.\"
.TH MH-ALIAS %manext5% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
.SH NAME
-mh-alias \- alias file for nmh message system
-.SH SYNOPSIS
-any
-.B nmh
-command
+mh-alias \- alias file for mh message system
.SH DESCRIPTION
This describes
-.B nmh
+.B mh
personal alias files.
It does
.B not
describe aliases files used by the message transport system.
+.PP
Each line of the alias file has the format:
.PP
.RS 5
Continuation lines in alias files end with `\\' followed by the newline
character.
.PP
-.RI \*(lq Alias\-file \*(rq
+.RI ` Alias\-file '
and
-.RI \*(lq file \*(rq
+.RI ` file '
are UNIX file names.
.I UNIX\-group
is a group name (or number) from
.IR /etc/group .
-An address is a \*(lqsimple\*(rq
-Internet\-style address. Througout this file, case is ignored, except
+An address is a `simple'
+Internet\-style address. Throughout this file, case is ignored, except
for file names.
.PP
If the line starts with a `<', then the file named after the `<' is
file whose group\-id is indicated by this group is
added to the
.I address\-list
-for the alias.
-.PP
-If the
-.I address\-group
-is simply `*', then the file
-.I /etc/passwd
-is consulted and all login names with a userid
-greater than some magic number (usually 200) are added to the
-.I address\-list
-for the alias.
+for the alias. I.e. only those users that have this group as their
+initial login group are added.
.PP
-In match, a trailing \*(lq*\*(rq on an alias will match just about anything
+In match, a trailing `*' on an alias will match just about anything
appropriate. (See example below.)
.PP
An approximation of the way aliases are resolved at posting time is
the message that have no host specified, perform alias resolution.
.PP
.IP 3) 3
-For each line in the alias file, compare \*(lqalias\*(rq against all of
-the existing addresses. If a match, remove the matched \*(lqalias\*(rq
+For each line in the alias file, compare `alias' against all of
+the existing addresses. If a match, remove the matched `alias'
from the address list, and add each new address in the address\-group to
the address list if it is not already on the list. The alias itself is
not usually output, rather the address\-group that the alias maps to is
-output instead. If \*(lqalias\*(rq is terminated with a `;' instead of
-a `:', then both the \*(lqalias\*(rq and the address are output in the
+output instead. If `alias' is terminated with a `;' instead of
+a `:', then both the `alias' and the address are output in the
correct format. (This makes replies possible since personal
-.B nmh
+.B mh
aliases are unknown to the mail transport system.)
.RE
.PP
UNIX\-committee: <unix.aliases
staff: =staff
wheels: +wheel
-everyone: *
news.*: news
.fi
.RE
The first line says that more aliases should immediately be read from
the file
.IR %etcdir%/MoreAliases .
-Following this, \*(lqfred\*(rq
-is defined as an alias for \*(lqfrated@UCI\*(rq, and \*(lqsgroup\*(rq
-is defined as an alias for the three names \*(lqfrated@UCI\*(rq,
-\*(rqfear\*(rq, and \*(rqfreida\*(rq.
-.PP
-The alias \*(lqb-people\*(rq is a blind list which includes the addresses
-\*(lqbill\*(rq and \*(lqbetty\*(rq; the message will be delieved to those
-addresses, but the message header will show only \*(lqBlind List: ;\*(rq
+Following this, `fred'
+is defined as an alias for `frated@UCI', and `sgroup'
+is defined as an alias for the three names `frated@UCI',
+`fear', and `freida'.
+.PP
+The alias `b-people' is a blind list which includes the addresses
+`bill' and `betty'; the message will be delieved to those
+addresses, but the message header will show only `Blind List: ;'
(not the addresses).
.PP
-Next, the definition of \*(lqUNIX\-committee\*(rq is given by
+Next, the definition of `UNIX\-committee' is given by
reading the file
.I unix.aliases
in the users
.B mmh
directory,
-\*(lqstaff\*(rq is defined as all users who are listed as members of the
-group \*(lqstaff\*(rq in the
+`staff' is defined as all users who are listed as members of the
+group `staff' in the
.I /etc/group
-file, and \*(lqwheels\*(rq
+file, and `wheels'
is defined as all users whose group\-id in
.I /etc/passwd
-is equivalent to the \*(lqwheel\*(rq group.
+is equivalent to the `wheel' group.
.PP
-Finally, \*(lqeveryone\*(rq is defined as all users with a user\-id
-in
-.I /etc/passwd
-greater than 200, and all aliases of the form
-\*(lqnews.<anything>\*(rq are defined to be \*(lqnews\*(rq.
+Finally, all aliases of the form
+`news.<anything>' are defined to be `news'.
.PP
The key thing to understand about aliasing in
-.B nmh
+.B mh
is that aliases in
-.B nmh
+.B mh
alias files are expanded into the headers of messages posted.
This aliasing occurs first, at posting time, without the knowledge of the
message transport system. In contrast, once the message transport system
.SH "HELPFUL HINTS"
To use aliasing in
-.B nmh
+.B mmh
quickly, do the following:
.PP
.RS 2
In your
.IR .mmh/profile ,
choose a name for your alias file, say
-.RI \*(lq aliases \*(rq,
+.RI ` aliases ',
and add the line:
.PP
.RS 5
.nf
Aliasfile: aliases
-.\" ali: \-alias aliases
-.\" send: \-alias aliases
.fi
.RE
.PP
.IP 2) 3
Create the file
-.RI \*(lq aliases \*(rq
+.RI ` aliases '
in your
.B mmh
directory.
.PP
.IP 3) 3
Start adding aliases to your
-.RI \*(lq aliases \*(rq
+.RI ` aliases '
file as appropriate.
.RE
.fi
.SH "SEE ALSO"
-ali(1), send(1), group(5), passwd(5), conflict(8), post(8)
+ali(1), send(1), group(5), passwd(5), post(8)
.SH CONTEXT
None
+.SH HISTORY
+An address group named `*', meaning everyone on the system, had been
+supported in nmh. It is not anymore in mmh.
+
.SH BUGS
Although the forward-referencing semantics of
.B mh\-alias
files prevent recursion, the
-.RI \*(lq< " alias\-file" \*(rq
+.RI `< " alias\-file" '
command may defeat this.
Since the number of file descriptors is finite (and very limited), such
infinite recursion will terminate with a meaningless diagnostic when
projects / mmh / blobdiff