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)
214 which BBoards you are interested in. (profile, default: system)
220 The contents of the folder-stack for the
223 (context, no default)
226 .BR Alternate\-Mailboxes :
227 mh@uci\-750a, bug-mh*
233 which addresses are really yours.
236 knows which addresses should be included in the
239 knows if the message really originated from you.
240 Addresses must be separated by a comma, and the hostnames listed should
241 be the \*(lqofficial\*(rq hostnames for the mailboxes you indicate, as
242 local nicknames for hosts are not replaced with their official site names.
243 For each address, if a host is not given, then that address on any host is
244 considered to be you. In addition, an asterisk (`*') may appear at either
245 or both ends of the mailbox and host to indicate wild-card matching.
246 (profile, default: your user-id)
253 Indicates aliases files for
258 This may be used instead of the
261 switch. (profile, no default)
267 Indicates a default draft folder for
275 man page for details. (profile, no default)
278 .BI digest\-issue\- list :
283 the last issue of the last volume sent for the digest
285 (context, no default)
288 .BI digest\-volume\- list :
293 the last volume sent for the digest
295 (context, no default)
303 your maildrop, if different from the default. This is
304 superseded by the environment variable
306 (profile, default: %mailspool%/$USER)
310 RAND MH System (agent: Marshall Rose)
314 your mail signature. This is superseded by the
319 is not set and this profile entry is not present, the \*(lqgcos\*(rq field of
320 the \fI/etc/passwd\fP file will be used.
321 Your signature will be added to the address
323 puts in the \*(lqFrom:\*(rq header; do not include an address in the
324 signature text. (profile, no default)
327 .SS "Process Profile Entries"
328 The following profile elements are used whenever an
330 program invokes some other program such as
334 can be used to select alternate programs if the
335 user wishes. The default values are given in the examples.
341 This is the program used by
343 to process drafts which are MIME composition files.
349 This program is used to refile or link a message to another folder.
352 to file a copy of a message into a folder given
353 by a \*(lqFcc:\*(rq field. It is used by the draft folder facility in
360 message into another folder. It is used to refile a draft message in
363 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt.
371 to incorporate new mail when it
372 is invoked with no arguments.
378 This program is called to initialize the environment for
386 This program is used to list the contents of a message in response
389 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt. It is
390 also used by the draft folder facility in
396 to display the draft message.
402 This is the program used to automatically mail various messages
403 and notifications. It is used by
407 option. It is used by
409 to post failure notices.
410 It is used to retrieve an external-body with access-type `mail-server'
411 (such as when storing the body with
418 This is the program used to filter messages in various ways. It
421 to filter and display the message headers
422 of MIME messages. When the
433 is used to filter the
434 message that you are forwarding, or to which you are replying.
441 is used to filter the copy of the message
442 that is sent to \*(lqBcc:\*(rq recipients.
448 This is the program used by
452 formatted message when displaying to a terminal. It is also the default
455 to display message bodies (or message parts) of type text/plain.
473 This is the program used by
482 post a message to the mail transport system. It is also called by
484 (called with the switches
488 to do address verification.
494 This is the program used by
498 to delete a message from a folder.
510 This is the program to use by
512 to actually send the message
518 This is the program used by
520 to process and display non-text (MIME) messages.
526 This is the program used by
528 to filter and display text (non-MIME) messages.
534 This is the program invoked by
540 to query about the disposition of a composed draft message.
546 This is the program used by
548 to determine to whom a message would be sent.
551 .SS "Environment Variables"
554 and its commands it also controlled by the
555 presence of certain environment variables.
557 Many of these environment variables are used internally by the
558 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface. It's amazing all the information
559 that has to get passed via environment variables to make the
560 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface look squeaky clean to the
562 user, isn't it? The reason for all this is that the
570 one of the standard shells. As a result, it's not possible to pass
571 information via an argument list. The convention is that environment
572 variables whose names are all upper-case are user-settable; those
573 whose names are lower-case only are used internally by nmh and should
574 not generally be set by the user.
578 option was set during
581 if this environment variable is set, then if the commands
587 are not given any `msgs'
588 arguments, then they will default to using the file indicated by
590 This is useful for getting the default behavior
591 supplied by the default
596 With this environment variable, you can specify a profile
602 that you invoke. If the value of
604 is not absolute, (i.e., does
605 not begin with a \*(lq/\*(rq), it will be presumed to start from the current
606 working directory. This is one of the very few exceptions in
608 where non-absolute pathnames are not considered relative to the user's
615 With this environment variable, you can specify a
616 context other than the normal context file (as specified in
619 profile). As always, unless the value of
621 is absolute, it will be presumed to start from your
628 With this environment variable, you can specify
629 the native character set you are using. You must be able to display
630 this character set on your terminal.
