@section Rmail Files and Inboxes
@cindex inbox file
- The operating system places incoming mail for you in a file that we
-call your @dfn{inbox}. When you start up Rmail, it runs a C program
-called @code{movemail} to copy the new messages from your inbox into
-your primary Rmail file, which also contains other messages saved from
-previous Rmail sessions. It is in this file that you actually read the
-mail with Rmail. This operation is called @dfn{getting new mail}. You
-can get new mail at any time in Rmail by typing @kbd{g}.
+ When you receive mail locally, the operating system places incoming
+mail for you in a file that we call your @dfn{inbox}. When you start
+up Rmail, it runs a C program called @code{movemail} to copy the new
+messages from your local inbox into your primary Rmail file, which
+also contains other messages saved from previous Rmail sessions. It
+is in this file that you actually read the mail with Rmail. This
+operation is called @dfn{getting new mail}. You can get new mail at
+any time in Rmail by typing @kbd{g}.
@vindex rmail-primary-inbox-list
@cindex @env{MAIL} environment variable
as its internal format. However, the Rmail file will still be separate
from the inbox file, even on systems where their format is the same.
+@vindex rmail-preserve-inbox
+ When getting new mail, Rmail first copies the new mail from the inbox
+file to the Rmail file; then it saves the Rmail file; then it truncates
+the inbox file. This way, a system crash may cause duplication of mail
+between the inbox and the Rmail file, but cannot lose mail. If
+@code{rmail-preserve-inbox} is non-@code{nil}, then Rmail will copy new
+mail from the inbox file to the Rmail file without truncating the inbox
+file. You may wish to set this, for example, on a portable computer you
+use to check your mail via POP while traveling, so that your mail will
+remain on the server and you can save it later on your workstation.
+
+ In some cases, Rmail copies the new mail from the inbox file
+indirectly. First it runs the @code{movemail} program to move the mail
+from the inbox to an intermediate file called
+@file{~/.newmail-@var{inboxname}}. Then Rmail merges the new mail from
+that file, saves the Rmail file, and only then deletes the intermediate
+file. If there is a crash at the wrong time, this file continues to
+exist, and Rmail will use it again the next time it gets new mail from
+that inbox.
+
+ If Rmail is unable to convert the data in
+@file{~/.newmail-@var{inboxname}} into Babyl format, it renames the file
+to @file{~/RMAILOSE.@var{n}} (@var{n} is an integer chosen to make the
+name unique) so that Rmail will not have trouble with the data again.
+You should look at the file, find whatever message confuses Rmail
+(probably one that includes the control-underscore character, octal code
+037), and delete it. Then you can use @kbd{1 g} to get new mail from
+the corrected file.
+
@node Rmail Files
@section Multiple Rmail Files
You can highlight and activate URLs in incoming messages by adding
the function @code{goto-address} to the hook
@code{rmail-show-message-hook}. Then you can browse these URLs by
-clicking on them with @kbd{Mouse-2} or by moving to one and typing
-@kbd{C-c @key{RET}}. @xref{Goto-address, Activating URLs, Activating URLs}.
+clicking on them with @kbd{Mouse-2} (or @kbd{Mouse-1} quickly) or by
+moving to one and typing @kbd{C-c @key{RET}}. @xref{Goto-address,
+Activating URLs, Activating URLs}.
@node Rmail Coding
@section Rmail and Coding Systems
@section @code{movemail} program
@cindex @code{movemail} program
- When invoked for the first time, Rmail attempts to locate
-@code{movemail} program and determine its version. There are
-two versions of @code{movemail} program: the native one, shipped with
-GNU Emacs (we will refer to it as @samp{emacs version}) and the one
-coming from GNU mailutils (@xref{movemail,,,mailutils,GNU mailutils},
-we will refer to it as @samp{mailutils version}). Both versions are
-compatible with each other in the sense that they support the same
-command line syntax and the same basic subset of options. However,
-the @samp{mailutils} version offers a much richer set of
-features.
-
-The @samp{Emacs version} of @code{movemail} is able to retrieve mail from usual
-UNIX mailbox formats and from remote mailboxes using the POP3 protocol.
-
-The @samp{Mailutils version} is able to handle a wide set of mailbox
-formats, such as plain UNIX mailboxes, @code{maildir} and @code{MH}
-mailboxes, etc. It is able to retrieve remote mail using POP3 or IMAP4
-protocol. In the latter case, @code{mailutils movemail} can be
-instructed to retrieve mail using a TLS encrypted channel.
