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.
107 will add or remove messages from these
108 sequences when they are incorporated or read. If defined with an empty
109 value, no such sequences are defined. Otherwise, each message is
110 added to, or removed from, each sequence name given. Read the
112 man page for the details about this sequence.
113 (profile, default: u)
119 The name of the file in each folder which defines public sequences.
120 To disable the use of public sequences, leave the value portion of this
121 entry blank. (profile, default: \&.mh_sequences)
124 .BI atr\- seq \- folder :
127 Keeps track of the private sequence called \*(lqseq\*(rq in the specified
128 folder. Private sequences are generally used for read\-only folders.
131 man page for details about private sequences.
132 (context, no default)
138 Defines the editor to be used by the commands
144 This profile entry overrides the $VISUAL and $EDITOR environment variables,
145 but gets overridden by the $MMHEDITOR environment variabel.
146 (profile, default: vi)
152 This is the program used by
156 formatted message when displaying to a terminal. It is also the default
159 to display message bodies (or message parts) of type text/plain.
160 This profile entry overrides the $PAGER environment variable, but gets
161 overridden by the $MMHPAGER environment variable.
162 (profile, default: more)
173 (profile, default: %sendmailpath%)
179 The prefix that is prepended to the name of message files when they
180 are backup'd for some reason.
182 for instance, does this.
183 Note: rmm does NOT anymore use the backup prefix.
184 It should typically be set to `,' or `#'.
185 (profile, default: `,')
191 Name of the link to the file to which you are replying or which you are
192 redistributing. See `$mhaltmsg' below.
193 (profile, default: `@')
196 .BR Attachment-Header :
199 The (pseudo) header in draft messages, that contains files to be attached
200 to the message on sending.
201 If you like to type a lot, name it `X-MH-Attachment'.
202 (profile, default: `Attach')
205 .BR Mime-Type-Query :
208 A command that prints the MIME type of a file.
209 The file name gets appended to the command line.
210 Note: Older GNU versions of file(1) won't generate the desired
211 output. GNU file-4.26, for instance, omits a required semicolon.
212 GNU file-5.04 is known to work. Non-GNU version likely need different
213 options or don't provide this function at all. Alternatively, you can use
214 .BR print\-mimetype ,
215 which is part of mmh, but guesses MIME types by file name extensions only.
221 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new message files.
224 for an explanation of the octal number.
225 (profile, default: 0600)
228 .BR Folder\-Protect :
231 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new folder
234 for an explanation of the octal number.
235 (profile, default: 0700)
241 Sets default switches to be used whenever the mmh program
243 is invoked. For example, one could override the \*(lqEditor:\*(rq profile
244 component when replying to messages by adding a component such as:
247 repl: \-editor /bin/ed
250 (profile, no defaults)
253 .IB lasteditor "-next:"
256 Names \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq to be the default editor after using
257 \*(lqlasteditor\*(rq. This takes effect at \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt
265 the draft with \*(lqlasteditor\*(rq, the default editor is set to be
266 \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq. If the user types \*(lqedit\*(rq without any
267 arguments to \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq, then \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq is used.
268 (profile, no default)
274 The contents of the folder-stack for the
277 (context, no default)
280 .BR Alternate\-Mailboxes :
281 mh@uci\-750a, bug-mh*
287 which addresses are really yours.
290 knows which addresses should be included in the
293 knows if the message really originated from you.
294 Addresses must be separated by a comma, and the hostnames listed should
295 be the \*(lqofficial\*(rq hostnames for the mailboxes you indicate, as
296 local nicknames for hosts are not replaced with their official site names.
297 For each address, if a host is not given, then that address on any host is
298 considered to be you. In addition, an asterisk (`*') may appear at either
299 or both ends of the mailbox and host to indicate wild-card matching.
300 (profile, default: your user-id)
307 Indicates aliases files for
311 This may be used instead of the
314 switch. (profile, no default)
320 Changes the default draft folder. Read the
322 man page for details. (profile, default: +drafts)
328 Changes the default folder for removed messages. Read the
330 man page for details.
331 (profile, default: +trash)
334 .BI digest\-issue\- list :
339 the last issue of the last volume sent for the digest
341 (context, no default)
344 .BI digest\-volume\- list :
349 the last volume sent for the digest
351 (context, no default)
359 your maildrop, if different from the default. This is
360 superseded by the environment variable
362 (profile, default: %mailspool%/$USER)
366 RAND MH System (agent: Marshall Rose)
370 your mail signature. This is superseded by the
375 is not set and this profile entry is not present, the \*(lqgcos\*(rq field of
376 the \fI/etc/passwd\fP file will be used.
377 Your signature will be added to the address
379 puts in the \*(lqFrom:\*(rq header; do not include an address in the
380 signature text. (profile, no default)
383 .SS "Process Profile Entries"
384 The following profile elements are used whenever an
386 program invokes some other program such as
388 The profile can be used to select alternate programs if the
389 user wishes. The default values are given in the examples.
395 This program is used to list the contents of a message in response
400 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt.
401 The absolute pathname of the message to list will be appended to
402 the command line given.
408 This is the program invoked by
414 to query about the disposition of a composed draft message.
417 .SS "Environment Variables"
420 and its commands it also controlled by the
421 presence of certain environment variables.
