4 .TH MH-PROFILE %manext5% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
6 mh-profile \- user customization for the mmh message handler
10 is expected to have a file named
12 in his or her home directory. This file contains
13 a set of user parameters used by some or all of the
15 family of programs. Each entry in the file is of the format
18 .IR Profile\-Component ": " value
21 If the text of profile entry is long, you may extend it across several
22 real lines by indenting the continuation lines with leading spaces or tabs.
24 .SS "Standard Profile Entries"
25 The possible profile components are exemplified below. The only mandatory
26 entry is `Path:'. The others are optional; some have default values if
27 they are not present. In the notation used below, (profile, default)
28 indicates whether the information is kept in the user's
32 context, and indicates what the default value is.
37 Sets the user's mail storage to `Mail'. This is the
38 only mandatory profile entry. (profile, no default)
44 Declares the location of the
46 context file. This is overridden by the environment variable
51 (profile, default: $HOME/.mmh/context)
57 Keeps track of the current open folder.
58 (context, default: folder specified by `Inbox')
64 Defines the name of your default inbox.
65 (profile, default: inbox)
68 .BR Sequence\-Negation :
71 Defines the string which, when prefixed to a sequence name, negates
72 that sequence. Hence, `!foo' means all those messages that
73 are not a member of the sequence `foo'.
74 To deactivate this mechanism, define Sequence\-Negation to an empty value.
77 man page for the details. (profile, default: !)
80 .BR Unseen\-Sequence :
83 Names the sequence or sequences which shall contain any unread messages.
89 will add or remove messages from these
90 sequences when they are incorporated or read. If defined with an empty
91 value, no such sequences are defined. Otherwise, each message is
92 added to, or removed from, each sequence name given. Read the
94 man page for the details about this sequence.
101 The name of the file in each folder which defines public sequences.
102 To disable the use of public sequences, leave the value portion of this
103 entry blank. (profile, default: \&.mh_sequences)
106 .BI atr\- seq \- folder :
109 Keeps track of the private sequence called `seq' in the specified
110 folder. Private sequences are generally used for read\-only folders.
113 man page for details about private sequences.
114 (context, no default)
120 Defines the editor to be used by the commands
126 This profile entry overrides the $VISUAL and $EDITOR environment variables,
127 but gets overridden by the $MMHEDITOR environment variabel.
128 (profile, default: vi)
134 This is the program used by
138 formatted message when displaying to a terminal. It is also the default
141 to display message bodies (or message parts) of type text/plain.
142 This profile entry overrides the $PAGER environment variable, but gets
143 overridden by the $MMHPAGER environment variable.
144 (profile, default: more)
155 (profile, default: %sendmailpath%)
158 .BR Attachment-Header :
161 The (pseudo) header in draft messages, that contains files to be attached
162 to the message on sending.
163 If you like to type a lot, name it `X-MH-Attachment'.
164 (profile, default: `Attach')
170 The (pseudo) header in draft messages, that requests the message to be
171 signed automatically by
175 If you like to type a lot, name it `X-MH-Sign-This-Message'.
176 (profile, default: `Sign')
182 The (pseudo) header in draft messages, that requests the message to be
183 signed and encrypted by
187 If you like to type a lot, name it `X-MH-Encrypt-This-Message'.
188 (profile, default: `Enc')
191 .BR Mime-Type-Query :
194 A command that prints the MIME type of a given file.
195 The file name is appended to the command line.
196 Note: Older versions of file(1) won't generate the desired output.
197 file-4.26, for instance, omits a required semicolon.
198 file-5.04 is known to work.
199 Alternatively, you can use
200 .BR print\-mimetype ,
201 which is part of mmh, but guesses MIME types by file name extensions only.
207 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new message files.
210 for an explanation of the octal number.
211 (profile, default: 0600)
214 .BR Folder\-Protect :
217 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new folder
220 for an explanation of the octal number.
