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: %default_editor%)
148 If defined and set to 1, then the
150 program will automatically
151 invoke the buildmimeproc (discussed below) to process each message as a MIME
152 composition draft before it is sent.
153 (profile, no default)
159 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new message files.
162 for an explanation of the octal number.
163 (profile, default: 0644)
166 .BR Folder\-Protect :
169 An octal number which defines the permission bits for new folder
172 for an explanation of the octal number.
173 (profile, default: 700)
179 Sets default switches to be used whenever the mh program
181 is invoked. For example, one could override the \*(lqEditor:\*(rq profile
182 component when replying to messages by adding a component such as:
185 repl: \-editor /bin/ed
188 (profile, no defaults)
191 .IB lasteditor "-next:"
194 Names \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq to be the default editor after using
195 \*(lqlasteditor\*(rq. This takes effect at \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt
203 the draft with \*(lqlasteditor\*(rq, the default editor is set to be
204 \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq. If the user types \*(lqedit\*(rq without any
205 arguments to \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq, then \*(lqnexteditor\*(rq is used.
206 (profile, no default)
214 which BBoards you are interested in. (profile, default: system)
220 The contents of the folder-stack for the
223 (context, no default)
232 auditfile in addition to its other tasks.
238 (profile, no default)
241 .BR Alternate\-Mailboxes :
242 mh@uci\-750a, bug-mh*
248 which addresses are really yours.
251 knows which addresses should be included in the
254 knows if the message really originated from you.
255 Addresses must be separated by a comma, and the hostnames listed should
256 be the \*(lqofficial\*(rq hostnames for the mailboxes you indicate, as
257 local nicknames for hosts are not replaced with their official site names.
258 For each address, if a host is not given, then that address on any host is
259 considered to be you. In addition, an asterisk (`*') may appear at either
260 or both ends of the mailbox and host to indicate wild-card matching.
261 (profile, default: your user-id)
268 Indicates aliases files for
273 This may be used instead of the
276 switch. (profile, no default)
282 Indicates a default draft folder for
290 man page for details. (profile, no default)
293 .BI digest\-issue\- list :
298 the last issue of the last volume sent for the digest
300 (context, no default)
303 .BI digest\-volume\- list :
308 the last volume sent for the digest
310 (context, no default)
318 your maildrop, if different from the default. This is
319 superseded by the environment variable
321 (profile, default: %mailspool%/$USER)
325 RAND MH System (agent: Marshall Rose)
329 your mail signature. This is superseded by the
334 is not set and this profile entry is not present, the \*(lqgcos\*(rq field of
335 the \fI/etc/passwd\fP file will be used; otherwise, on hosts where
337 was configured with the UCI option, the file
339 is consulted. Your signature will be added to the address
341 puts in the \*(lqFrom:\*(rq header; do not include an address in the
342 signature text. (profile, no default)
345 .SS "Process Profile Entries"
346 The following profile elements are used whenever an
348 program invokes some other program such as
352 can be used to select alternate programs if the
353 user wishes. The default values are given in the examples.
359 This is the program used by
361 to process drafts which are MIME composition files.
367 This program is used to refile or link a message to another folder.
370 to file a copy of a message into a folder given
371 by a \*(lqFcc:\*(rq field. It is used by the draft folder facility in
378 message into another folder. It is used to refile a draft message in
381 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt.
389 to incorporate new mail when it
390 is invoked with no arguments.
396 This program is called to initialize the environment for
404 This program is used to list the contents of a message in response
407 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt. It is
408 also used by the draft folder facility in
414 to display the draft message.
420 This is the program used to automatically mail various messages
421 and notifications. It is used by
425 option. It is used by
427 to post failure notices.
428 It is used to retrieve an external-body with access-type `mail-server'
429 (such as when storing the body with
436 This is the program used to filter messages in various ways. It
439 to filter and display the message headers
440 of MIME messages. When the
451 is used to filter the
452 message that you are forwarding, or to which you are replying.
463 to filter the copy of the message
464 that is sent to \*(lqBcc:\*(rq recipients.
470 This is the program used by
474 formatted message when displaying to a terminal. It is also the default
477 to display message bodies (or message parts) of type text/plain.
495 This is the program used by
504 post a message to the mail transport system. It is also called by
506 (called with the switches
510 to do address verification.
516 This is the program used by
520 to delete a message from a folder.
532 This is the program to use by
534 to actually send the message
540 This is the program used by
542 to process and display non-text (MIME) messages.
548 This is the program used by
550 to filter and display text (non-MIME) messages.
556 This is the program invoked by
562 to query about the disposition of a composed draft message.
568 This is the program used by
570 to determine to whom a message would be sent.
573 .SS "Environment Variables"
576 and its commands it also controlled by the
577 presence of certain environment variables.
579 Many of these environment variables are used internally by the
580 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface. It's amazing all the information
581 that has to get passed via environment variables to make the
582 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface look squeaky clean to the
584 user, isn't it? The reason for all this is that the
592 one of the standard shells. As a result, it's not possible to pass
593 information via an argument list. The convention is that environment
594 variables whose names are all upper-case are user-settable; those
595 whose names are lower-case only are used internally by nmh and should
596 not generally be set by the user.