632 This variable is checked to see if a RFC-2047 header field should be
645 be called, since showmimeproc will be called if a text message uses
646 a character set that doesn't match
651 for matches against the charset parameter
652 of text contents to decide it the text content can be displayed
653 without modifications to your terminal. This variable is checked by
655 to decide what character set to specify in the charset
656 parameter of text contents containing 8\-bit characters.
658 When decoding text in such an alternate character set,
660 must be able to determine which characters are alphabetic, which
661 are control characters, etc. For many operating systems, this
662 will require enabling the support for locales (such as setting
663 the environment variable
672 the default maildrop. This supersedes the \*(lqMailDrop\*(rq profile entry.
681 your mail signature. This supersedes the \*(lqSignature\*(rq profile entry.
686 This variable tells all
688 programs your home directory
695 the default shell to run
704 The environment variable
706 is also consulted. In particular,
711 how to clear your terminal, and how
712 many columns wide your terminal is. They also tell
715 lines long your terminal screen is.
720 This is the alternate message.
726 during edit sessions so you can
727 peruse the message being distributed or replied to. The message is also
728 available through a link called \*(lq@\*(rq in the current directory if
729 your current working directory and the folder the message lives in are
730 on the same UNIX filesystem.
735 This is the path to the working draft.
745 which file to ask \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq
768 about an alternate message associated with the
769 draft (the message being distributed or replied to).
779 that message re-distribution is occurring.
793 editor (unless overridden by
810 if annotations are to occur.
820 if annotations are to occur.
830 if annotations are to occur.
835 This is the folder containing the alternate message.
841 during edit sessions so you
842 can peruse other messages in the current folder besides the one being
843 distributed or replied to. The environment variable
857 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
858 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
859 ^or $MH~^Rather than the standard profile
860 ^<mh\-dir>/context~^The user context
861 ^or $MHCONTEXT~^Rather than the standard context
862 ^<folder>/\&.mh\(rusequences~^Public sequences for <folder>
866 nmh(1), environ(5), mh-sequence(5)
871 contains only static information, which
875 update. Changes in context are made to the
877 file kept in the users
880 This includes, but is not limited to: the \*(lqCurrent\-Folder\*(rq entry
881 and all private sequence information. Public sequence information is
882 kept in each folder in the file determined by the \*(lqmh\-sequences\*(rq
883 profile entry (default is
884 .IR \&.mh\(rusequences ).
888 may override the path of the
890 file, by specifying a \*(lqcontext\*(rq entry (this must be in
891 lower-case). If the entry is not absolute (does not start with a
892 \*(lq/\*(rq), then it is interpreted relative to the user's
894 directory. As a result, you can actually have more than one set of
895 private sequences by using different context files.
898 The shell quoting conventions are not available in the
899 .IR \&.mh\(ruprofile .
900 Each token is separated by whitespace.
902 There is some question as to what kind of arguments should be placed
903 in the profile as options. In order to provide a clear answer, recall
904 command line semantics of all
906 programs: conflicting switches
911 may occur more than one time on the
912 command line, with the last switch taking effect. Other arguments, such
913 as message sequences, filenames and folders, are always remembered on
914 the invocation line and are not superseded by following arguments of
915 the same type. Hence, it is safe to place only switches (and their
916 arguments) in the profile.
920 program is being invoked again and again
921 with the same arguments, and those arguments aren't switches, then there
922 are a few possible solutions to this problem. The first is to create a
928 of your choice. By giving this link a different name, you can create
929 a new entry in your profile and use an alternate set of defaults for
932 command. Similarly, you could create a small shell script
935 program of your choice with an alternate set
936 of invocation line switches (using links and an alternate profile entry
937 is preferable to this solution).
941 user could create an alias for the command of the form:
944 alias cmd 'cmd arg1 arg2 ...'
947 In this way, the user can avoid lengthy type-in to the shell, and still
950 commands safely. (Recall that some
953 invoke others, and that in all cases, the profile is read, meaning that
954 aliases are disregarded beyond an initial command invocation)
projects / mmh / blob