221 (profile, default: 0700)
227 Sets default switches to be used whenever the mmh program
229 is invoked. For example, one could override the `Editor:' profile
230 component when replying to messages by adding a component such as:
233 repl: \-editor /bin/ed
236 (profile, no defaults)
239 .IB lasteditor "-next:"
242 Names `nexteditor' to be the default editor after using
243 `lasteditor'. This takes effect at `What now?' prompt
251 the draft with `lasteditor', the default editor is set to be
252 `nexteditor'. If the user types `edit' without any
253 arguments to `What now?', then `nexteditor' is used.
254 (profile, no default)
260 The contents of the folder-stack for the
263 (context, no default)
266 .BR Alternate\-Mailboxes :
267 mh@uci\-750a, bug-mh*
273 which addresses are really yours.
276 knows which addresses should be included in the
279 knows if the message really originated from you.
280 Addresses must be separated by a comma, and the hostnames listed should
281 be the `official' hostnames for the mailboxes you indicate, as
282 local nicknames for hosts are not replaced with their official site names.
283 For each address, if a host is not given, then that address on any host is
284 considered to be you. In addition, an asterisk (`*') may appear at either
285 or both ends of the mailbox and host to indicate wild-card matching.
286 (profile, default: your user-id)
290 Philipp Takacs <philipp@bureaucracy.de>
294 which address to use, if the draft dosn't contain a
296 Header or the draft is not from the user.
297 (profile, no default)
304 Indicates aliases files for
309 (profile, no default)
315 Changes the default draft folder. Read the
317 man page for details. (profile, default: +drafts)
323 Changes the default folder for removed messages. Read the
325 man page for details.
326 (profile, default: +trash)
329 .BI digest\-issue\- list :
334 the last issue of the last volume sent for the digest
336 (context, no default)
339 .BI digest\-volume\- list :
344 the last volume sent for the digest
346 (context, no default)
354 your maildrop, if different from the default. This is
355 superseded by the environment variable
357 (profile, default: %mailspool%/$USER)
361 RAND MH System (agent: Marshall Rose)
365 your mail signature. This is superseded by the
370 is not set and this profile entry is not present, the `gcos' field of
371 the \fI/etc/passwd\fP file will be used.
372 Your signature will be added to the address
374 puts in the `From:' header; do not include an address in the
375 signature text. (profile, no default)
378 .BR Metafile-Extention :
381 This extions will be used to store meta information about a mail or a draft.
382 Currently only implemented by whatnow2. (profile, no default)
385 .SS "Process Profile Entries"
386 The following profile elements are used whenever an
388 program invokes some other program such as
390 The profile can be used to select alternate programs if the
391 user wishes. The default values are given in the examples.
397 This program is used to list the contents of a message in response
402 directive at the `What now?' prompt.
403 The absolute pathname of the message to list will be appended to
404 the command line given.
410 This is the program invoked by
416 to query about the disposition of a composed draft message.
419 .SS "Environment Variables"
422 and its commands it also controlled by the
423 presence of certain environment variables.
425 Many of these environment variables are used internally by the
426 `What now?' interface. It's amazing all the information
427 that has to get passed via environment variables to make the
428 `What now?' interface look squeaky clean to the
430 user, isn't it? The reason for all this is that the
438 one of the standard shells. As a result, it's not possible to pass
439 information via an argument list. The convention is that environment
440 variables whose names are all upper-case are user-settable; those
441 whose names are lower-case only are used internally by mmh and should
442 not generally be set by the user.
446 option was set during
449 if this environment variable is set, then if the commands
454 are not given any `msgs'
455 arguments, then they will default to using the file indicated by
457 This is useful for getting the default behavior
458 supplied by the default
463 With this environment variable, you can specify an alternative
464 mmh directory. Personal mmh configuration files are located relative to
466 Non-absolute values are relative to the home directory.
467 This is one of the very few exceptions in
469 where non-absolute pathnames are not considered relative to the user's
475 With this environment variable, you can specify a profile
477 .I $HOME/.mmh/profile
481 that you invoke. If the value of
483 is not absolute, it will be presumed to start from the mmh directory.
488 With this environment variable, you can specify a
489 context other than the normal context file (as specified in
490 the profile). As always, unless the value of
492 is absolute, it will be presumed to start from your mmh directory.
