5 .TH MH-PROFILE %manext5% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
7 mh-profile \- user profile customization for nmh message handler
9 .I $HOME/.mh\(ruprofile
13 is expected to have a file named
15 in his or her home directory. This file contains
16 a set of user parameters used by some or all of the
18 family of programs. Each entry in the file is of the format
21 .IR profile\-component ": " value
24 If the text of profile entry is long, you may extend it across several
25 real lines by indenting the continuation lines with leading spaces or tabs.
27 .SS "Standard Profile Entries"
28 The possible profile components are exemplified below. The only mandatory
29 entry is `Path:'. The others are optional; some have default values if
30 they are not present. In the notation used below, (profile, default)
31 indicates whether the information is kept in the user's
35 context, and indicates what the default value is.
42 transactions in directory \*(lqMail\*(rq. This is the
43 only mandatory profile entry. (profile, no default)
49 Declares the location of the
51 context file. This is overridden by the environment variable
56 (profile, default: <nmh\-dir>/context)
62 Keeps track of the current open folder.
63 (context, default: folder specified by \*(lqInbox\*(rq)
69 Defines the name of your default inbox.
70 (profile, default: inbox)
73 .BR Previous\-Sequence :
76 Names the sequence or sequences which should be defined as the `msgs' or
77 `msg' argument given to any
79 command. If not present or empty,
80 no such sequences are defined. Otherwise, for each name given, the
81 sequence is first zero'd and then each message is added to the sequence.
84 man page for the details about this sequence. (profile, no default)
87 .BR Sequence\-Negation :
90 Defines the string which, when prefixed to a sequence name, negates
91 that sequence. Hence, \*(lqnotseen\*(rq means all those messages that
92 are not a member of the sequence \*(lqseen\*(rq. Read the
94 man page for the details. (profile, no default)
97 .BR Unseen\-Sequence :
100 Names the sequence or sequences which should be defined as those
101 messages which are unread. The commands
107 will add or remove messages from these
108 sequences when they are incorporated or read. If not present or
109 empty, 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, no default)
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\(rusequences)
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 (profile, default: %default_editor%)
149 If defined and set to 1, then the
151 program will automatically
152 invoke the buildmimeproc (discussed below) to process each message as a MIME
153 composition draft before it is sent.
154 (profile, no default)
160 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new message files.
163 for an explanation of the octal number.
164 (profile, default: 0644)
167 .BR Folder\-Protect :
170 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new folder
173 for an explanation of the octal number.
174 (profile, default: 700)
180 Sets default switches to be used whenever the mh program
182 is invoked. For example, one could override the \*(lqEditor:\*(rq profile
183 component when replying to messages by adding a component such as:
186 repl: \-editor /bin/ed
189 (profile, no defaults)
192 .IB lasteditor "-next:"
195 Names \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq to be the default editor after using
196 \*(lqlasteditor\*(rq. This takes effect at \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt
204 the draft with \*(lqlasteditor\*(rq, the default editor is set to be
205 \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq. If the user types \*(lqedit\*(rq without any
206 arguments to \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq, then \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq is used.
207 (profile, no default)
215 which BBoards you are interested in. (profile, default: system)
221 The contents of the folder-stack for the
224 (context, no default)
233 auditfile in addition to its other tasks.
239 (profile, no default)
242 .BR Alternate\-Mailboxes :
243 mh@uci\-750a, bug-mh*
249 which addresses are really yours.
252 knows which addresses should be included in the
255 knows if the message really originated from you.
256 Addresses must be separated by a comma, and the hostnames listed should
257 be the \*(lqofficial\*(rq hostnames for the mailboxes you indicate, as
258 local nicknames for hosts are not replaced with their official site names.
259 For each address, if a host is not given, then that address on any host is
260 considered to be you. In addition, an asterisk (`*') may appear at either
261 or both ends of the mailbox and host to indicate wild-card matching.