600 option was set during
603 if this environment variable is set, then if the commands
609 are not given any `msgs'
610 arguments, then they will default to using the file indicated by
612 This is useful for getting the default behavior
613 supplied by the default
618 With this environment variable, you can specify a profile
624 that you invoke. If the value of
626 is not absolute, (i.e., does
627 not begin with a \*(lq/\*(rq), it will be presumed to start from the current
628 working directory. This is one of the very few exceptions in
630 where non-absolute pathnames are not considered relative to the user's
637 With this environment variable, you can specify a
638 context other than the normal context file (as specified in
641 profile). As always, unless the value of
643 is absolute, it will be presumed to start from your
650 With this environment variable, you can specify
651 the native character set you are using. You must be able to display
652 this character set on your terminal.
654 This variable is checked to see if a RFC-2047 header field should be
667 be called, since showmimeproc will be called if a text message uses
668 a character set that doesn't match
673 for matches against the charset parameter
674 of text contents to decide it the text content can be displayed
675 without modifications to your terminal. This variable is checked by
677 to decide what character set to specify in the charset
678 parameter of text contents containing 8\-bit characters.
680 When decoding text in such an alternate character set,
682 must be able to determine which characters are alphabetic, which
683 are control characters, etc. For many operating systems, this
684 will require enabling the support for locales (such as setting
685 the environment variable
694 the default maildrop. This supersedes the \*(lqMailDrop\*(rq profile entry.
703 your mail signature. This supersedes the \*(lqSignature\*(rq profile entry.
708 This variable tells all
710 programs your home directory
717 the default shell to run
726 The environment variable
728 is also consulted. In particular,
733 how to clear your terminal, and how
734 many columns wide your terminal is. They also tell
737 lines long your terminal screen is.
742 This is the alternate message.
748 during edit sessions so you can
749 peruse the message being distributed or replied to. The message is also
750 available through a link called \*(lq@\*(rq in the current directory if
751 your current working directory and the folder the message lives in are
752 on the same UNIX filesystem.
757 This is the path to the working draft.
767 which file to ask \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq
790 about an alternate message associated with the
791 draft (the message being distributed or replied to).
801 that message re-distribution is occurring.
815 editor (unless overridden by
832 if annotations are to occur.
842 if annotations are to occur.
852 if annotations are to occur.
857 This is the folder containing the alternate message.
863 during edit sessions so you
864 can peruse other messages in the current folder besides the one being
865 distributed or replied to. The environment variable
879 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
880 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
881 ^or $MH~^Rather than the standard profile
882 ^<mh\-dir>/context~^The user context
883 ^or $MHCONTEXT~^Rather than the standard context
884 ^<folder>/\&.mh\(rusequences~^Public sequences for <folder>
888 nmh(1), environ(5), mh-sequence(5)
893 contains only static information, which
897 update. Changes in context are made to the
899 file kept in the users
902 This includes, but is not limited to: the \*(lqCurrent\-Folder\*(rq entry
903 and all private sequence information. Public sequence information is
904 kept in each folder in the file determined by the \*(lqmh\-sequences\*(rq
905 profile entry (default is
906 .IR \&.mh\(rusequences ).
910 may override the path of the
912 file, by specifying a \*(lqcontext\*(rq entry (this must be in
913 lower-case). If the entry is not absolute (does not start with a
914 \*(lq/\*(rq), then it is interpreted relative to the user's
916 directory. As a result, you can actually have more than one set of
917 private sequences by using different context files.
920 The shell quoting conventions are not available in the
921 .IR \&.mh\(ruprofile .
922 Each token is separated by whitespace.
924 There is some question as to what kind of arguments should be placed
925 in the profile as options. In order to provide a clear answer, recall
926 command line semantics of all
928 programs: conflicting switches
933 may occur more than one time on the
934 command line, with the last switch taking effect. Other arguments, such
935 as message sequences, filenames and folders, are always remembered on
936 the invocation line and are not superseded by following arguments of
937 the same type. Hence, it is safe to place only switches (and their
938 arguments) in the profile.
942 program is being invoked again and again
943 with the same arguments, and those arguments aren't switches, then there
944 are a few possible solutions to this problem. The first is to create a
950 of your choice. By giving this link a different name, you can create
951 a new entry in your profile and use an alternate set of defaults for
954 command. Similarly, you could create a small shell script
957 program of your choice with an alternate set
958 of invocation line switches (using links and an alternate profile entry
959 is preferable to this solution).
963 user could create an alias for the command of the form:
966 alias cmd 'cmd arg1 arg2 ...'
969 In this way, the user can avoid lengthy type-in to the shell, and still
972 commands safely. (Recall that some
975 invoke others, and that in all cases, the profile is read, meaning that
976 aliases are disregarded beyond an initial command invocation)
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