comparison man/rmail.texi @ 61436:6ca0b35309a2

(Rmail Basics): Clarify description of `q' and `b'. (Rmail Deletion): `C-d' in RMAIL buffer does not accept a numeric argument. (Rmail Inbox): Give full name of `rmail-primary-inbox-list'. (Rmail Output): Clarify which statements apply to `o', `C-o' and `w', respectively. (Rmail Labels): Mention `l'. (Rmail Attributes): Correct pxref. Mention `stored' attribute. (Rmail Summary Edit): Describe `j' and RET.

61435:e23c9743cccb

@kindex q @r{(Rmail)}
@findex rmail-quit
@kindex b @r{(Rmail)}
@findex rmail-bury
  You can exit Rmail with @kbd{q} (@code{rmail-quit}); this expunges and
saves the Rmail file and then switches to another buffer.  But there is
no need to ``exit'' formally.  If you switch from Rmail to editing in
other buffers, and never happen to switch back, you have exited.  (The
Rmail command @kbd{b}, @code{rmail-bury}, does this for you.)  Just make
sure to save the Rmail file eventually (like any other file you have
changed).  @kbd{C-x s} is a good enough way to do this
(@pxref{Saving}).

@node Rmail Scrolling
@section Scrolling Within a Message

  When Rmail displays a message that does not fit on the screen, you

current message and select another message.  @kbd{d}
(@code{rmail-delete-forward}) moves to the following message, skipping
messages already deleted, while @kbd{C-d} (@code{rmail-delete-backward})
moves to the previous nondeleted message.  If there is no nondeleted
message to move to in the specified direction, the message that was just
deleted remains current.  A numeric argument to either command reverses
the direction of motion after deletion.

@vindex rmail-delete-message-hook
  Whenever Rmail deletes a message, it runs the hook
@code{rmail-delete-message-hook}.  When the hook functions are invoked,
the message has been marked deleted, but it is still the current message

means to use the default inbox.  The default inbox is
@file{/var/mail/@var{username}}, @file{/usr/spool/mail/@var{username}},
or @file{/usr/mail/@var{username}}, depending on your operating system.

  To see what the default is on your system, use @kbd{C-h v
rmail-primary-inbox @key{RET}}.  You can specify the inbox file(s) for
any Rmail file with the command @code{set-rmail-inbox-list}; see
@ref{Rmail Files}.

  There are two reasons for having separate Rmail files and inboxes.

menu: the first variable says which directory to find them in; the
second says which files in that directory to offer (all those that match
the regular expression).

@vindex rmail-delete-after-output
  Copying a message gives the original copy of the message the
@samp{filed} attribute, so that @samp{filed} appears in the mode line
when such a message is current.  If you like to keep just a single copy
of every mail message, set the variable @code{rmail-delete-after-output}
to @code{t}; then the @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} commands delete the original
message after copying it.  (You can undelete the original afterward if
you wish.)

  Copying messages into files in system inbox format uses the header
fields that are displayed in Rmail at the time.  Thus, if you use the
@kbd{t} command to view the entire header and then copy the message, the
entire header is copied.  @xref{Rmail Display}.

Move to the next message that has one of the labels @var{labels}
(@code{rmail-next-labeled-message}).
@item C-M-p @var{labels} @key{RET}
Move to the previous message that has one of the labels @var{labels}
(@code{rmail-previous-labeled-message}).
@item C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}
Make a summary of all messages containing any of the labels @var{labels}
(@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}).
@end table

@kindex a @r{(Rmail)}

@item deleted
Means the message is deleted.  Assigned by deletion commands and
removed by undeletion commands (@pxref{Rmail Deletion}).
@item filed
Means the message has been copied to some other file.  Assigned by the
file output commands (@pxref{Rmail Files}).
@item answered
Means you have mailed an answer to the message.  Assigned by the @kbd{r}
command (@code{rmail-reply}).  @xref{Rmail Reply}.
@item forwarded
Means you have forwarded the message.  Assigned by the @kbd{f} command

Move to previous line and select its message.
@item >
Move to the last line, and select its message.
@item <
Move to the first line, and select its message.
@item M-s @var{pattern} @key{RET}
Search through messages for @var{pattern} starting with the current
message; select the message found, and move point in the summary buffer
to that message's line.
@end table

A remote mailbox to be accessed via POP3 protocol.  @var{User}
specifies the remote user name to use, @var{pass} may be used to
specify the user password, @var{host-or-file-name} is the name or IP
address of the remote mail server to connect to; e.g.,
@code{pop://smith:guessme@@remote.server.net}.
 
