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.
522 This is the program used by
531 post a message to the mail transport system. It is also called by
533 (called with the switches
537 to do address verification.
543 This is the program used by
547 to delete a message from a folder.
559 This is the program to use by
561 to actually send the message
567 This is the program used by
569 to process and display non-text (MIME) messages.
575 This is the program used by
577 to filter and display text (non-MIME) messages.
583 This is the program invoked by
589 to query about the disposition of a composed draft message.
595 This is the program used by
597 to determine to whom a message would be sent.
600 .SS "Environment Variables"
603 and its commands it also controlled by the
604 presence of certain environment variables.
606 Many of these environment variables are used internally by the
607 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface. It's amazing all the information
608 that has to get passed via environment variables to make the
609 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface look squeaky clean to the
611 user, isn't it? The reason for all this is that the
619 one of the standard shells. As a result, it's not possible to pass
620 information via an argument list. The convention is that environment
621 variables whose names are all upper-case are user-settable; those
622 whose names are lower-case only are used internally by nmh and should
623 not generally be set by the user.
627 option was set during
630 if this environment variable is set, then if the commands
636 are not given any `msgs'
637 arguments, then they will default to using the file indicated by
639 This is useful for getting the default behavior
640 supplied by the default
645 With this environment variable, you can specify a profile
651 that you invoke. If the value of
653 is not absolute, (i.e., does
654 not begin with a \*(lq/\*(rq), it will be presumed to start from the current
655 working directory. This is one of the very few exceptions in
657 where non-absolute pathnames are not considered relative to the user's
664 With this environment variable, you can specify a
665 context other than the normal context file (as specified in
668 profile). As always, unless the value of
670 is absolute, it will be presumed to start from your
677 With this environment variable, you can specify
678 the native character set you are using. You must be able to display
679 this character set on your terminal.
681 This variable is checked to see if a RFC-2047 header field should be
694 be called, since showmimeproc will be called if a text message uses
695 a character set that doesn't match
700 for matches against the charset parameter
701 of text contents to decide it the text content can be displayed
702 without modifications to your terminal. This variable is checked by
704 to decide what character set to specify in the charset
705 parameter of text contents containing 8\-bit characters.
707 When decoding text in such an alternate character set,
709 must be able to determine which characters are alphabetic, which
710 are control characters, etc. For many operating systems, this
711 will require enabling the support for locales (such as setting
712 the environment variable
721 the default maildrop. This supersedes the \*(lqMailDrop\*(rq profile entry.
730 your mail signature. This supersedes the \*(lqSignature\*(rq profile entry.
735 This variable tells all
737 programs your home directory
744 the default shell to run
753 The environment variable
755 is also consulted. In particular,
760 how to clear your terminal, and how
761 many columns wide your terminal is. They also tell
764 lines long your terminal screen is.
769 This is the alternate message.
775 during edit sessions so you can peruse the message being distributed or
776 replied to. The message is also available through a link called
777 \*(lq@\*(rq (if not changed by
779 in the current directory if your current working directory
780 and the message's folder are on the same UNIX filesystem.
785 This is the path to the working draft.
795 which file to ask \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq
818 about an alternate message associated with the
819 draft (the message being distributed or replied to).
829 that message re-distribution is occurring.
843 editor (unless overridden by
860 if annotations are to occur.
870 if annotations are to occur.
880 if annotations are to occur.
885 This is the folder containing the alternate message.
891 during edit sessions so you
892 can peruse other messages in the current folder besides the one being
893 distributed or replied to. The environment variable
907 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
908 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
909 ^or $MH~^Rather than the standard profile
910 ^<mh\-dir>/context~^The user context
911 ^or $MHCONTEXT~^Rather than the standard context
912 ^<folder>/\&.mh\(rusequences~^Public sequences for <folder>
916 nmh(1), environ(5), mh-sequence(5)
921 contains only static information, which
925 update. Changes in context are made to the
927 file kept in the users
930 This includes, but is not limited to: the \*(lqCurrent\-Folder\*(rq entry
931 and all private sequence information. Public sequence information is
932 kept in each folder in the file determined by the \*(lqmh\-sequences\*(rq
933 profile entry (default is
934 .IR \&.mh\(rusequences ).
938 may override the path of the
940 file, by specifying a \*(lqcontext\*(rq entry (this must be in
941 lower-case). If the entry is not absolute (does not start with a
942 \*(lq/\*(rq), then it is interpreted relative to the user's
944 directory. As a result, you can actually have more than one set of
945 private sequences by using different context files.
948 The shell quoting conventions are not available in the
949 .IR \&.mh\(ruprofile .
950 Each token is separated by whitespace.
952 There is some question as to what kind of arguments should be placed
953 in the profile as options. In order to provide a clear answer, recall
954 command line semantics of all
956 programs: conflicting switches
961 may occur more than one time on the
962 command line, with the last switch taking effect. Other arguments, such
963 as message sequences, filenames and folders, are always remembered on
964 the invocation line and are not superseded by following arguments of
965 the same type. Hence, it is safe to place only switches (and their
966 arguments) in the profile.
970 program is being invoked again and again
971 with the same arguments, and those arguments aren't switches, then there
972 are a few possible solutions to this problem. The first is to create a
978 of your choice. By giving this link a different name, you can create
979 a new entry in your profile and use an alternate set of defaults for
982 command. Similarly, you could create a small shell script
985 program of your choice with an alternate set
986 of invocation line switches (using links and an alternate profile entry
987 is preferable to this solution).
991 user could create an alias for the command of the form:
994 alias cmd 'cmd arg1 arg2 ...'
997 In this way, the user can avoid lengthy type-in to the shell, and still
1000 commands safely. (Recall that some
1003 invoke others, and that in all cases, the profile is read, meaning that
1004 aliases are disregarded beyond an initial command invocation)
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