of MIME messages. When the
425 is used to filter the
426 message that you are forwarding, or to which you are replying.
433 is used to filter the copy of the message
434 that is sent to \*(lqBcc:\*(rq recipients.
440 This is the program used by
444 formatted message when displaying to a terminal. It is also the default
447 to display message bodies (or message parts) of type text/plain.
465 This is the program used by
474 post a message to the mail transport system. It is also called by
476 (called with the switches
480 to do address verification.
486 This is the program used by
490 to delete a message from a folder.
502 This is the program to use by
504 to actually send the message
510 This is the program used by
512 to process and display non-text (MIME) messages.
518 This is the program used by
520 to filter and display text (non-MIME) messages.
526 This is the program invoked by
532 to query about the disposition of a composed draft message.
538 This is the program used by
540 to determine to whom a message would be sent.
543 .SS "Environment Variables"
546 and its commands it also controlled by the
547 presence of certain environment variables.
549 Many of these environment variables are used internally by the
550 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface. It's amazing all the information
551 that has to get passed via environment variables to make the
552 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface look squeaky clean to the
554 user, isn't it? The reason for all this is that the
562 one of the standard shells. As a result, it's not possible to pass
563 information via an argument list. The convention is that environment
564 variables whose names are all upper-case are user-settable; those
565 whose names are lower-case only are used internally by nmh and should
566 not generally be set by the user.
570 option was set during
573 if this environment variable is set, then if the commands
579 are not given any `msgs'
580 arguments, then they will default to using the file indicated by
582 This is useful for getting the default behavior
583 supplied by the default
588 With this environment variable, you can specify a profile
594 that you invoke. If the value of
596 is not absolute, (i.e., does
597 not begin with a \*(lq/\*(rq), it will be presumed to start from the current
598 working directory. This is one of the very few exceptions in
600 where non-absolute pathnames are not considered relative to the user's
607 With this environment variable, you can specify a
608 context other than the normal context file (as specified in
611 profile). As always, unless the value of
613 is absolute, it will be presumed to start from your
620 With this environment variable, you can specify
621 the native character set you are using. You must be able to display
622 this character set on your terminal.
624 This variable is checked to see if a RFC-2047 header field should be
637 be called, since showmimeproc will be called if a text message uses
638 a character set that doesn't match
643 for matches against the charset parameter
644 of text contents to decide it the text content can be displayed
645 without modifications to your terminal. This variable is checked by
647 to decide what character set to specify in the charset
648 parameter of text contents containing 8\-bit characters.
650 When decoding text in such an alternate character set,
652 must be able to determine which characters are alphabetic, which
653 are control characters, etc. For many operating systems, this
654 will require enabling the support for locales (such as setting
655 the environment variable
664 the default maildrop. This supersedes the \*(lqMailDrop\*(rq profile entry.
673 your mail signature. This supersedes the \*(lqSignature\*(rq profile entry.
678 This variable tells all
680 programs your home directory
687 the default shell to run
696 The environment variable
698 is also consulted. In particular,
703 how to clear your terminal, and how
704 many columns wide your terminal is. They also tell
707 lines long your terminal screen is.
712 This is the alternate message.
718 during edit sessions so you can
719 peruse the message being distributed or replied to. The message is also
720 available through a link called \*(lq@\*(rq in the current directory if
721 your current working directory and the folder the message lives in are
722 on the same UNIX filesystem.
727 This is the path to the working draft.
737 which file to ask \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq
760 about an alternate message associated with the
761 draft (the message being distributed or replied to).
771 that message re-distribution is occurring.
785 editor (unless overridden by
802 if annotations are to occur.
812 if annotations are to occur.
822 if annotations are to occur.
827 This is the folder containing the alternate message.
833 during edit sessions so you
834 can peruse other messages in the current folder besides the one being
835 distributed or replied to. The environment variable
849 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
850 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
851 ^or $MH~^Rather than the standard profile
852 ^<mh\-dir>/context~^The user context
853 ^or $MHCONTEXT~^Rather than the standard context
854 ^<folder>/\&.mh\(rusequences~^Public sequences for <folder>
858 nmh(1), environ(5), mh-sequence(5)
863 contains only static information, which
867 update. Changes in context are made to the
869 file kept in the users
872 This includes, but is not limited to: the \*(lqCurrent\-Folder\*(rq entry
873 and all private sequence information. Public sequence information is
874 kept in each folder in the file determined by the \*(lqmh\-sequences\*(rq
875 profile entry (default is
876 .IR \&.mh\(rusequences ).
880 may override the path of the
882 file, by specifying a \*(lqcontext\*(rq entry (this must be in
883 lower-case). If the entry is not absolute (does not start with a
884 \*(lq/\*(rq), then it is interpreted relative to the user's
886 directory. As a result, you can actually have more than one set of
887 private sequences by using different context files.
890 The shell quoting conventions are not available in the
891 .IR \&.mh\(ruprofile .
892 Each token is separated by whitespace.
894 There is some question as to what kind of arguments should be placed
895 in the profile as options. In order to provide a clear answer, recall
896 command line semantics of all
898 programs: conflicting switches
903 may occur more than one time on the
904 command line, with the last switch taking effect. Other arguments, such
905 as message sequences, filenames and folders, are always remembered on
906 the invocation line and are not superseded by following arguments of
907 the same type. Hence, it is safe to place only switches (and their
908 arguments) in the profile.
912 program is being invoked again and again
913 with the same arguments, and those arguments aren't switches, then there
914 are a few possible solutions to this problem. The first is to create a
920 of your choice. By giving this link a different name, you can create
921 a new entry in your profile and use an alternate set of defaults for
924 command. Similarly, you could create a small shell script
927 program of your choice with an alternate set
928 of invocation line switches (using links and an alternate profile entry
929 is preferable to this solution).
933 user could create an alias for the command of the form:
936 alias cmd 'cmd arg1 arg2 ...'
939 In this way, the user can avoid lengthy type-in to the shell, and still
942 commands safely. (Recall that some
945 invoke others, and that in all cases, the profile is read, meaning that
946 aliases are disregarded beyond an initial command invocation)
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