+ When invoked for the first time, Rmail attempts to locate the
+@code{movemail} program and determine its version. There are two
+versions of @code{movemail} program: the native one, shipped with GNU
+Emacs (the ``emacs version'') and the one included in GNU mailutils
+(the ``mailutils version'', @[xref{movemail,,,mailutils,GNU
+mailutils}). They support the same command line syntax and the same
+basic subset of options. However, the @samp{mailutils} version offers
+additional features.
-The @samp{Mailutils movemail} accepts mailbox argument in the @acronym{URL}
-form. The detailed description of mailbox @acronym{URL}s can be found
-in @ref{URL,,,mailutils,Mailbox URL Formats}. In short, a
-@acronym{URL} is:
+ The Emacs version of @code{movemail} is able to retrieve mail from
+usual UNIX mailbox formats and from remote mailboxes using the POP3
+protocol.
+
+ The Mailutils version is able to handle a wide set of mailbox
+formats, such as plain UNIX mailboxes, @code{maildir} and @code{MH}
+mailboxes, etc. It is able to retrieve remote mail using POP3 or
+IMAP4 protocol, and can retrieve mail from them using a TLS encrypted
+channel. It also accepts mailbox argument in the @acronym{URL} form.
+The detailed description of mailbox @acronym{URL}s can be found in
+@ref{URL,,,mailutils,Mailbox URL Formats}. In short, a @acronym{URL}
+is:
@smallexample
@var{proto}://[@var{user}[:@var{password}]@@]@var{host-or-file-name}
e.g., @code{imap://smith:guessme@@remote.server.net}.
@end table
-Alternatively, the mailbox may be specified as a file name of the
-mailbox to use. This is equivalent to specifying the @samp{file} protocol:
+ Alternatively, you can specify the file name of the mailbox to use.
+This is equivalent to specifying the @samp{file} protocol:
@smallexample
-/var/spool/mail/user @equiv{} file://var/spool/mail/user
+/var/spool/mail/@var{user} @equiv{} file://var/spool/mail/@var{user}
@end smallexample
@vindex rmail-movemail-program
@vindex rmail-movemail-search-path
- To determine which version of @code{movemail} is being used, Rmail
-examines the value of @code{rmail-movemail-program} variable. If it
-is set, its value is used as a full path to the @code{movemail} binary.
-Otherwise, Rmail searches for @code{movemail} in the list of directories
-constructed by appending the values of @code{rmail-movemail-search-path} and
-@code{exec-path} to @code{exec-directory}.
+ The variable @code{rmail-movemail-program} controls which version of
+@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
-@vindex rmail-preserve-inbox
- When getting new mail, Rmail first copies the new mail from the inbox
-file to the Rmail file; then it saves the Rmail file; then it truncates
-the inbox file. This way, a system crash may cause duplication of mail
-between the inbox and the Rmail file, but cannot lose mail. If
-@code{rmail-preserve-inbox} is non-@code{nil}, then Rmail will copy new
-mail from the inbox file to the Rmail file without truncating the inbox
-file. You may wish to set this, for example, on a portable computer you
-use to check your mail via POP while traveling, so that your mail will
-remain on the server and you can save it later on your workstation.
-
- In some cases, Rmail copies the new mail from the inbox file
-indirectly. First it runs the @code{movemail} program to move the mail
-from the inbox to an intermediate file called
-@file{~/.newmail-@var{inboxname}}. Then Rmail merges the new mail from
-that file, saves the Rmail file, and only then deletes the intermediate
-file. If there is a crash at the wrong time, this file continues to
-exist, and Rmail will use it again the next time it gets new mail from
-that inbox.
-
- If Rmail is unable to convert the data in
-@file{~/.newmail-@var{inboxname}} into Babyl format, it renames the file
-to @file{~/RMAILOSE.@var{n}} (@var{n} is an integer chosen to make the
-name unique) so that Rmail will not have trouble with the data again.
-You should look at the file, find whatever message confuses Rmail
-(probably one that includes the control-underscore character, octal code
-037), and delete it. Then you can use @kbd{1 g} to get new mail from
-the corrected file.
-
Some sites use a method called POP for accessing users' inbox data
instead of storing the data in inbox files. The @code{Emacs
movemail} can work with POP if you compile it with the macro
projects / emacs.git / commitdiff