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- @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
- @c Copyright (C) 1985,86,87,93,94,95,1997,2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
- @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
- @node Rmail, Dired, Sending Mail, Top
- @chapter Reading Mail with Rmail
- @cindex Rmail
- @cindex reading mail
- @findex rmail
- @findex rmail-mode
- @vindex rmail-mode-hook
- Rmail is an Emacs subsystem for reading and disposing of mail that you
- receive. Rmail stores mail messages in files called Rmail files.
- Reading the message in an Rmail file is done in a special major mode,
- Rmail mode, which redefines most letters to run commands for managing
- mail. The command @code{rmail-mode} is used to switch into Rmail mode,
- and it runs the hook @code{rmail-mode-hook} as usual, but don't run this
- command by hand; it can't do a reasonable job unless the buffer is
- visiting a proper Rmail file.
- @menu
- * Basic: Rmail Basics. Basic concepts of Rmail, and simple use.
- * Scroll: Rmail Scrolling. Scrolling through a message.
- * Motion: Rmail Motion. Moving to another message.
- * Deletion: Rmail Deletion. Deleting and expunging messages.
- * Inbox: Rmail Inbox. How mail gets into the Rmail file.
- * Files: Rmail Files. Using multiple Rmail files.
- * Output: Rmail Output. Copying message out to files.
- * Labels: Rmail Labels. Classifying messages by labeling them.
- * Attrs: Rmail Attributes. Certain standard labels, called attributes.
- * Reply: Rmail Reply. Sending replies to messages you are viewing.
- * Summary: Rmail Summary. Summaries show brief info on many messages.
- * Sort: Rmail Sorting. Sorting messages in Rmail.
- * Display: Rmail Display. How Rmail displays a message; customization.
- * Coding: Rmail Coding. How Rmail handles decoding character sets.
- * Editing: Rmail Editing. Editing message text and headers in Rmail.
- * Digest: Rmail Digest. Extracting the messages from a digest message.
- * Out of Rmail:: Converting an Rmail file to mailbox format.
- * Rot13: Rmail Rot13. Reading messages encoded in the rot13 code.
- * Movemail: Movemail. More details of fetching new mail.
- @end menu
- @node Rmail Basics
- @section Basic Concepts of Rmail
- @cindex primary Rmail file
- @vindex rmail-file-name
- Using Rmail in the simplest fashion, you have one Rmail file
- @file{~/RMAIL} in which all of your mail is saved. It is called your
- @dfn{primary Rmail file}. The command @kbd{M-x rmail} reads your primary
- Rmail file, merges new mail in from your inboxes, displays the first
- message you haven't read yet, and lets you begin reading. The variable
- @code{rmail-file-name} specifies the name of the primary Rmail file.
- Rmail uses narrowing to hide all but one message in the Rmail file.
- The message that is shown is called the @dfn{current message}. Rmail
- mode's special commands can do such things as delete the current
- message, copy it into another file, send a reply, or move to another
- message. You can also create multiple Rmail files and use Rmail to move
- messages between them.
- @cindex message number
- Within the Rmail file, messages are normally arranged sequentially in
- order of receipt; you can specify other ways to sort them. Messages are
- assigned consecutive integers as their @dfn{message numbers}. The
- number of the current message is displayed in Rmail's mode line,
- followed by the total number of messages in the file. You can move to a
- message by specifying its message number with the @kbd{j} key
- (@pxref{Rmail Motion}).
- @kindex s @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-expunge-and-save
- Following the usual conventions of Emacs, changes in an Rmail file
- become permanent only when the file is saved. You can save it with
- @kbd{s} (@code{rmail-expunge-and-save}), which also expunges deleted
- messages from the file first (@pxref{Rmail Deletion}). To save the
- file without expunging, use @kbd{C-x C-s}. Rmail also saves the Rmail
- file after merging new mail from an inbox file (@pxref{Rmail Inbox}).
- @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
- must scroll through it to read the rest. You could do this with
- @kbd{C-v}, @kbd{M-v} and @kbd{M-<}, but in Rmail scrolling is so
- frequent that it deserves to be easier to type.
- @table @kbd
- @item @key{SPC}
- Scroll forward (@code{scroll-up}).
- @item @key{DEL}
- Scroll backward (@code{scroll-down}).
