4 .TH POST %manext8% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
6 post \- deliver a message
16 .RB [ \-format " | " \-noformat ]
17 .RB [ \-mime " | " \-nomime ]
18 .RB [ \-msgid " | " \-nomsgid ]
19 .RB [ \-verbose " | " \-noverbose ]
20 .RB [ \-watch " | " \-nowatch ]
29 is the default program called by
34 to local and remote users. In fact, most of
35 the features attributed to
37 in its manual page are performed by
41 acting as a relatively simple preprocessor.
44 which parses the various header fields, appends
45 \*(lqFrom:\*(rq and \*(lqDate:\*(rq lines, and interacts with the mail transport system.
47 will not normally be called directly by the user.
50 searches the \*(lqTo:\*(rq, \*(lqcc:\*(rq, \*(lqBcc:\*(rq,
51 \*(lqFcc:\*(rq, and \*(lqResent\-xxx:\*(rq header lines of the specified
52 message for destination addresses, checks these addresses for validity,
53 and formats them so as to conform to ARPAnet Internet Message Format
56 flag is set. This will normally cause
57 \*(lq@\fIlocal\-site\fR\*(rq to be appended to each local destination
58 address, as well as any local return addresses. The
61 switch can be used to indicate the preferred length of the header
62 components that contain addresses.
64 If a \*(lqBcc:\*(rq field is encountered, its addresses will be used for
65 delivery, and the \*(lqBcc:\*(rq field will be removed from the message
66 sent to sighted recipients. The blind recipients will receive an entirely
67 new message with a minimal set of headers. Included in the body of the
68 message will be a copy of the message sent to the sighted recipients.
72 is specified, then this copy is filtered
75 prior to being sent to the blind recipients.
81 the MIME rules for encapsulation.
86 switch can be used to specify a file that post
87 should take aliases from. More than one file can be specified, each
90 In any event, the primary alias file is
95 switch indicates that a \*(lqMessage\-ID:\*(rq or
96 \*(lqResent\-Message\-ID:\*(rq field should be added to the header.
100 switch indicates that the user should be informed of
101 each step of the posting/filing process.
105 switch indicates that the user would like to watch the
106 transport system's handling of the message (e.g., local and \*(lqfast\*(rq
109 Under normal circumstances,
111 constructs the \*(lqFrom:\*(rq line of the
112 message from the user's login name, the full name from the GECOS field of the
113 passwd file, and the fully\-qualified name of the local machine.
114 An example is \*(lqFrom: Dan Harkless
115 <dan@machine.company.com>\*(rq. There are four ways to override these values,
116 however. Note that they apply equally to \*(lqResent\-From:\*(rq lines in messages sent
120 The first way is GECOS\-based username masquerading. If the \*(lqmasquerade:\*(rq line
123 contains \*(lqmmailid\*(rq, this processing is activated. If a user's GECOS
124 field in the passwd file is of the form \*(lqFull Name <fakename>\*(rq then \*(lqfakename\*(rq
125 will be used in place of the real username. For instance, a GECOS field of \*(lqDan
126 Harkless <Dan.Harkless>\*(rq would result in \*(lqFrom: Dan Harkless
127 <Dan.Harkless@machine.company.com>\*(rq. Naturally if you were doing something like
128 this you'd want to set up an MTA alias (e.g. in /etc/aliases) from, for
129 instance, \*(lqDan.Harkless\*(rq to \*(lqdan\*(rq.
131 The second way to override default construction of \*(lqFrom:\*(rq is to set the
133 environment variable. This variable overrides the full name
134 from the GECOS field, even if GECOS\-based masquerading is being done. This
135 processing is always active, and does not need to be enabled from
138 The third way is controlled by the \*(lquser_extension\*(rq value of \*(lqmasquerade:\*(rq line
141 When that's turned on, setting the
142 .B $USERNAME_EXTENSION
143 environment variable will result in its value being appended the user's login
144 name. For instance, if I set
145 .B $USERNAME_EXTENSION
146 to \*(lq+www\*(rq, my \*(lqFrom:\*(rq
147 line will contain \*(lqDan Harkless <dan+www@machine.company.com>\*(rq (or
148 \*(lqDan.Harkless+www\*(rq if I'm using mmailid masquerading as well). Recent versions
151 automatically deliver all mail sent to
156 has a similar feature which uses '\-' as the delimiter by
157 default, but can use other characters as well.
159 The fourth method of address masquerading is to specify a \*(lqFrom:\*(rq line manually
160 in the message draft. It will be used as provided (after alias substitution),
161 but normally, to discourage email forgery, the user's
164 used in the SMTP envelope \*(lqFrom:\*(rq and in a \*(lqSender:\*(rq header. However, if the
165 \*(lqmasquerade:\*(rq line of
167 contains \*(lqdraft_from\*(rq, the SMTP envelope \*(lqFrom:\*(rq
168 will use the address given in the draft \*(lqFrom:\*(rq, and there will be no \*(lqSender:\*(rq
169 header. This is useful in pretending to send mail \*(lqdirectly\*(rq from a remote POP3
170 account, or when remote email robots give improper precedence to the envelope
171 \*(lqFrom:\*(rq. Note that your MTA may still reveal your real identity (e.g.
173 \*(lqX\-Authentication\-Warning:\*(rq header).
175 If nmh is using the SMTP MTA, the
179 switches can be used to override the default mail server (defined by the
188 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
189 ^%etcdir%/mts.conf~^nmh mts configuration file
190 ^%etcdir%/MailAliases~^global nmh alias file
191 ^%bindir%/refile~^Program to process Fcc:s
192 ^%libdir%/mhl~^Program to process Bcc:s
195 .SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
203 mhmail(1), send(1), mh\-mail(5), mh\-alias(5), mh\-tailor(5),
204 .I "Standard for the Format of ARPA Internet Text Messages"
209 .RB ` \-alias "' defaults to %etcdir%/MailAliases"
215 .RB ` "\-width\ 72" '
223 \*(lqReply\-To:\*(rq fields are allowed to have groups in them according
224 to the 822 specification, but
226 won't let you use them.