4 .TH MH-PROFILE %manext5% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
6 mh-profile \- user profile customization for nmh message handler
8 .I $HOME/.mh\(ruprofile
12 is expected to have a file named
14 in his or her home directory. This file contains
15 a set of user parameters used by some or all of the
17 family of programs. Each entry in the file is of the format
20 .IR profile\-component ": " value
23 If the text of profile entry is long, you may extend it across several
24 real lines by indenting the continuation lines with leading spaces or tabs.
26 .SS "Standard Profile Entries"
27 The possible profile components are exemplified below. The only mandatory
28 entry is `Path:'. The others are optional; some have default values if
29 they are not present. In the notation used below, (profile, default)
30 indicates whether the information is kept in the user's
34 context, and indicates what the default value is.
41 transactions in directory \*(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: <nmh\-dir>/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, \*(lqnotseen\*(rq means all those messages that
91 are not a member of the sequence \*(lqseen\*(rq. Read the
93 man page for the details. (profile, no default)
96 .BR Unseen\-Sequence :
99 Names the sequence or sequences which should be defined as those
100 messages which are unread. The commands
106 will add or remove messages from these
107 sequences when they are incorporated or read. If not present or
108 empty, no such sequences are defined. Otherwise, each message is
109 added to, or removed from, each sequence name given. Read the
111 man page for the details about this sequence.
112 (profile, no default)
118 The name of the file in each folder which defines public sequences.
119 To disable the use of public sequences, leave the value portion of this
120 entry blank. (profile, default: \&.mh\(rusequences)
123 .BI atr\- seq \- folder :
126 Keeps track of the private sequence called \*(lqseq\*(rq in the specified
127 folder. Private sequences are generally used for read\-only folders.
130 man page for details about private sequences.
131 (context, no default)
137 Defines the editor to be used by the commands
143 (profile, default: vi)
154 (profile, default: %sendmailpath%)
160 The prefix that is prepended to the name of message files when they
161 are "removed" by rmm. This should typically be `,' or `#'.
162 (profile, default: `,')
168 Name of the link to the file to which you are replying or which you are
169 redistributing. See `$mhaltmsg' below.
170 (profile, default: `@')
175 If defined and set to 1, then the
177 program will automatically
178 invoke the buildmimeproc (discussed below) to process each message as a MIME
179 composition draft before it is sent.
180 (profile, no default)
186 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new message files.
189 for an explanation of the octal number.
190 (profile, default: 0644)
193 .BR Folder\-Protect :
196 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new folder
199 for an explanation of the octal number.
200 (profile, default: 700)
206 Sets default switches to be used whenever the mh program
208 is invoked. For example, one could override the \*(lqEditor:\*(rq profile
209 component when replying to messages by adding a component such as:
212 repl: \-editor /bin/ed
215 (profile, no defaults)
218 .IB lasteditor "-next:"
221 Names \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq to be the default editor after using
222 \*(lqlasteditor\*(rq. This takes effect at \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt
230 the draft with \*(lqlasteditor\*(rq, the default editor is set to be
231 \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq. If the user types \*(lqedit\*(rq without any
232 arguments to \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq, then \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq is used.
233 (profile, no default)
241 which BBoards you are interested in. (profile, default: system)
247 The contents of the folder-stack for the
250 (context, no default)
259 auditfile in addition to its other tasks.
265 (profile, no default)
268 .BR Alternate\-Mailboxes :
269 mh@uci\-750a, bug-mh*
275 which addresses are really yours.
278 knows which addresses should be included in the
281 knows if the message really originated from you.
282 Addresses must be separated by a comma, and the hostnames listed should
283 be the \*(lqofficial\*(rq hostnames for the mailboxes you indicate, as
284 local nicknames for hosts are not replaced with their official site names.
285 For each address, if a host is not given, then that address on any host is
286 considered to be you. In addition, an asterisk (`*') may appear at either
287 or both ends of the mailbox and host to indicate wild-card matching.