@item imap
A remote mailbox to be accessed via IMAP4 protocol.  @var{User}
specifies the remote user name to use, @var{pass} may be used to
specify the user password, @var{host-or-file-name} is the name or IP
address of the remote mail server to connect to;

@code{movemail} to use.  If that is a string, it specifies the
absolute file name of the @code{movemail} executable.  If it is
@code{nil}, Rmail searches for @code{movemail} in the directories
listed in @code{rmail-movemail-search-path} and @code{exec-path}, then
in @code{exec-directory}.
  
@node Remote Mailboxes
@section Retrieving Mail from Remote Mailboxes
@pindex movemail

  Some sites use a method called POP for accessing users' inbox data

server and @var{username} is the user name on that server.
Additionally, you may specify the password in the mailbox @acronym{URL}:
@samp{pop://@var{username}:@var{password}@@@var{hostname}}.  In this
case, @var{password} takes preference over the one set by
@code{rmail-remote-password}.  This is especially useful if you have
several remote mailboxes with different passwords. 

  For backward compatibility Rmail also supports two alternative ways
of specifying remote POP mailboxes.  Specifying inbox name in the form
@samp{po:@var{username}:@var{hostname}} is equivalent to 
@samp{pop://@var{username}@@@var{hostname}}.  Alternatively, you may set
a ``file name'' of @samp{po:@var{username}} in the inbox list of an
Rmail file.  @code{Movemail} will handle such a name by opening a
connection to the POP server.  The @env{MAILHOST} environment variable
will in this case specify the machine to look for the server on.

@cindex IMAP mailboxes
  Another method for accessing remote mailboxes is IMAP.  This method is
supported only by the @code{mailutils movemail}.  To specify an IMAP
mailbox in the inbox list, use the following mailbox @acronym{URL}:
@samp{imap://@var{username}[:@var{password}]@@@var{hostname}}.  The
@var{password} part is optional, as descrbed above.

@vindex rmail-remote-password
@vindex rmail-remote-password-required
@vindex rmail-pop-password
@vindex rmail-pop-password-required
  Accessing a remote mailbox may require a password.  Rmail uses the
following algorithm to retrieve it:

@enumerate
@item 
If the @var{password} is present in mailbox URL (see above), it is
used.
@item 
If the variable @code{rmail-remote-password} is non-@code{nil}, its
value is used.
@item
Otherwise, if @code{rmail-remote-password-required} is non-@code{nil},
then Rmail will ask you for the password to use.

61436:6ca0b35309a2

@kindex q @r{(Rmail)}
@findex rmail-quit
@kindex b @r{(Rmail)}
@findex rmail-bury
  You can exit Rmail with @kbd{q} (@code{rmail-quit}); this expunges
and saves the Rmail file, then buries the Rmail buffer as well as its
summary buffer (@pxref{Rmail Summary}), if present.  But there is no
need to ``exit'' formally.  If you switch from Rmail to editing in
other buffers, and never happen to switch back, you have exited.  Just
make sure to save the Rmail file eventually (like any other file you
have changed).  @kbd{C-x s} is a good enough way to do this
(@pxref{Saving}).  The Rmail command @kbd{b}, @code{rmail-bury},
buries the Rmail buffer and its summary buffer without expunging and
saving the Rmail file.

@node Rmail Scrolling
@section Scrolling Within a Message

  When Rmail displays a message that does not fit on the screen, you

current message and select another message.  @kbd{d}
(@code{rmail-delete-forward}) moves to the following message, skipping
messages already deleted, while @kbd{C-d} (@code{rmail-delete-backward})
moves to the previous nondeleted message.  If there is no nondeleted
message to move to in the specified direction, the message that was just
deleted remains current.  @kbd{d} with a numeric argument is
equivalent to @kbd{C-d}.

@vindex rmail-delete-message-hook
  Whenever Rmail deletes a message, it runs the hook
@code{rmail-delete-message-hook}.  When the hook functions are invoked,
the message has been marked deleted, but it is still the current message

means to use the default inbox.  The default inbox is
@file{/var/mail/@var{username}}, @file{/usr/spool/mail/@var{username}},
or @file{/usr/mail/@var{username}}, depending on your operating system.

  To see what the default is on your system, use @kbd{C-h v
rmail-primary-inbox-list @key{RET}}.  You can specify the inbox file(s) for
any Rmail file with the command @code{set-rmail-inbox-list}; see
@ref{Rmail Files}.

  There are two reasons for having separate Rmail files and inboxes.

menu: the first variable says which directory to find them in; the
second says which files in that directory to offer (all those that match
the regular expression).

