term% cat index.txt Mail(1) General Commands Manual Mail(1)
NAME
Mail - send and receive mail
SYNOPSIS
Mail [ option ] ... [ person ] ...
DESCRIPTION
Mail with persons named reads a letter from the standard input and
sends it to them.
Mail otherwise presents your mail. It responds to commands, each typed
on a line by itself, possibly with arguments. A command need not be
typed in its entirety - the first command that matches the typed prefix
is used. A missing message list is interpreted as a singleton: which‐
ever of the current message, the nearest message ahead, or the nearest
message back satisfies the command's requirements.
The following table describes the commands:
Command Description
! Single command escape to shell
- Back up to previous message
Reply Reply to author of message only
alias Define an alias as a set of user names
alternates List other names you are known by
chdir Change working directory, home by default
copy Copy a message to a file or folder
delete Delete a list of messages
dt Delete current message, type next message
endif End of conditional statement; see if
edit Edit a list of messages
else Start of else part of conditional; see if
exit Leave mail without changing anything
file Interrogate/change current mail file
folder Same as file
folders List the folders in your folder directory
from List headers of a list of messages
headers List current window of messages
help Print brief summary of Mail commands
hold Same as preserve
if Conditional execution of Mail commands
ignore Do not print listed headers
mail Send mail to specified names
mbox Arrange to save a list of messages in mbox
next Go to next message and type it
preserve Arrange to leave list of messages in mbox
quit Leave Mail; update mbox as appropriate
reply Compose a reply to a message
save Append messages, headers included, on a file
set Set binary or valued options
shell Invoke an interactive shell
top Print first so many (5 by default) lines of list of messages
type Print messages
undelete Undelete list of messages
unset Undo the operation of a set
visual Invoke visual editor on a list of messages
write Append messages to a file, don't include headers
z Scroll to next/previous screenful of headers
The following table describes the options for set. Each option is
shown as being either a binary or valued option.
Option Type Description
EDITOR valued Pathname of editor for ~e and edit
SHELL valued Pathname of shell for shell, ~! and !
VISUAL valued Pathname of screen editor for ~v, visual
append binary Always append messages to end of mbox
ask binary Prompt user for Subject: field when sending
askcc binary Prompt user for additional Cc's at end of message
autoprint binary Print next message after delete
crt valued Minimum number of lines before using more
dot binary Accept . alone on line to terminate message input
escape valued Escape character to be used instead of ~
folder valued Directory to store folders in
hold binary Hold messages in mbox by default
ignore binary Ignore RUBOUT while sending mail
ignoreeof binary Don't terminate letters/command input with ^D
keep binary Don't unlink mbox when empty
keepsave binary Don't delete saved messages by default
metoo binary Include sending user in aliases
nosave binary Don't save partial letter in dead.letter
quiet binary Suppress printing of Mail version
record valued File to save all outgoing mail in
screen valued Size of window of message headers for z, etc.
sendmail valued Choose alternate mail delivery system
toplines valued Number of lines to print in top
The following table summarizes tilde escapes available while entering a
letter.
Escape Arguments Description
~! command Execute shell command
~c name ... Add names to Cc: field
~d Read dead.letter into message
~e Invoke text editor on partial message
~f messages Read named messages
~h Edit the header fields
~m messages Read named messages, right shift by tab
~p Print message entered so far
~q Abort entry of letter; like RUBOUT
~r filename Read file into message
~s string Set Subject: field to string
~t name ... Add names to To: field
~v Invoke screen editor on message
~w filename Write message on file
~| command Pipe message through command
~~ string Quote a ~ in front of string
The following table shows the command line flags.
Flag Description
-N Suppress the initial printing of headers
-T file Article-id's of read/deleted messages to file
-d Turn on debugging
-f file Show messages in file or $HOME/mbox
-h number Pass on hop count for mail forwarding
-i Ignore tty interrupt signals
-n Inhibit reading of /usr/lib/Mail.rc
-r name Pass on name for mail forwarding
-s string Use string as subject in outgoing mail
-u name Read name's mail instead of your own
Notes: -T , -d , -h , and -r are not fit for human consumption.
FILES
/usr/spool/mail/* post office
$HOME/mbox your old mail
$HOME/.mailrc file giving initial mail commands
/tmp/R# temporary for editor escape
/usr/lib/Mail.help* help files
/usr/lib/Mail.rc system initialization file
/bin/mail to do actual mailing
SEE ALSO
mail(1)
`The Mail Reference Manual,' Berkeley BSD 4.1 UNIX User's Manual
Mail(1)