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)
286 auditfile in addition to its other tasks.
292 (profile, no default)
295 .BR Alternate\-Mailboxes :
296 mh@uci\-750a, bug-mh*
302 which addresses are really yours.
305 knows which addresses should be included in the
308 knows if the message really originated from you.
309 Addresses must be separated by a comma, and the hostnames listed should
310 be the \*(lqofficial\*(rq hostnames for the mailboxes you indicate, as
311 local nicknames for hosts are not replaced with their official site names.
312 For each address, if a host is not given, then that address on any host is
313 considered to be you. In addition, an asterisk (`*') may appear at either
314 or both ends of the mailbox and host to indicate wild-card matching.
315 (profile, default: your user-id)
322 Indicates aliases files for
326 This may be used instead of the
329 switch. (profile, no default)
335 Changes the default draft folder. Read the
337 man page for details. (profile, default: +drafts)
343 Changes the default folder for removed messages. Read the
345 man page for details.
346 (profile, default: +trash)
349 .BI digest\-issue\- list :
354 the last issue of the last volume sent for the digest
356 (context, no default)
359 .BI digest\-volume\- list :
364 the last volume sent for the digest
366 (context, no default)
374 your maildrop, if different from the default. This is
375 superseded by the environment variable
377 (profile, default: %mailspool%/$USER)
381 RAND MH System (agent: Marshall Rose)
385 your mail signature. This is superseded by the
390 is not set and this profile entry is not present, the \*(lqgcos\*(rq field of
391 the \fI/etc/passwd\fP file will be used.
392 Your signature will be added to the address
394 puts in the \*(lqFrom:\*(rq header; do not include an address in the
395 signature text. (profile, no default)
398 .SS "Process Profile Entries"
399 The following profile elements are used whenever an
401 program invokes some other program such as
403 The profile can be used to select alternate programs if the
404 user wishes. The default values are given in the examples.
410 This program is used to list the contents of a message in response
415 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt.
416 The absolute pathname of the message to list will be appended to
417 the command line given.
423 This is the program invoked by
429 to query about the disposition of a composed draft message.
432 .SS "Environment Variables"
435 and its commands it also controlled by the
436 presence of certain environment variables.
438 Many of these environment variables are used internally by the
439 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface. It's amazing all the information
440 that has to get passed via environment variables to make the
441 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface look squeaky clean to the
443 user, isn't it? The reason for all this is that the
451 one of the standard shells. As a result, it's not possible to pass
452 information via an argument list. The convention is that environment
453 variables whose names are all upper-case are user-settable; those
454 whose names are lower-case only are used internally by mmh and should
455 not generally be set by the user.
459 option was set during
462 if this environment variable is set, then if the commands
467 are not given any `msgs'
468 arguments, then they will default to using the file indicated by
470 This is useful for getting the default behavior
471 supplied by the default
476 With this environment variable, you can specify an alternative
477 mmh directory. Personal mmh configuration files are located relative to
479 Non-absolute values are relative to the home directory.
480 This is one of the very few exceptions in
482 where non-absolute pathnames are not considered relative to the user's
488 With this environment variable, you can specify a profile
490 .I $HOME/.mmh/profile
494 that you invoke. If the value of
496 is not absolute, it will be presumed to start from the mmh directory.
501 With this environment variable, you can specify a
502 context other than the normal context file (as specified in
503 the profile). As always, unless the value of
505 is absolute, it will be presumed to start from your mmh directory.
510 With this environment variable, you can specify
511 the native character set you are using. You must be able to display
512 this character set on your terminal.
514 This variable is checked to see if a RFC-2047 header field should be
527 be called, since showmimeproc will be called if a text message uses
528 a character set that doesn't match
533 for matches against the charset parameter
534 of text contents to decide it the text content can be displayed
535 without modifications to your terminal. This variable is checked by
537 to decide what character set to specify in the charset
538 parameter of text contents containing 8\-bit characters.
540 When decoding text in such an alternate character set,
542 must be able to determine which characters are alphabetic, which
543 are control characters, etc. For many operating systems, this
544 will require enabling the support for locales (such as setting
545 the environment variable
554 the default maildrop. This supersedes the \*(lqMailDrop\*(rq profile entry.
563 your mail signature. This supersedes the \*(lqSignature\*(rq profile entry.
568 This variable tells all
570 programs your home directory
577 the default shell to run
586 These variables (in descending priority) define the default editor to use.
593 These variables (in descending priority) define the default pager to use.
602 The environment variable
604 is also consulted. In particular,
609 how many columns wide your terminal is. They also tell
612 lines long your terminal screen is.
617 This is the alternate message.
623 during edit sessions so you can peruse the message being distributed or
624 replied to. The message is also available through a link called
625 \*(lq@\*(rq (if not changed by
627 in the current directory if your current working directory
628 and the message's folder are on the same UNIX filesystem.
633 This is the path to the working draft.
643 which file to ask \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq
656 about an alternate message associated with the
657 draft (the message being distributed or replied to).
667 that message re-distribution is occurring.
681 editor (unless overridden by
698 if annotations are to occur.
708 if annotations are to occur.
713 This is the folder containing the alternate message.
719 during edit sessions so you
720 can peruse other messages in the current folder besides the one being
721 distributed or replied to.
727 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
728 ^$HOME/.mmh~^The user's mmh directory
729 ^or $MMH~^Rather than the standard mmh directory
730 ^$HOME/.mmh/profile~^The user's profile
731 ^or $MMHP~^Rather than the standard profile
732 ^$HOME/.mmh/context~^The user's context
733 ^or $MMHC~^Rather than the standard context
734 ^<folder>/.mh_sequences~^Public sequences for <folder>
738 nmh(1), environ(5), mh-sequence(7)
742 .I $HOME/.mmh/profile
743 contains only static information, which
747 update. Changes in context are made to the
748 .I $HOME/.mmh/context
750 This includes, but is not limited to: the \*(lqCurrent\-Folder\*(rq entry
751 and all private sequence information. Public sequence information is
752 kept in each folder in the file determined by the \*(lqMh\-Sequences\*(rq
753 profile entry (default is
754 .IR \&.mh_sequences ).
756 The profile may override the path of the
758 file, by specifying a \*(lqContext\*(rq entry.
759 As a result, you can actually have more than one set of
760 private sequences by using different context files.
763 The shell quoting conventions are not available in the profile.
764 Each token is separated by whitespace.
766 There is some question as to what kind of arguments should be placed
767 in the profile as options. In order to provide a clear answer, recall
768 command line semantics of all
770 programs: conflicting switches
775 may occur more than one time on the
776 command line, with the last switch taking effect. Other arguments, such
777 as message sequences, filenames and folders, are always remembered on
778 the invocation line and are not superseded by following arguments of
779 the same type. Hence, it is safe to place only switches (and their
780 arguments) in the profile.
784 program is being invoked again and again
785 with the same arguments, and those arguments aren't switches, then there
786 are a few possible solutions to this problem. The first is to create a
792 of your choice. By giving this link a different name, you can create
793 a new entry in your profile and use an alternate set of defaults for
796 command. Similarly, you could create a small shell script
799 program of your choice with an alternate set
800 of invocation line switches (using links and an alternate profile entry
801 is preferable to this solution).
805 user could create an alias for the command of the form:
808 alias cmd 'cmd arg1 arg2 ...'
811 In this way, the user can avoid lengthy type-in to the shell, and still
814 commands safely. (Recall that some
817 invoke others, and that in all cases, the profile is read, meaning that
818 aliases are disregarded beyond an initial command invocation)
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