4 .TH MH-PROFILE %manext5% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
6 mh-profile \- user profile customization for mmh message handler
14 is expected to have a file named
16 in his or her home directory. This file contains
17 a set of user parameters used by some or all of the
19 family of programs. Each entry in the file is of the format
22 .IR Profile\-Component ": " value
25 If the text of profile entry is long, you may extend it across several
26 real lines by indenting the continuation lines with leading spaces or tabs.
28 .SS "Standard Profile Entries"
29 The possible profile components are exemplified below. The only mandatory
30 entry is `Path:'. The others are optional; some have default values if
31 they are not present. In the notation used below, (profile, default)
32 indicates whether the information is kept in the user's
36 context, and indicates what the default value is.
41 Sets the user's mail storage to \*(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: $HOME/.mmh/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, \*(lq!foo\*(rq means all those messages that
91 are not a member of the sequence \*(lqfoo\*(rq.
92 To deactivate this mechanism, define Sequence\-Negation to an empty value.
95 man page for the details. (profile, default: !)
98 .BR Unseen\-Sequence :
101 Names the sequence or sequences which shall contain any unread messages.
108 will add or remove messages from these
109 sequences when they are incorporated or read. If defined with an empty
110 value, no such sequences are defined. Otherwise, each message is
111 added to, or removed from, each sequence name given. Read the
113 man page for the details about this sequence.
114 (profile, default: u)
120 The name of the file in each folder which defines public sequences.
121 To disable the use of public sequences, leave the value portion of this
122 entry blank. (profile, default: \&.mh_sequences)
125 .BI atr\- seq \- folder :
128 Keeps track of the private sequence called \*(lqseq\*(rq in the specified
129 folder. Private sequences are generally used for read\-only folders.
132 man page for details about private sequences.
133 (context, no default)
139 Defines the editor to be used by the commands
145 This profile entry overrides the $VISUAL and $EDITOR environment variables,
146 but gets overridden by the $MMHEDITOR environment variabel.
147 (profile, default: vi)
153 This is the program used by
157 formatted message when displaying to a terminal. It is also the default
160 to display message bodies (or message parts) of type text/plain.
161 This profile entry overrides the $PAGER environment variable, but gets
162 overridden by the $MMHPAGER environment variable.
163 (profile, default: more)
174 (profile, default: %sendmailpath%)
180 The prefix that is prepended to the name of message files when they
181 are backup'd for some reason.
183 for instance, does this.
184 Note: rmm does NOT anymore use the backup prefix.
185 It should typically be set to `,' or `#'.
186 (profile, default: `,')
192 Name of the link to the file to which you are replying or which you are
193 redistributing. See `$mhaltmsg' below.
194 (profile, default: `@')
197 .BR Attachment-Header :
200 The (pseudo) header in draft messages, that contains files to be attached
201 to the message on sending.
202 If you like to type a lot, name it `X-MH-Attachment'.
203 (profile, default: `Attach')
206 .BR Mime-Type-Query :
209 A command that prints the MIME type of a file.
210 The file name gets appended to the command line.
211 Note: Older GNU versions of file(1) won't generate the desired
212 output. GNU file-4.26, for instance, omits a required semicolon.
213 GNU file-5.04 is known to work. Non-GNU version likely need different
214 options or don't provide this function at all. Alternatively, you can use
215 .BR print\-mimetype ,
216 which is part of mmh, but guesses MIME types by file name extensions only.
222 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new message files.
225 for an explanation of the octal number.
226 (profile, default: 0600)
229 .BR Folder\-Protect :
232 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new folder
235 for an explanation of the octal number.
236 (profile, default: 0700)
242 Sets default switches to be used whenever the mmh program
244 is invoked. For example, one could override the \*(lqEditor:\*(rq profile
245 component when replying to messages by adding a component such as:
248 repl: \-editor /bin/ed
251 (profile, no defaults)
254 .IB lasteditor "-next:"
257 Names \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq to be the default editor after using
258 \*(lqlasteditor\*(rq. This takes effect at \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt
266 the draft with \*(lqlasteditor\*(rq, the default editor is set to be
267 \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq. If the user types \*(lqedit\*(rq without any
268 arguments to \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq, then \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq is used.