- @item .
- Scroll to start of message (@code{rmail-beginning-of-message}).
- @end table
- @kindex SPC @r{(Rmail)}
- @kindex DEL @r{(Rmail)}
- Since the most common thing to do while reading a message is to scroll
- through it by screenfuls, Rmail makes @key{SPC} and @key{DEL} synonyms of
- @kbd{C-v} (@code{scroll-up}) and @kbd{M-v} (@code{scroll-down})
- @kindex . @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-beginning-of-message
- The command @kbd{.} (@code{rmail-beginning-of-message}) scrolls back to the
- beginning of the selected message. This is not quite the same as @kbd{M-<}:
- for one thing, it does not set the mark; for another, it resets the buffer
- boundaries to the current message if you have changed them.
- @node Rmail Motion
- @section Moving Among Messages
- The most basic thing to do with a message is to read it. The way to
- do this in Rmail is to make the message current. The usual practice is
- to move sequentially through the file, since this is the order of
- receipt of messages. When you enter Rmail, you are positioned at the
- first message that you have not yet made current (that is, the first one
- that has the @samp{unseen} attribute; @pxref{Rmail Attributes}). Move
- forward to see the other new messages; move backward to re-examine old
- messages.
- @table @kbd
- @item n
- Move to the next nondeleted message, skipping any intervening deleted
- messages (@code{rmail-next-undeleted-message}).
- @item p
- Move to the previous nondeleted message
- (@code{rmail-previous-undeleted-message}).
- @item M-n
- Move to the next message, including deleted messages
- (@code{rmail-next-message}).
- @item M-p
- Move to the previous message, including deleted messages
- (@code{rmail-previous-message}).
- @item j
- Move to the first message. With argument @var{n}, move to
- message number @var{n} (@code{rmail-show-message}).
- @item >
- Move to the last message (@code{rmail-last-message}).
- @item <
- Move to the first message (@code{rmail-first-message}).
- @item M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
- Move to the next message containing a match for @var{regexp}
- (@code{rmail-search}).
- @item - M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
- Move to the previous message containing a match for @var{regexp}.
- @end table
- @kindex n @r{(Rmail)}
- @kindex p @r{(Rmail)}
- @kindex M-n @r{(Rmail)}
- @kindex M-p @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-next-undeleted-message
- @findex rmail-previous-undeleted-message
- @findex rmail-next-message
- @findex rmail-previous-message
- @kbd{n} and @kbd{p} are the usual way of moving among messages in
- Rmail. They move through the messages sequentially, but skip over
- deleted messages, which is usually what you want to do. Their command
- definitions are named @code{rmail-next-undeleted-message} and
- @code{rmail-previous-undeleted-message}. If you do not want to skip
- deleted messages---for example, if you want to move to a message to
- undelete it---use the variants @kbd{M-n} and @kbd{M-p}
- (@code{rmail-next-message} and @code{rmail-previous-message}). A
- numeric argument to any of these commands serves as a repeat
- count.@refill
- In Rmail, you can specify a numeric argument by typing just the
- digits. You don't need to type @kbd{C-u} first.
- @kindex M-s @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-search
- @cindex searching in Rmail
- The @kbd{M-s} (@code{rmail-search}) command is Rmail's version of
- search. The usual incremental search command @kbd{C-s} works in Rmail,
- but it searches only within the current message. The purpose of
- @kbd{M-s} is to search for another message. It reads a regular
- expression (@pxref{Regexps}) nonincrementally, then searches starting at
- the beginning of the following message for a match. It then selects
- that message. If @var{regexp} is empty, @kbd{M-s} reuses the regexp
- used the previous time.
- To search backward in the file for another message, give @kbd{M-s} a
- negative argument. In Rmail you can do this with @kbd{- M-s}.
- It is also possible to search for a message based on labels.
- @xref{Rmail Labels}.
- @kindex j @r{(Rmail)}
- @kindex > @r{(Rmail)}
- @kindex < @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-show-message
- @findex rmail-last-message
- @findex rmail-first-message
- To move to a message specified by absolute message number, use @kbd{j}
- (@code{rmail-show-message}) with the message number as argument. With
- no argument, @kbd{j} selects the first message. @kbd{<}
- (@code{rmail-first-message}) also selects the first message. @kbd{>}
- (@code{rmail-last-message}) selects the last message.