262 (profile, default: your user-id)
269 Indicates aliases files for
274 This may be used instead of the
277 switch. (profile, no default)
283 Indicates a default draft folder for
291 man page for details. (profile, no default)
294 .BI digest\-issue\- list :
299 the last issue of the last volume sent for the digest
301 (context, no default)
304 .BI digest\-volume\- list :
309 the last volume sent for the digest
311 (context, no default)
319 your maildrop, if different from the default. This is
320 superseded by the environment variable
322 (profile, default: %mailspool%/$USER)
326 RAND MH System (agent: Marshall Rose)
330 your mail signature. This is superseded by the
335 is not set and this profile entry is not present, the \*(lqgcos\*(rq field of
336 the \fI/etc/passwd\fP file will be used; otherwise, on hosts where
338 was configured with the UCI option, the file
340 is consulted. Your signature will be added to the address
342 puts in the \*(lqFrom:\*(rq header; do not include an address in the
343 signature text. (profile, no default)
346 .SS "Process Profile Entries"
347 The following profile elements are used whenever an
349 program invokes some other program such as
353 can be used to select alternate programs if the
354 user wishes. The default values are given in the examples.
360 This is the program used by
362 to process drafts which are MIME composition files.
368 This program is used to refile or link a message to another folder.
371 to file a copy of a message into a folder given
372 by a \*(lqFcc:\*(rq field. It is used by the draft folder facility in
379 message into another folder. It is used to refile a draft message in
382 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt.
390 to incorporate new mail when it
391 is invoked with no arguments.
397 This program is called to initialize the environment for
405 This program is used to list the contents of a message in response
408 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt. It is
409 also used by the draft folder facility in
415 to display the draft message.
421 This is the program used to automatically mail various messages
422 and notifications. It is used by
426 option. It is used by
428 to post failure notices.
429 It is used to retrieve an external-body with access-type `mail-server'
430 (such as when storing the body with
437 This is the program used to filter messages in various ways. It
440 to filter and display the message headers
441 of MIME messages. When the
452 is used to filter the
453 message that you are forwarding, or to which you are replying.
464 to filter the copy of the message
465 that is sent to \*(lqBcc:\*(rq recipients.
471 This is the program used by
475 formatted message when displaying to a terminal. It is also the default
478 to display message bodies (or message parts) of type text/plain.
496 This is the program used by
505 post a message to the mail transport system. It is also called by
507 (called with the switches
511 to do address verification.
517 This is the program used by
521 to delete a message from a folder.
533 This is the program to use by
535 to actually send the message
541 This is the program used by
543 to process and display non-text (MIME) messages.
549 This is the program used by
551 to filter and display text (non-MIME) messages.
557 This is the program invoked by
563 to query about the disposition of a composed draft message.
569 This is the program used by
571 to determine to whom a message would be sent.
574 .SS "Environment Variables"
577 and its commands it also controlled by the
578 presence of certain environment variables.
580 Many of these environment variables are used internally by the
581 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface. It's amazing all the information
582 that has to get passed via environment variables to make the
583 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface look squeaky clean to the
585 user, isn't it? The reason for all this is that the
593 one of the standard shells. As a result, it's not possible to pass
594 information via an argument list. The convention is that environment
595 variables whose names are all upper-case are user-settable; those
596 whose names are lower-case only are used internally by nmh and should
597 not generally be set by the user.
601 option was set during
604 if this environment variable is set, then if the commands
610 are not given any `msgs'
611 arguments, then they will default to using the file indicated by
613 This is useful for getting the default behavior
614 supplied by the default
619 With this environment variable, you can specify a profile
625 that you invoke. If the value of
627 is not absolute, (i.e., does
628 not begin with a \*(lq/\*(rq), it will be presumed to start from the current
629 working directory. This is one of the very few exceptions in
631 where non-absolute pathnames are not considered relative to the user's
638 With this environment variable, you can specify a
639 context other than the normal context file (as specified in
642 profile). As always, unless the value of
644 is absolute, it will be presumed to start from your
651 With this environment variable, you can specify
652 the native character set you are using. You must be able to display
653 this character set on your terminal.