269 (profile, no default)
275 The contents of the folder-stack for the
278 (context, no default)
287 auditfile in addition to its other tasks.
293 (profile, no default)
296 .BR Alternate\-Mailboxes :
297 mh@uci\-750a, bug-mh*
303 which addresses are really yours.
306 knows which addresses should be included in the
309 knows if the message really originated from you.
310 Addresses must be separated by a comma, and the hostnames listed should
311 be the \*(lqofficial\*(rq hostnames for the mailboxes you indicate, as
312 local nicknames for hosts are not replaced with their official site names.
313 For each address, if a host is not given, then that address on any host is
314 considered to be you. In addition, an asterisk (`*') may appear at either
315 or both ends of the mailbox and host to indicate wild-card matching.
316 (profile, default: your user-id)
323 Indicates aliases files for
327 This may be used instead of the
330 switch. (profile, no default)
336 Changes the default draft folder. Read the
338 man page for details. (profile, default: +drafts)
344 Changes the default folder for removed messages. Read the
346 man page for details.
347 (profile, default: +trash)
350 .BI digest\-issue\- list :
355 the last issue of the last volume sent for the digest
357 (context, no default)
360 .BI digest\-volume\- list :
365 the last volume sent for the digest
367 (context, no default)
375 your maildrop, if different from the default. This is
376 superseded by the environment variable
378 (profile, default: %mailspool%/$USER)
382 RAND MH System (agent: Marshall Rose)
386 your mail signature. This is superseded by the
391 is not set and this profile entry is not present, the \*(lqgcos\*(rq field of
392 the \fI/etc/passwd\fP file will be used.
393 Your signature will be added to the address
395 puts in the \*(lqFrom:\*(rq header; do not include an address in the
396 signature text. (profile, no default)
399 .SS "Process Profile Entries"
400 The following profile elements are used whenever an
402 program invokes some other program such as
404 The profile can be used to select alternate programs if the
405 user wishes. The default values are given in the examples.
411 This program is used to list the contents of a message in response
416 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt.
417 The absolute pathname of the message to list will be appended to
418 the command line given.
424 This is the program invoked by
430 to query about the disposition of a composed draft message.
433 .SS "Environment Variables"
436 and its commands it also controlled by the
437 presence of certain environment variables.
439 Many of these environment variables are used internally by the
440 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface. It's amazing all the information
441 that has to get passed via environment variables to make the
442 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface look squeaky clean to the
444 user, isn't it? The reason for all this is that the
452 one of the standard shells. As a result, it's not possible to pass
453 information via an argument list. The convention is that environment
454 variables whose names are all upper-case are user-settable; those
455 whose names are lower-case only are used internally by mmh and should
456 not generally be set by the user.
460 option was set during
463 if this environment variable is set, then if the commands
468 are not given any `msgs'
469 arguments, then they will default to using the file indicated by
471 This is useful for getting the default behavior
472 supplied by the default
477 With this environment variable, you can specify an alternative
478 mmh directory. Personal mmh configuration files are located relative to
480 Non-absolute values are relative to the home directory.
481 This is one of the very few exceptions in
483 where non-absolute pathnames are not considered relative to the user's
489 With this environment variable, you can specify a profile
491 .I $HOME/.mmh/profile
495 that you invoke. If the value of
497 is not absolute, it will be presumed to start from the mmh directory.
502 With this environment variable, you can specify a
503 context other than the normal context file (as specified in
504 the profile). As always, unless the value of
506 is absolute, it will be presumed to start from your mmh directory.
511 With this environment variable, you can specify
512 the native character set you are using. You must be able to display
513 this character set on your terminal.