- @node Rmail Deletion
- @section Deleting Messages
- @cindex deletion (Rmail)
- When you no longer need to keep a message, you can @dfn{delete} it. This
- flags it as ignorable, and some Rmail commands pretend it is no longer
- present; but it still has its place in the Rmail file, and still has its
- message number.
- @cindex expunging (Rmail)
- @dfn{Expunging} the Rmail file actually removes the deleted messages.
- The remaining messages are renumbered consecutively. Expunging is the only
- action that changes the message number of any message, except for
- undigestifying (@pxref{Rmail Digest}).
- @table @kbd
- @item d
- Delete the current message, and move to the next nondeleted message
- (@code{rmail-delete-forward}).
- @item C-d
- Delete the current message, and move to the previous nondeleted
- message (@code{rmail-delete-backward}).
- @item u
- Undelete the current message, or move back to a deleted message and
- undelete it (@code{rmail-undelete-previous-message}).
- @item x
- Expunge the Rmail file (@code{rmail-expunge}).
- @end table
- @kindex d @r{(Rmail)}
- @kindex C-d @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-delete-forward
- @findex rmail-delete-backward
- There are two Rmail commands for deleting messages. Both delete the
- 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
- in the Rmail buffer.
- @cindex undeletion (Rmail)
- @kindex x @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-expunge
- @kindex u @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-undelete-previous-message
- To make all the deleted messages finally vanish from the Rmail file,
- type @kbd{x} (@code{rmail-expunge}). Until you do this, you can still
- @dfn{undelete} the deleted messages. The undeletion command, @kbd{u}
- (@code{rmail-undelete-previous-message}), is designed to cancel the
- effect of a @kbd{d} command in most cases. It undeletes the current
- message if the current message is deleted. Otherwise it moves backward
- to previous messages until a deleted message is found, and undeletes
- that message.
- You can usually undo a @kbd{d} with a @kbd{u} because the @kbd{u}
- moves back to and undeletes the message that the @kbd{d} deleted. But
- this does not work when the @kbd{d} skips a few already-deleted messages
- that follow the message being deleted; then the @kbd{u} command
- undeletes the last of the messages that were skipped. There is no clean
- way to avoid this problem. However, by repeating the @kbd{u} command,
- you can eventually get back to the message that you intend to
- undelete. You can also select a particular deleted message with
- the @kbd{M-p} command, then type @kbd{u} to undelete it.
- A deleted message has the @samp{deleted} attribute, and as a result
- @samp{deleted} appears in the mode line when the current message is
- deleted. In fact, deleting or undeleting a message is nothing more than
- adding or removing this attribute. @xref{Rmail Attributes}.
- @node Rmail Inbox
- @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}.
- @vindex rmail-primary-inbox-list
- @cindex @env{MAIL} environment variable
- The variable @code{rmail-primary-inbox-list} contains a list of the
- files which are inboxes for your primary Rmail file. If you don't set
- this variable explicitly, it is initialized from the @env{MAIL}
- environment variable, or, as a last resort, set to @code{nil}, which
- 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.
- @enumerate
- @item
- The inbox file format varies between operating systems and according to
- the other mail software in use. Only one part of Rmail needs to know
- about the alternatives, and it need only understand how to convert all
- of them to Rmail's own format.
- @item
- It is very cumbersome to access an inbox file without danger of losing
- mail, because it is necessary to interlock with mail delivery.
- Moreover, different operating systems use different interlocking
- techniques. The strategy of moving mail out of the inbox once and for
- all into a separate Rmail file avoids the need for interlocking in all
- the rest of Rmail, since only Rmail operates on the Rmail file.
- @end enumerate
- Rmail was written to use Babyl format as its internal format. Since
- then, we have recognized that the usual inbox format on Unix and GNU
- systems is adequate for the job, and we plan to change Rmail to use that
- 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.
- @node Rmail Files
- @section Multiple Rmail Files
- Rmail operates by default on your @dfn{primary Rmail file}, which is named
- @file{~/RMAIL} and receives your incoming mail from your system inbox file.
