Mail \- interactive mail processing system
is a intelligent mail processing system, which has
a command syntax reminiscent of
with lines replaced by messages.
In normal usage, it is given no arguments and checks your mail out of the
printing out a one line header of each message there.
The current message is initially the first message (numbered 1)
and can be printed using the
command (which can be abbreviated \fBp\fR).
You can move among the messages much as you move between lines in
with the commands `+' and `-' moving backwards and forwards, and
simple numbers typing the addressed message.
After examining a message you can
program to forget about the message.
This is not irreversible, the message can be
session can be aborted by giving the
Deleted messages will, however, usually disappear never to be seen again.
sets up a response to the original message, sending it back to the
Text you then type in, up to an end-of-file, defines the contents of
While you are composing a message,
treats lines beginning with the character `~' specially.
The following `~' escapes are the most useful:
Places a copy of the current message in the response message text,
right shifting it by a tab stop.
Sets a subject for the message. The subject follows the `~s' on
the same line, and appears in the header for the message when received
If there was a subject in the mail being responded to, then this is the
subject of the response unless you give a new one.
Adds carbon copies, users who will receive the message also.
By default, only the originator of the message receives a
Invokes an editor on the response composed so far.
When editing terminates, message composition continues.
Prints the message composed so far.
Messages which have been examined go to your
file unless they have been deleted in which case they are discarded.
Unexamined messages go back to the post office.
By giving `people' arguments to
on the command line, or by using the internal
command you can originate mail.
The escapes available during
commands are available here also.
to read in the contents of your
writes undeleted messages back to this file.
has a number of other facilities as well as options which can be set
See the `Mail Reference Manual' for details.
/usr/spool/mail/* post office
~/.mailrc file giving initial mail commands
/tmp/R# temporary for editor escape
/usr/lib/Mail.groups named groupings for bulk mailing
/usr/lib/Mail.help* help files
/usr/lib/Mail.rc system-wide initialization file
/bin/mail to do actual mailing
`The Mail Reference Manual'