+++ /dev/null
-.\"
-.\" %nmhwarning%
-.\"
-.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
-.SH DESCRIPTION
-This describes
-.B nmh
-personal alias files.
-It does
-.B not
-describe aliases files used by the message transport system.
-Each line of the alias file has the format:
-.PP
-.RS 5
-.I alias
-.B :
-.I address\-group
-.RE
-or
-.RS 5
-.I alias
-.B ;
-.I address\-group
-.RE
-or
-.RS 5
-.B <
-.I alias\-file
-.RE
-or
-.RS 5
-.B ;
-.I comment
-.RE
-.PP
-where:
-.PP
-.RS 5
-.nf
-.IR address\-group " := " address\-list
-.RI " | < " file
-.RI " | = " UNIX\-group
-.RI " | + " UNIX\-group
- | *
-
-.IR address\-list " := " address
-.RI " | " address\-list ", " address
-.fi
-.RE
-.PP
-Continuation lines in alias files end with `\\' followed by the newline
-character.
-.PP
-.RI \*(lq Alias\-file \*(rq
-and
-.RI \*(lq file \*(rq
-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
-for file names.
-.PP
-If the line starts with a `<', then the file named after the `<' is
-read for more alias definitions. The reading is done recursively, so a
-`<' may occur in the beginning of an alias file with the expected results.
-.PP
-If the
-.I address\-group
-starts with a `<', then the file named after the
-`<' is read and its contents are added to the
-.I address\-list
-for the alias.
-.PP
-If the
-.I address\-group
-starts with an `=', then the file
-.I /etc/group
-is consulted for the UNIX\-group named after the `='. Each login name
-occurring as a member of the group is added to the
-.I address\-list
-for the alias.
-.PP
-In contrast, if the
-.I address\-group
-starts with a `+', then the file
-.I /etc/group
-is consulted to determine the group\-id of the
-UNIX\-group named after the `+'. Each login name occurring in the
-.I /etc/passwd
-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.
-.PP
-In match, a trailing \*(lq*\*(rq 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
-(it's not really done this way):
-.PP
-.RS 2
-.IP 1) 3
-Build a list of all addresses from the message to be delivered,
-eliminating duplicate addresses.
-.PP
-.IP 2) 3
-If this draft originated on the local host, then for those addresses in
-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
-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
-correct format. (This makes replies possible since personal
-.B nmh
-aliases are unknown to the mail transport system.)
-.RE
-.PP
-Since the alias file is read line by line, forward references work, but
-backward references are not recognized, thus, there is no recursion.
-.PP
-Example Alias File:
-.PP
-.RS 5
-.nf
-<%etcdir%/MoreAliases
-sgroup: fred, fear, freida
-b-people: Blind List: bill, betty;
-fred: frated@UCI
-UNIX\-committee: <unix.aliases
-staff: =staff
-wheels: +wheel
-everyone: *
-news.*: news
-.fi
-.RE
-.PP
-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
-(not the addresses).
-.PP
-Next, the definition of \*(lqUNIX\-committee\*(rq 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
-.I /etc/group
-file, and \*(lqwheels\*(rq
-is defined as all users whose group\-id in
-.I /etc/passwd
-is equivalent to the \*(lqwheel\*(rq 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.
-.PP
-The key thing to understand about aliasing in
-.B nmh
-is that aliases in
-.B nmh
-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
-is given a message to deliver to a list of addresses, for each address
-that appears to be local, a system\-wide alias file is consulted. These
-aliases are
-.B NOT
-expanded into the headers of messages delivered.
-
-.SH "HELPFUL HINTS"
-To use aliasing in
-.B nmh
-quickly, do the following:
-.PP
-.RS 2
-.IP 1) 3
-In your
-.IR .mmh/profile ,
-choose a name for your alias file, say
-.RI \*(lq aliases \*(rq,
-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
-in your
-.B mmh
-directory.
-.PP
-.IP 3) 3
-Start adding aliases to your
-.RI \*(lq aliases \*(rq
-file as appropriate.
-.RE
-
-.SH FILES
-None
-
-.SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
-.fc ^ ~
-.nf
-.ta 2.4i
-.ta \w'ExtraBigProfileName 'u
-^Aliasfile:~^For a default alias file
-.fi
-
-.SH "SEE ALSO"
-ali(1), send(1), group(5), passwd(5), conflict(8), post(8)
-
-.SH CONTEXT
-None
-
-.SH BUGS
-Although the forward-referencing semantics of
-.B mh\-alias
-files prevent recursion, the
-.RI \*(lq< " alias\-file" \*(rq
-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
-all the fds are used up.
-.PP
-Forward references do not work correctly inside blind lists.
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