288 (profile, default: your user-id)
295 Indicates aliases files for
300 This may be used instead of the
303 switch. (profile, no default)
309 Indicates a default draft folder for
317 man page for details. (profile, no default)
320 .BI digest\-issue\- list :
325 the last issue of the last volume sent for the digest
327 (context, no default)
330 .BI digest\-volume\- list :
335 the last volume sent for the digest
337 (context, no default)
345 your maildrop, if different from the default. This is
346 superseded by the environment variable
348 (profile, default: %mailspool%/$USER)
352 RAND MH System (agent: Marshall Rose)
356 your mail signature. This is superseded by the
361 is not set and this profile entry is not present, the \*(lqgcos\*(rq field of
362 the \fI/etc/passwd\fP file will be used; otherwise, on hosts where
364 was configured with the UCI option, the file
366 is consulted. Your signature will be added to the address
368 puts in the \*(lqFrom:\*(rq header; do not include an address in the
369 signature text. (profile, no default)
372 .SS "Process Profile Entries"
373 The following profile elements are used whenever an
375 program invokes some other program such as
379 can be used to select alternate programs if the
380 user wishes. The default values are given in the examples.
386 This is the program used by
388 to process drafts which are MIME composition files.
394 This program is used to refile or link a message to another folder.
397 to file a copy of a message into a folder given
398 by a \*(lqFcc:\*(rq field. It is used by the draft folder facility in
405 message into another folder. It is used to refile a draft message in
408 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt.
416 to incorporate new mail when it
417 is invoked with no arguments.
423 This program is called to initialize the environment for
431 This program is used to list the contents of a message in response
434 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt. It is
435 also used by the draft folder facility in
441 to display the draft message.
447 This is the program used to automatically mail various messages
448 and notifications. It is used by
452 option. It is used by
454 to post failure notices.
455 It is used to retrieve an external-body with access-type `mail-server'
456 (such as when storing the body with
463 This is the program used to filter messages in various ways. It
466 to filter and display the message headers
467 of MIME messages. When the
478 is used to filter the
479 message that you are forwarding, or to which you are replying.
490 to filter the copy of the message
491 that is sent to \*(lqBcc:\*(rq recipients.
497 This is the program used by
501 formatted message when displaying to a terminal. It is also the default
504 to display message bodies (or message parts) of type text/plain.
516 This is the program used by
525 post a message to the mail transport system. It is also called by
527 (called with the switches
531 to do address verification.
537 This is the program used by
541 to delete a message from a folder.
553 This is the program to use by
555 to actually send the message
561 This is the program used by
563 to process and display non-text (MIME) messages.
569 This is the program used by
571 to filter and display text (non-MIME) messages.
577 This is the program invoked by
583 to query about the disposition of a composed draft message.
589 This is the program used by
591 to determine to whom a message would be sent.
594 .SS "Environment Variables"
597 and its commands it also controlled by the
598 presence of certain environment variables.
600 Many of these environment variables are used internally by the
601 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface. It's amazing all the information
602 that has to get passed via environment variables to make the
603 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface look squeaky clean to the
605 user, isn't it? The reason for all this is that the
613 one of the standard shells. As a result, it's not possible to pass
614 information via an argument list. The convention is that environment
615 variables whose names are all upper-case are user-settable; those
616 whose names are lower-case only are used internally by nmh and should
617 not generally be set by the user.
621 option was set during
624 if this environment variable is set, then if the commands
630 are not given any `msgs'
631 arguments, then they will default to using the file indicated by
633 This is useful for getting the default behavior
634 supplied by the default
639 With this environment variable, you can specify a profile
645 that you invoke. If the value of
647 is not absolute, (i.e., does
648 not begin with a \*(lq/\*(rq), it will be presumed to start from the current
649 working directory. This is one of the very few exceptions in
651 where non-absolute pathnames are not considered relative to the user's
658 With this environment variable, you can specify a
659 context other than the normal context file (as specified in
662 profile). As always, unless the value of
664 is absolute, it will be presumed to start from your
671 With this environment variable, you can specify
672 the native character set you are using. You must be able to display
673 this character set on your terminal.