655 This variable is checked to see if a RFC-2047 header field should be
668 be called, since showmimeproc will be called if a text message uses
669 a character set that doesn't match
674 for matches against the charset parameter
675 of text contents to decide it the text content can be displayed
676 without modifications to your terminal. This variable is checked by
678 to decide what character set to specify in the charset
679 parameter of text contents containing 8\-bit characters.
681 When decoding text in such an alternate character set,
683 must be able to determine which characters are alphabetic, which
684 are control characters, etc. For many operating systems, this
685 will require enabling the support for locales (such as setting
686 the environment variable
695 the default maildrop. This supersedes the \*(lqMailDrop\*(rq profile entry.
704 your mail signature. This supersedes the \*(lqSignature\*(rq profile entry.
709 This variable tells all
711 programs your home directory
718 the default shell to run
727 The environment variable
729 is also consulted. In particular,
734 how to clear your terminal, and how
735 many columns wide your terminal is. They also tell
738 lines long your terminal screen is.
743 This is the alternate message.
749 during edit sessions so you can
750 peruse the message being distributed or replied to. The message is also
751 available through a link called \*(lq@\*(rq in the current directory if
752 your current working directory and the folder the message lives in are
753 on the same UNIX filesystem.
758 This is the path to the working draft.
768 which file to ask \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq
791 about an alternate message associated with the
792 draft (the message being distributed or replied to).
802 that message re-distribution is occurring.
816 editor (unless overridden by
833 if annotations are to occur.
843 if annotations are to occur.
853 if annotations are to occur.
858 This is the folder containing the alternate message.
864 during edit sessions so you
865 can peruse other messages in the current folder besides the one being
866 distributed or replied to. The environment variable
880 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
881 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
882 ^or $MH~^Rather than the standard profile
883 ^<mh\-dir>/context~^The user context
884 ^or $MHCONTEXT~^Rather than the standard context
885 ^<folder>/\&.mh\(rusequences~^Public sequences for <folder>
889 nmh(1), environ(5), mh-sequence(5)
894 contains only static information, which
898 update. Changes in context are made to the
900 file kept in the users
903 This includes, but is not limited to: the \*(lqCurrent\-Folder\*(rq entry
904 and all private sequence information. Public sequence information is
905 kept in each folder in the file determined by the \*(lqmh\-sequences\*(rq
906 profile entry (default is
907 .IR \&.mh\(rusequences ).
911 may override the path of the
913 file, by specifying a \*(lqcontext\*(rq entry (this must be in
914 lower-case). If the entry is not absolute (does not start with a
915 \*(lq/\*(rq), then it is interpreted relative to the user's
917 directory. As a result, you can actually have more than one set of
918 private sequences by using different context files.
921 The shell quoting conventions are not available in the
922 .IR \&.mh\(ruprofile .
923 Each token is separated by whitespace.
925 There is some question as to what kind of arguments should be placed
926 in the profile as options. In order to provide a clear answer, recall
927 command line semantics of all
929 programs: conflicting switches
934 may occur more than one time on the
935 command line, with the last switch taking effect. Other arguments, such
936 as message sequences, filenames and folders, are always remembered on
937 the invocation line and are not superseded by following arguments of
938 the same type. Hence, it is safe to place only switches (and their
939 arguments) in the profile.
943 program is being invoked again and again
944 with the same arguments, and those arguments aren't switches, then there
945 are a few possible solutions to this problem. The first is to create a
951 of your choice. By giving this link a different name, you can create
952 a new entry in your profile and use an alternate set of defaults for
955 command. Similarly, you could create a small shell script
958 program of your choice with an alternate set
959 of invocation line switches (using links and an alternate profile entry
960 is preferable to this solution).
964 user could create an alias for the command of the form:
967 alias cmd 'cmd arg1 arg2 ...'
970 In this way, the user can avoid lengthy type-in to the shell, and still
973 commands safely. (Recall that some
976 invoke others, and that in all cases, the profile is read, meaning that
977 aliases are disregarded beyond an initial command invocation)
projects / mmh / blob