- But you can also have other Rmail files and edit them with Rmail. These
- files can receive mail through their own inboxes, or you can move messages
- into them with explicit Rmail commands (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
- @table @kbd
- @item i @var{file} @key{RET}
- Read @var{file} into Emacs and run Rmail on it (@code{rmail-input}).
- @item M-x set-rmail-inbox-list @key{RET} @var{files} @key{RET}
- Specify inbox file names for current Rmail file to get mail from.
- @item g
- Merge new mail from current Rmail file's inboxes
- (@code{rmail-get-new-mail}).
- @item C-u g @var{file} @key{RET}
- Merge new mail from inbox file @var{file}.
- @end table
- @kindex i @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-input
- To run Rmail on a file other than your primary Rmail file, you may use
- the @kbd{i} (@code{rmail-input}) command in Rmail. This visits the file
- in Rmail mode. You can use @kbd{M-x rmail-input} even when not in
- Rmail.
- The file you read with @kbd{i} should normally be a valid Rmail file.
- If it is not, Rmail tries to decompose it into a stream of messages in
- various known formats. If it succeeds, it converts the whole file to an
- Rmail file. If you specify a file name that doesn't exist, @kbd{i}
- initializes a new buffer for creating a new Rmail file.
- @vindex rmail-secondary-file-directory
- @vindex rmail-secondary-file-regexp
- You can also select an Rmail file from a menu. Choose first the menu
- bar Classify item, then from the Classify menu choose the Input Rmail
- File item; then choose the Rmail file you want. The variables
- @code{rmail-secondary-file-directory} and
- @code{rmail-secondary-file-regexp} specify which files to offer in the
- 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). These variables also apply to choosing a file
- for output (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
- @findex set-rmail-inbox-list
- Each Rmail file can contain a list of inbox file names; you can specify
- this list with @kbd{M-x set-rmail-inbox-list @key{RET} @var{files}
- @key{RET}}. The argument can contain any number of file names, separated
- by commas. It can also be empty, which specifies that this file should
- have no inboxes. Once a list of inboxes is specified, the Rmail file
- remembers it permanently until you specify a different list.
- As a special exception, if your primary Rmail file does not specify any
- inbox files, it uses your standard system inbox.
- @kindex g @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-get-new-mail
- The @kbd{g} command (@code{rmail-get-new-mail}) merges mail into the
- current Rmail file from its specified inboxes. If the Rmail file
- has no inboxes, @kbd{g} does nothing. The command @kbd{M-x rmail}
- also merges new mail into your primary Rmail file.
- To merge mail from a file that is not the usual inbox, give the
- @kbd{g} key a numeric argument, as in @kbd{C-u g}. Then it reads a file
- name and merges mail from that file. The inbox file is not deleted or
- changed in any way when @kbd{g} with an argument is used. This is,
- therefore, a general way of merging one file of messages into another.
- @node Rmail Output
- @section Copying Messages Out to Files
- These commands copy messages from an Rmail file into another file.
- @table @kbd
- @item o @var{file} @key{RET}
- Append a copy of the current message to the file @var{file}, using Rmail
- file format by default (@code{rmail-output-to-rmail-file}).
- @item C-o @var{file} @key{RET}
- Append a copy of the current message to the file @var{file}, using
- system inbox file format by default (@code{rmail-output}).
- @item w @var{file} @key{RET}
- Output just the message body to the file @var{file}, taking the default
- file name from the message @samp{Subject} header.
- @end table
- @kindex o @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-output-to-rmail-file
- @kindex C-o @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-output
- The commands @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} copy the current message into a
- specified file. This file may be an Rmail file or it may be in system
- inbox format; the output commands ascertain the file's format and write
- the copied message in that format.
- The @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} commands differ in two ways: each has its
- own separate default file name, and each specifies a choice of format to
- use when the file does not already exist. The @kbd{o} command uses
- Rmail format when it creates a new file, while @kbd{C-o} uses system
- inbox format for a new file. The default file name for @kbd{o} is the
- file name used last with @kbd{o}, and the default file name for
- @kbd{C-o} is the file name used last with @kbd{C-o}.
- If the output file is an Rmail file currently visited in an Emacs buffer,
- the output commands copy the message into that buffer. It is up to you
- to save the buffer eventually in its file.