515 This variable is checked to see if a RFC-2047 header field should be
528 be called, since showmimeproc will be called if a text message uses
529 a character set that doesn't match
534 for matches against the charset parameter
535 of text contents to decide it the text content can be displayed
536 without modifications to your terminal. This variable is checked by
538 to decide what character set to specify in the charset
539 parameter of text contents containing 8\-bit characters.
541 When decoding text in such an alternate character set,
543 must be able to determine which characters are alphabetic, which
544 are control characters, etc. For many operating systems, this
545 will require enabling the support for locales (such as setting
546 the environment variable
555 the default maildrop. This supersedes the \*(lqMailDrop\*(rq profile entry.
564 your mail signature. This supersedes the \*(lqSignature\*(rq profile entry.
569 This variable tells all
571 programs your home directory
578 the default shell to run
587 These variables (in descending priority) define the default editor to use.
594 These variables (in descending priority) define the default pager to use.
603 The environment variable
605 is also consulted. In particular,
610 how many columns wide your terminal is. They also tell
613 lines long your terminal screen is.
618 This is the alternate message.
624 during edit sessions so you can peruse the message being distributed or
625 replied to. The message is also available through a link called
626 \*(lq@\*(rq (if not changed by
628 in the current directory if your current working directory
629 and the message's folder are on the same UNIX filesystem.
634 This is the path to the working draft.
644 which file to ask \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq
657 about an alternate message associated with the
658 draft (the message being distributed or replied to).
668 that message re-distribution is occurring.
682 editor (unless overridden by
699 if annotations are to occur.
709 if annotations are to occur.
714 This is the folder containing the alternate message.
720 during edit sessions so you
721 can peruse other messages in the current folder besides the one being
722 distributed or replied to.
728 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
729 ^$HOME/.mmh~^The user's mmh directory
730 ^or $MMH~^Rather than the standard mmh directory
731 ^$HOME/.mmh/profile~^The user's profile
732 ^or $MMHP~^Rather than the standard profile
733 ^$HOME/.mmh/context~^The user's context
734 ^or $MMHC~^Rather than the standard context
735 ^<folder>/.mh_sequences~^Public sequences for <folder>
739 nmh(1), environ(5), mh-sequence(7)
743 .I $HOME/.mmh/profile
744 contains only static information, which
748 update. Changes in context are made to the
749 .I $HOME/.mmh/context
751 This includes, but is not limited to: the \*(lqCurrent\-Folder\*(rq entry
752 and all private sequence information. Public sequence information is
753 kept in each folder in the file determined by the \*(lqMh\-Sequences\*(rq
754 profile entry (default is
755 .IR \&.mh_sequences ).
757 The profile may override the path of the
759 file, by specifying a \*(lqContext\*(rq entry.
760 As a result, you can actually have more than one set of
761 private sequences by using different context files.
764 The shell quoting conventions are not available in the profile.
765 Each token is separated by whitespace.
767 There is some question as to what kind of arguments should be placed
768 in the profile as options. In order to provide a clear answer, recall
769 command line semantics of all
771 programs: conflicting switches
776 may occur more than one time on the
777 command line, with the last switch taking effect. Other arguments, such
778 as message sequences, filenames and folders, are always remembered on
779 the invocation line and are not superseded by following arguments of
780 the same type. Hence, it is safe to place only switches (and their
781 arguments) in the profile.
785 program is being invoked again and again
786 with the same arguments, and those arguments aren't switches, then there
787 are a few possible solutions to this problem. The first is to create a
793 of your choice. By giving this link a different name, you can create
794 a new entry in your profile and use an alternate set of defaults for
797 command. Similarly, you could create a small shell script
800 program of your choice with an alternate set
801 of invocation line switches (using links and an alternate profile entry
802 is preferable to this solution).
806 user could create an alias for the command of the form:
809 alias cmd 'cmd arg1 arg2 ...'
812 In this way, the user can avoid lengthy type-in to the shell, and still
815 commands safely. (Recall that some
818 invoke others, and that in all cases, the profile is read, meaning that
819 aliases are disregarded beyond an initial command invocation)
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