423 Many of these environment variables are used internally by the
424 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface. It's amazing all the information
425 that has to get passed via environment variables to make the
426 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface look squeaky clean to the
428 user, isn't it? The reason for all this is that the
436 one of the standard shells. As a result, it's not possible to pass
437 information via an argument list. The convention is that environment
438 variables whose names are all upper-case are user-settable; those
439 whose names are lower-case only are used internally by mmh and should
440 not generally be set by the user.
444 option was set during
447 if this environment variable is set, then if the commands
452 are not given any `msgs'
453 arguments, then they will default to using the file indicated by
455 This is useful for getting the default behavior
456 supplied by the default
461 With this environment variable, you can specify an alternative
462 mmh directory. Personal mmh configuration files are located relative to
464 Non-absolute values are relative to the home directory.
465 This is one of the very few exceptions in
467 where non-absolute pathnames are not considered relative to the user's
473 With this environment variable, you can specify a profile
475 .I $HOME/.mmh/profile
479 that you invoke. If the value of
481 is not absolute, it will be presumed to start from the mmh directory.
486 With this environment variable, you can specify a
487 context other than the normal context file (as specified in
488 the profile). As always, unless the value of
490 is absolute, it will be presumed to start from your mmh directory.
495 With this environment variable, you can specify
496 the native character set you are using. You must be able to display
497 this character set on your terminal.
499 This variable is checked to see if a RFC-2047 header field should be
512 be called, since showmimeproc will be called if a text message uses
513 a character set that doesn't match
518 for matches against the charset parameter
519 of text contents to decide it the text content can be displayed
520 without modifications to your terminal. This variable is checked by
522 to decide what character set to specify in the charset
523 parameter of text contents containing 8\-bit characters.
525 When decoding text in such an alternate character set,
527 must be able to determine which characters are alphabetic, which
528 are control characters, etc. For many operating systems, this
529 will require enabling the support for locales (such as setting
530 the environment variable
539 the default maildrop. This supersedes the \*(lqMailDrop\*(rq profile entry.
548 your mail signature. This supersedes the \*(lqSignature\*(rq profile entry.
553 This variable tells all
555 programs your home directory
562 the default shell to run
571 These variables (in descending priority) define the default editor to use.
578 These variables (in descending priority) define the default pager to use.
587 The environment variable
589 is also consulted. In particular,
594 how many columns wide your terminal is. They also tell
597 lines long your terminal screen is.
602 This is the alternate message.
608 during edit sessions so you can peruse the message being distributed or
609 replied to. The message is also available through a link called
610 \*(lq@\*(rq (if not changed by
612 in the current directory if your current working directory
613 and the message's folder are on the same UNIX filesystem.
618 This is the path to the working draft.
628 which file to ask \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq
641 about an alternate message associated with the
642 draft (the message being distributed or replied to).
652 that message re-distribution is occurring.
666 editor (unless overridden by
683 if annotations are to occur.
693 if annotations are to occur.
698 This is the folder containing the alternate message.
704 during edit sessions so you
705 can peruse other messages in the current folder besides the one being
706 distributed or replied to.
712 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
713 ^$HOME/.mmh~^The user's mmh directory
714 ^or $MMH~^Rather than the standard mmh directory
715 ^$HOME/.mmh/profile~^The user's profile
716 ^or $MMHP~^Rather than the standard profile
717 ^$HOME/.mmh/context~^The user's context
718 ^or $MMHC~^Rather than the standard context
719 ^<folder>/.mh_sequences~^Public sequences for <folder>
723 nmh(1), environ(5), mh-sequence(7)
727 .I $HOME/.mmh/profile
728 contains only static information, which
732 update. Changes in context are made to the
733 .I $HOME/.mmh/context
735 This includes, but is not limited to: the \*(lqCurrent\-Folder\*(rq entry
736 and all private sequence information. Public sequence information is
737 kept in each folder in the file determined by the \*(lqMh\-Sequences\*(rq
738 profile entry (default is
739 .IR \&.mh_sequences ).
741 The profile may override the path of the
743 file, by specifying a \*(lqContext\*(rq entry.
744 As a result, you can actually have more than one set of
745 private sequences by using different context files.
748 The shell quoting conventions are not available in the profile.
749 Each token is separated by whitespace.
751 There is some question as to what kind of arguments should be placed
752 in the profile as options. In order to provide a clear answer, recall
753 command line semantics of all
755 programs: conflicting switches
760 may occur more than one time on the
761 command line, with the last switch taking effect. Other arguments, such
762 as message sequences, filenames and folders, are always remembered on
763 the invocation line and are not superseded by following arguments of
764 the same type. Hence, it is safe to place only switches (and their
765 arguments) in the profile.
769 program is being invoked again and again
770 with the same arguments, and those arguments aren't switches, then there
771 are a few possible solutions to this problem. The first is to create a
777 of your choice. By giving this link a different name, you can create
778 a new entry in your profile and use an alternate set of defaults for
781 command. Similarly, you could create a small shell script
784 program of your choice with an alternate set
785 of invocation line switches (using links and an alternate profile entry
786 is preferable to this solution).
790 user could create an alias for the command of the form:
793 alias cmd 'cmd arg1 arg2 ...'
796 In this way, the user can avoid lengthy type-in to the shell, and still
799 commands safely. (Recall that some
802 invoke others, and that in all cases, the profile is read, meaning that
803 aliases are disregarded beyond an initial command invocation)
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