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: 0600)
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)
212 The contents of the folder-stack for the
215 (context, no default)
218 .BR Alternate\-Mailboxes :
219 mh@uci\-750a, bug-mh*
225 which addresses are really yours.
228 knows which addresses should be included in the
231 knows if the message really originated from you.
232 Addresses must be separated by a comma, and the hostnames listed should
233 be the \*(lqofficial\*(rq hostnames for the mailboxes you indicate, as
234 local nicknames for hosts are not replaced with their official site names.
235 For each address, if a host is not given, then that address on any host is
236 considered to be you. In addition, an asterisk (`*') may appear at either
237 or both ends of the mailbox and host to indicate wild-card matching.
238 (profile, default: your user-id)
245 Indicates aliases files for
250 This may be used instead of the
253 switch. (profile, no default)
259 Indicates a default draft folder for
267 man page for details. (profile, no default)
270 .BI digest\-issue\- list :
275 the last issue of the last volume sent for the digest
277 (context, no default)
280 .BI digest\-volume\- list :
285 the last volume sent for the digest
287 (context, no default)
295 your maildrop, if different from the default. This is
296 superseded by the environment variable
298 (profile, default: %mailspool%/$USER)
302 RAND MH System (agent: Marshall Rose)
306 your mail signature. This is superseded by the
311 is not set and this profile entry is not present, the \*(lqgcos\*(rq field of
312 the \fI/etc/passwd\fP file will be used.
313 Your signature will be added to the address
315 puts in the \*(lqFrom:\*(rq header; do not include an address in the
316 signature text. (profile, no default)
319 .SS "Process Profile Entries"
320 The following profile elements are used whenever an
322 program invokes some other program such as
326 can be used to select alternate programs if the
327 user wishes. The default values are given in the examples.
333 This is the program used by
335 to process drafts which are MIME composition files.
341 This program is used to refile or link a message to another folder.
344 to file a copy of a message into a folder given
345 by a \*(lqFcc:\*(rq field. It is used by the draft folder facility in
352 message into another folder. It is used to refile a draft message in
355 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt.
362 to filter a component when it is tagged with the \*(lqformat\*(rq variable
363 in the mhl filter. See
365 for more information.
373 to incorporate new mail when it
374 is invoked with no arguments.
380 This program is called to initialize the environment for
388 This program is used to list the contents of a message in response
391 directive at the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq prompt. It is
392 also used by the draft folder facility in
398 to display the draft message.
404 This is the program used to automatically mail various messages
405 and notifications. It is used by
409 option. It is used by
411 to post failure notices.
412 It is used to retrieve an external-body with access-type `mail-server'
413 (such as when storing the body with
420 This is the program used to filter messages in various ways. It
423 to filter and display the message headers
424 of MIME messages. When the
435 is used to filter the
436 message that you are forwarding, or to which you are replying.
443 is used to filter the copy of the message
444 that is sent to \*(lqBcc:\*(rq recipients.
450 This is the program used by
454 formatted message when displaying to a terminal. It is also the default
457 to display message bodies (or message parts) of type text/plain.
475 This is the program used by
484 post a message to the mail transport system. It is also called by
486 (called with the switches
490 to do address verification.
496 This is the program used by
500 to delete a message from a folder.
512 This is the program to use by
514 to actually send the message
520 This is the program used by
522 to process and display non-text (MIME) messages.
528 This is the program used by
530 to filter and display text (non-MIME) messages.
536 This is the program invoked by
542 to query about the disposition of a composed draft message.
548 This is the program used by
550 to determine to whom a message would be sent.
553 .SS "Environment Variables"
556 and its commands it also controlled by the
557 presence of certain environment variables.
559 Many of these environment variables are used internally by the
560 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface. It's amazing all the information
561 that has to get passed via environment variables to make the
562 \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq interface look squeaky clean to the
564 user, isn't it? The reason for all this is that the
572 one of the standard shells. As a result, it's not possible to pass
573 information via an argument list. The convention is that environment
574 variables whose names are all upper-case are user-settable; those
575 whose names are lower-case only are used internally by nmh and should
576 not generally be set by the user.