497 With this environment variable, you can specify
498 the native character set you are using. You must be able to display
499 this character set on your terminal.
501 This variable is checked to see if a RFC-2047 header field should be
514 be called, since showmimeproc will be called if a text message uses
515 a character set that doesn't match
520 for matches against the charset parameter
521 of text contents to decide it the text content can be displayed
522 without modifications to your terminal. This variable is checked by
524 to decide what character set to specify in the charset
525 parameter of text contents containing 8\-bit characters.
527 When decoding text in such an alternate character set,
529 must be able to determine which characters are alphabetic, which
530 are control characters, etc. For many operating systems, this
531 will require enabling the support for locales (such as setting
532 the environment variable
541 the default maildrop. This supersedes the `MailDrop' profile entry.
550 your mail signature. This supersedes the `Signature' profile entry.
555 This variable tells all
557 programs your home directory
564 the default shell to run
573 These variables (in descending priority) define the default editor to use.
580 These variables (in descending priority) define the default pager to use.
589 The environment variable
591 is also consulted. In particular,
596 how many columns wide your terminal is. They also tell
599 lines long your terminal screen is.
604 This is the path to the working draft.
614 which file to ask `What now?'
627 about an alternate message associated with the
628 draft (the message being distributed or replied to).
629 It is also set during edit sessions so you can peruse the
630 message being distributed or replied to.
631 This variable replaces the older
634 There used to be a link named `@' in the working directory, pointing
635 to the alternate message, there is no such link anymore.
645 that message re-distribution is occurring.
659 editor (unless overridden by
676 if annotations are to occur.
686 if annotations are to occur.
691 This is the folder containing the alternate message.
697 during edit sessions so you
698 can peruse other messages in the current folder besides the one being
699 distributed or replied to.
705 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
706 ^$HOME/.mmh~^The user's mmh directory
707 ^or $MMH~^Rather than the standard mmh directory
709 ^$HOME/.mmh/profile~^The user's profile
710 ^or $MMHP~^Rather than the standard profile
712 ^$HOME/.mmh/context~^The user's context
713 ^or $MMHC~^Rather than the standard context
715 ^<folder>/.mh_sequences~^Public sequences for <folder>
719 nmh(1), environ(5), mh-sequence(7)
723 .I $HOME/.mmh/profile
724 contains only static information, which
728 update. Changes in context are made to the
729 .I $HOME/.mmh/context
731 This includes, but is not limited to: the `Current\-Folder' entry
732 and all private sequence information. Public sequence information is
733 kept in each folder in the file determined by the `Mh\-Sequences'
734 profile entry (default is
735 .IR \&.mh_sequences ).
737 The profile may override the path of the
739 file, by specifying a `Context' entry.
740 As a result, you can actually have more than one set of
741 private sequences by using different context files.
744 The shell quoting conventions are not available in the profile.
745 Each token is separated by whitespace.
747 There is some question as to what kind of arguments should be placed
748 in the profile as options. In order to provide a clear answer, recall
749 command line semantics of all
751 programs: conflicting switches
756 may occur more than one time on the
757 command line, with the last switch taking effect. Other arguments, such
758 as message sequences, filenames and folders, are always remembered on
759 the invocation line and are not superseded by following arguments of
760 the same type. Hence, it is safe to place only switches (and their
761 arguments) in the profile.
765 program is being invoked again and again
766 with the same arguments, and those arguments aren't switches, then there
767 are a few possible solutions to this problem. The first is to create a
773 of your choice. By giving this link a different name, you can create
774 a new entry in your profile and use an alternate set of defaults for
777 command. Similarly, you could create a small shell script
780 program of your choice with an alternate set
781 of invocation line switches (using links and an alternate profile entry
782 is preferable to this solution).
786 user could create an alias for the command of the form:
789 alias cmd 'cmd arg1 arg2 ...'
792 In this way, the user can avoid lengthy type-in to the shell, and still
795 commands safely. (Recall that some
798 invoke others, and that in all cases, the profile is read, meaning that
799 aliases are disregarded beyond an initial command invocation)
projects / mmh / blob