675 This variable is checked to see if a RFC-2047 header field should be
688 be called, since showmimeproc will be called if a text message uses
689 a character set that doesn't match
694 for matches against the charset parameter
695 of text contents to decide it the text content can be displayed
696 without modifications to your terminal. This variable is checked by
698 to decide what character set to specify in the charset
699 parameter of text contents containing 8\-bit characters.
701 When decoding text in such an alternate character set,
703 must be able to determine which characters are alphabetic, which
704 are control characters, etc. For many operating systems, this
705 will require enabling the support for locales (such as setting
706 the environment variable
715 the default maildrop. This supersedes the \*(lqMailDrop\*(rq profile entry.
724 your mail signature. This supersedes the \*(lqSignature\*(rq profile entry.
729 This variable tells all
731 programs your home directory
738 the default shell to run
747 The environment variable
749 is also consulted. In particular,
754 how to clear your terminal, and how
755 many columns wide your terminal is. They also tell
758 lines long your terminal screen is.
763 This is the alternate message.
769 during edit sessions so you can peruse the message being distributed or
770 replied to. The message is also available through a link called
771 \*(lq@\*(rq (if not changed by
773 in the current directory if your current working directory
774 and the message's folder are on the same UNIX filesystem.
779 This is the path to the working draft.
789 which file to ask \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq
812 about an alternate message associated with the
813 draft (the message being distributed or replied to).
823 that message re-distribution is occurring.
837 editor (unless overridden by
854 if annotations are to occur.
864 if annotations are to occur.
874 if annotations are to occur.
879 This is the folder containing the alternate message.
885 during edit sessions so you
886 can peruse other messages in the current folder besides the one being
887 distributed or replied to. The environment variable
901 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
902 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
903 ^or $MH~^Rather than the standard profile
904 ^<mh\-dir>/context~^The user context
905 ^or $MHCONTEXT~^Rather than the standard context
906 ^<folder>/\&.mh\(rusequences~^Public sequences for <folder>
910 nmh(1), environ(5), mh-sequence(5)
915 contains only static information, which
919 update. Changes in context are made to the
921 file kept in the users
924 This includes, but is not limited to: the \*(lqCurrent\-Folder\*(rq entry
925 and all private sequence information. Public sequence information is
926 kept in each folder in the file determined by the \*(lqmh\-sequences\*(rq
927 profile entry (default is
928 .IR \&.mh\(rusequences ).
932 may override the path of the
934 file, by specifying a \*(lqcontext\*(rq entry (this must be in
935 lower-case). If the entry is not absolute (does not start with a
936 \*(lq/\*(rq), then it is interpreted relative to the user's
938 directory. As a result, you can actually have more than one set of
939 private sequences by using different context files.
942 The shell quoting conventions are not available in the
943 .IR \&.mh\(ruprofile .
944 Each token is separated by whitespace.
946 There is some question as to what kind of arguments should be placed
947 in the profile as options. In order to provide a clear answer, recall
948 command line semantics of all
950 programs: conflicting switches
955 may occur more than one time on the
956 command line, with the last switch taking effect. Other arguments, such
957 as message sequences, filenames and folders, are always remembered on
958 the invocation line and are not superseded by following arguments of
959 the same type. Hence, it is safe to place only switches (and their
960 arguments) in the profile.
964 program is being invoked again and again
965 with the same arguments, and those arguments aren't switches, then there
966 are a few possible solutions to this problem. The first is to create a
972 of your choice. By giving this link a different name, you can create
973 a new entry in your profile and use an alternate set of defaults for
976 command. Similarly, you could create a small shell script
979 program of your choice with an alternate set
980 of invocation line switches (using links and an alternate profile entry
981 is preferable to this solution).
985 user could create an alias for the command of the form:
988 alias cmd 'cmd arg1 arg2 ...'
991 In this way, the user can avoid lengthy type-in to the shell, and still
994 commands safely. (Recall that some
997 invoke others, and that in all cases, the profile is read, meaning that
998 aliases are disregarded beyond an initial command invocation)
projects / mmh / blob