580 option was set during
583 if this environment variable is set, then if the commands
589 are not given any `msgs'
590 arguments, then they will default to using the file indicated by
592 This is useful for getting the default behavior
593 supplied by the default
598 With this environment variable, you can specify a profile
604 that you invoke. If the value of
606 is not absolute, (i.e., does
607 not begin with a \*(lq/\*(rq), it will be presumed to start from the current
608 working directory. This is one of the very few exceptions in
610 where non-absolute pathnames are not considered relative to the user's
617 With this environment variable, you can specify a
618 context other than the normal context file (as specified in
621 profile). As always, unless the value of
623 is absolute, it will be presumed to start from your
630 With this environment variable, you can specify
631 the native character set you are using. You must be able to display
632 this character set on your terminal.
634 This variable is checked to see if a RFC-2047 header field should be
647 be called, since showmimeproc will be called if a text message uses
648 a character set that doesn't match
653 for matches against the charset parameter
654 of text contents to decide it the text content can be displayed
655 without modifications to your terminal. This variable is checked by
657 to decide what character set to specify in the charset
658 parameter of text contents containing 8\-bit characters.
660 When decoding text in such an alternate character set,
662 must be able to determine which characters are alphabetic, which
663 are control characters, etc. For many operating systems, this
664 will require enabling the support for locales (such as setting
665 the environment variable
674 the default maildrop. This supersedes the \*(lqMailDrop\*(rq profile entry.
683 your mail signature. This supersedes the \*(lqSignature\*(rq profile entry.
688 This variable tells all
690 programs your home directory
697 the default shell to run
706 The environment variable
708 is also consulted. In particular,
713 how to clear your terminal, and how
714 many columns wide your terminal is. They also tell
717 lines long your terminal screen is.
722 This is the alternate message.
728 during edit sessions so you can
729 peruse the message being distributed or replied to. The message is also
730 available through a link called \*(lq@\*(rq in the current directory if
731 your current working directory and the folder the message lives in are
732 on the same UNIX filesystem.
737 This is the path to the working draft.
747 which file to ask \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq
770 about an alternate message associated with the
771 draft (the message being distributed or replied to).
781 that message re-distribution is occurring.
795 editor (unless overridden by
812 if annotations are to occur.
822 if annotations are to occur.
832 if annotations are to occur.
837 This is the folder containing the alternate message.
843 during edit sessions so you
844 can peruse other messages in the current folder besides the one being
845 distributed or replied to. The environment variable
859 .ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
860 ^$HOME/\&.mh\(ruprofile~^The user profile
861 ^or $MH~^Rather than the standard profile
862 ^<mh\-dir>/context~^The user context
863 ^or $MHCONTEXT~^Rather than the standard context
864 ^<folder>/\&.mh\(rusequences~^Public sequences for <folder>
868 nmh(1), environ(5), mh-sequence(5)
873 contains only static information, which
877 update. Changes in context are made to the
879 file kept in the users
882 This includes, but is not limited to: the \*(lqCurrent\-Folder\*(rq entry
883 and all private sequence information. Public sequence information is
884 kept in each folder in the file determined by the \*(lqmh\-sequences\*(rq
885 profile entry (default is
886 .IR \&.mh\(rusequences ).
890 may override the path of the
892 file, by specifying a \*(lqcontext\*(rq entry (this must be in
893 lower-case). If the entry is not absolute (does not start with a
894 \*(lq/\*(rq), then it is interpreted relative to the user's
896 directory. As a result, you can actually have more than one set of
897 private sequences by using different context files.
900 The shell quoting conventions are not available in the
901 .IR \&.mh\(ruprofile .
902 Each token is separated by whitespace.
904 There is some question as to what kind of arguments should be placed
905 in the profile as options. In order to provide a clear answer, recall
906 command line semantics of all
908 programs: conflicting switches
913 may occur more than one time on the
914 command line, with the last switch taking effect. Other arguments, such
915 as message sequences, filenames and folders, are always remembered on
916 the invocation line and are not superseded by following arguments of
917 the same type. Hence, it is safe to place only switches (and their
918 arguments) in the profile.
922 program is being invoked again and again
923 with the same arguments, and those arguments aren't switches, then there
924 are a few possible solutions to this problem. The first is to create a
930 of your choice. By giving this link a different name, you can create
931 a new entry in your profile and use an alternate set of defaults for
934 command. Similarly, you could create a small shell script
937 program of your choice with an alternate set
938 of invocation line switches (using links and an alternate profile entry
939 is preferable to this solution).
943 user could create an alias for the command of the form:
946 alias cmd 'cmd arg1 arg2 ...'
949 In this way, the user can avoid lengthy type-in to the shell, and still
952 commands safely. (Recall that some
955 invoke others, and that in all cases, the profile is read, meaning that
956 aliases are disregarded beyond an initial command invocation)
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