- @kindex w @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-output-body-to-file
- Sometimes you may receive a message whose body holds the contents of a
- file. You can save the body to a file (excluding the message header)
- with the @kbd{w} command (@code{rmail-output-body-to-file}). Often
- these messages contain the intended file name in the @samp{Subject}
- field, so the @kbd{w} command uses the @samp{Subject} field as the
- default for the output file name. However, the file name is read using
- the minibuffer, so you can specify a different name if you wish.
- You can also output a message to an Rmail file chosen with a menu.
- Choose first the menu bar Classify item, then from the Classify menu
- choose the Output Rmail File menu item; then choose the Rmail file you want.
- This outputs the current message to that file, like the @kbd{o} command.
- The variables @code{rmail-secondary-file-directory} and
- @code{rmail-secondary-file-regexp} specify which files to offer in the
- 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}.
- @vindex rmail-output-file-alist
- The variable @code{rmail-output-file-alist} lets you specify
- intelligent defaults for the output file, based on the contents of the
- current message. The value should be a list whose elements have this
- form:
- @example
- (@var{regexp} . @var{name-exp})
- @end example
- @noindent
- If there's a match for @var{regexp} in the current message, then the
- default file name for output is @var{name-exp}. If multiple elements
- match the message, the first matching element decides the default file
- name. The subexpression @var{name-exp} may be a string constant giving
- the file name to use, or more generally it may be any Lisp expression
- that returns a file name as a string. @code{rmail-output-file-alist}
- applies to both @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o}.
- @node Rmail Labels
- @section Labels
- @cindex label (Rmail)
- @cindex attribute (Rmail)
- Each message can have various @dfn{labels} assigned to it as a means
- of classification. Each label has a name; different names are different
- labels. Any given label is either present or absent on a particular
- message. A few label names have standard meanings and are given to
- messages automatically by Rmail when appropriate; these special labels
- are called @dfn{attributes}.
- @ifinfo
- (@xref{Rmail Attributes}.)
- @end ifinfo
- All other labels are assigned only by users.
- @table @kbd
- @item a @var{label} @key{RET}
- Assign the label @var{label} to the current message (@code{rmail-add-label}).
- @item k @var{label} @key{RET}
- Remove the label @var{label} from the current message (@code{rmail-kill-label}).
- @item C-M-n @var{labels} @key{RET}
- 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)}
- @kindex k @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-add-label
- @findex rmail-kill-label
- The @kbd{a} (@code{rmail-add-label}) and @kbd{k}
- (@code{rmail-kill-label}) commands allow you to assign or remove any
- label on the current message. If the @var{label} argument is empty, it
- means to assign or remove the same label most recently assigned or
- removed.
- Once you have given messages labels to classify them as you wish, there
- are two ways to use the labels: in moving and in summaries.
- @kindex C-M-n @r{(Rmail)}
- @kindex C-M-p @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-next-labeled-message
- @findex rmail-previous-labeled-message
- The command @kbd{C-M-n @var{labels} @key{RET}}
- (@code{rmail-next-labeled-message}) moves to the next message that has
- one of the labels @var{labels}. The argument @var{labels} specifies one
- or more label names, separated by commas. @kbd{C-M-p}
- (@code{rmail-previous-labeled-message}) is similar, but moves backwards
- to previous messages. A numeric argument to either command serves as a
- repeat count.
- The command @kbd{C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}}
- (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}) displays a summary containing only the
- messages that have at least one of a specified set of labels. The
- argument @var{labels} is one or more label names, separated by commas.
- @xref{Rmail Summary}, for information on summaries.@refill
- If the @var{labels} argument to @kbd{C-M-n}, @kbd{C-M-p} or
- @kbd{C-M-l} is empty, it means to use the last set of labels specified
- for any of these commands.
- @node Rmail Attributes
- @section Rmail Attributes
- Some labels such as @samp{deleted} and @samp{filed} have built-in
- meanings and are assigned to or removed from messages automatically at
- appropriate times; these labels are called @dfn{attributes}. Here is a
- list of Rmail attributes:
- @table @samp
- @item unseen
- Means the message has never been current. Assigned to messages when
- they come from an inbox file, and removed when a message is made
- current. When you start Rmail, it initially shows the first message
- that has this attribute.