@vindex rmail-delete-after-output
  Copying a message with @kbd{o} or @kbd{C-o} gives the original copy
of the message the @samp{filed} attribute, so that @samp{filed}
appears in the mode line when such a message is current.  @kbd{w}
gives it the @samp{stored} attribute.  If you like to keep just a
single copy of every mail message, set the variable
@code{rmail-delete-after-output} to @code{t}; then the @kbd{o},
@kbd{C-o} and @kbd{w} commands delete the original message after
copying it.  (You can undelete the original afterward if you wish.)

  Copying messages into files in system inbox format uses the header
fields that are displayed in Rmail at the time.  Thus, if you use the
@kbd{t} command to view the entire header and then copy the message, the
entire header is copied.  @xref{Rmail Display}.

Move to the next message that has one of the labels @var{labels}
(@code{rmail-next-labeled-message}).
@item C-M-p @var{labels} @key{RET}
Move to the previous message that has one of the labels @var{labels}
(@code{rmail-previous-labeled-message}).
@item l @var{labels} @key{RET}
@itemx C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}
Make a summary of all messages containing any of the labels @var{labels}
(@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}).
@end table

@kindex a @r{(Rmail)}

@item deleted
Means the message is deleted.  Assigned by deletion commands and
removed by undeletion commands (@pxref{Rmail Deletion}).
@item filed
Means the message has been copied to some other file.  Assigned by the
@kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} file output commands (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
@item stored
Assigned by the @kbd{w} file output command (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
@item answered
Means you have mailed an answer to the message.  Assigned by the @kbd{r}
command (@code{rmail-reply}).  @xref{Rmail Reply}.
@item forwarded
Means you have forwarded the message.  Assigned by the @kbd{f} command

Move to previous line and select its message.
@item >
Move to the last line, and select its message.
@item <
Move to the first line, and select its message.
@item j
@itemx @key{RET}
Select the message on the current line (ensuring that the RMAIL buffer
appears on the screen).  With argument @var{n}, select message number
@var{n} and move to its line in the summary buffer; this signals an
error if the message is not listed in the summary buffer.
@item M-s @var{pattern} @key{RET}
Search through messages for @var{pattern} starting with the current
message; select the message found, and move point in the summary buffer
to that message's line.
@end table

A remote mailbox to be accessed via POP3 protocol.  @var{User}
specifies the remote user name to use, @var{pass} may be used to
specify the user password, @var{host-or-file-name} is the name or IP
address of the remote mail server to connect to; e.g.,
@code{pop://smith:guessme@@remote.server.net}.

@item imap
A remote mailbox to be accessed via IMAP4 protocol.  @var{User}
specifies the remote user name to use, @var{pass} may be used to
specify the user password, @var{host-or-file-name} is the name or IP
address of the remote mail server to connect to;

@code{movemail} to use.  If that is a string, it specifies the
absolute file name of the @code{movemail} executable.  If it is
@code{nil}, Rmail searches for @code{movemail} in the directories
listed in @code{rmail-movemail-search-path} and @code{exec-path}, then
in @code{exec-directory}.

@node Remote Mailboxes
@section Retrieving Mail from Remote Mailboxes
@pindex movemail

  Some sites use a method called POP for accessing users' inbox data

server and @var{username} is the user name on that server.
Additionally, you may specify the password in the mailbox @acronym{URL}:
@samp{pop://@var{username}:@var{password}@@@var{hostname}}.  In this
case, @var{password} takes preference over the one set by
@code{rmail-remote-password}.  This is especially useful if you have
several remote mailboxes with different passwords.

  For backward compatibility Rmail also supports two alternative ways
of specifying remote POP mailboxes.  Specifying inbox name in the form
@samp{po:@var{username}:@var{hostname}} is equivalent to
@samp{pop://@var{username}@@@var{hostname}}.  Alternatively, you may set
a ``file name'' of @samp{po:@var{username}} in the inbox list of an
Rmail file.  @code{Movemail} will handle such a name by opening a
connection to the POP server.  The @env{MAILHOST} environment variable
will in this case specify the machine to look for the server on.

@cindex IMAP mailboxes
  Another method for accessing remote mailboxes is IMAP.  This method is
supported only by the @code{mailutils movemail}.  To specify an IMAP
mailbox in the inbox list, use the following mailbox @acronym{URL}:
@samp{imap://@var{username}[:@var{password}]@@@var{hostname}}.  The
@var{password} part is optional, as described above.

@vindex rmail-remote-password
@vindex rmail-remote-password-required
@vindex rmail-pop-password
@vindex rmail-pop-password-required
  Accessing a remote mailbox may require a password.  Rmail uses the
following algorithm to retrieve it:

@enumerate
@item
If the @var{password} is present in mailbox URL (see above), it is
used.
@item
If the variable @code{rmail-remote-password} is non-@code{nil}, its
value is used.
@item
Otherwise, if @code{rmail-remote-password-required} is non-@code{nil},
then Rmail will ask you for the password to use.