- @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
- (@code{rmail-forward}). @xref{Rmail Reply}.
- @item edited
- Means you have edited the text of the message within Rmail.
- @xref{Rmail Editing}.
- @item resent
- Means you have resent the message. Assigned by the command @kbd{M-x
- rmail-resend}. @xref{Rmail Reply}.
- @end table
- All other labels are assigned or removed only by the user, and have no
- standard meaning.
- @node Rmail Reply
- @section Sending Replies
- Rmail has several commands that use Mail mode to send outgoing mail.
- @xref{Sending Mail}, for information on using Mail mode, including
- certain features meant to work with Rmail. What this section documents
- are the special commands of Rmail for entering Mail mode. Note that the
- usual keys for sending mail---@kbd{C-x m}, @kbd{C-x 4 m}, and @kbd{C-x 5
- m}---are available in Rmail mode and work just as they usually do.
- @table @kbd
- @item m
- Send a message (@code{rmail-mail}).
- @item c
- Continue editing the already started outgoing message (@code{rmail-continue}).
- @item r
- Send a reply to the current Rmail message (@code{rmail-reply}).
- @item f
- Forward the current message to other users (@code{rmail-forward}).
- @item C-u f
- Resend the current message to other users (@code{rmail-resend}).
- @item M-m
- Try sending a bounced message a second time (@code{rmail-retry-failure}).
- @end table
- @kindex r @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-reply
- @cindex reply to a message
- The most common reason to send a message while in Rmail is to reply to
- the message you are reading. To do this, type @kbd{r}
- (@code{rmail-reply}). This displays the @samp{*mail*} buffer in another
- window, much like @kbd{C-x 4 m}, but preinitializes the @samp{Subject},
- @samp{To}, @samp{CC} and @samp{In-reply-to} header fields based on the
- message you are replying to. The @samp{To} field starts out as the
- address of the person who sent the message you received, and the
- @samp{CC} field starts out with all the other recipients of that
- message.
- @vindex rmail-dont-reply-to-names
- You can exclude certain recipients from being placed automatically in
- the @samp{CC}, using the variable @code{rmail-dont-reply-to-names}. Its
- value should be a regular expression (as a string); any recipient that
- the regular expression matches, is excluded from the @samp{CC} field.
- The default value matches your own name, and any name starting with
- @samp{info-}. (Those names are excluded because there is a convention
- of using them for large mailing lists to broadcast announcements.)
- To omit the @samp{CC} field completely for a particular reply, enter
- the reply command with a numeric argument: @kbd{C-u r} or @kbd{1 r}.
- Once the @samp{*mail*} buffer has been initialized, editing and
- sending the mail goes as usual (@pxref{Sending Mail}). You can edit the
- presupplied header fields if they are not right for you. You can also
- use the commands of Mail mode (@pxref{Mail Mode}), including @kbd{C-c
- C-y} which yanks in the message that you are replying to. You can
- switch to the Rmail buffer, select a different message there, switch
- back, and yank the new current message.
- @kindex M-m @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-retry-failure
- @cindex retrying a failed message
- @vindex rmail-retry-ignored-headers
- Sometimes a message does not reach its destination. Mailers usually
- send the failed message back to you, enclosed in a @dfn{failure
- message}. The Rmail command @kbd{M-m} (@code{rmail-retry-failure})
- prepares to send the same message a second time: it sets up a
- @samp{*mail*} buffer with the same text and header fields as before. If
- you type @kbd{C-c C-c} right away, you send the message again exactly
- the same as the first time. Alternatively, you can edit the text or
- headers and then send it. The variable
- @code{rmail-retry-ignored-headers}, in the same format as
- @code{rmail-ignored-headers} (@pxref{Rmail Display}), controls which
- headers are stripped from the failed message when retrying it.
- @kindex f @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-forward
- @cindex forwarding a message
- Another frequent reason to send mail in Rmail is to @dfn{forward} the
- current message to other users. @kbd{f} (@code{rmail-forward}) makes
- this easy by preinitializing the @samp{*mail*} buffer with the current
- message as the text, and a subject designating a forwarded message. All
- you have to do is fill in the recipients and send. When you forward a
- message, recipients get a message which is ``from'' you, and which has
- the original message in its contents.
- @findex unforward-rmail-message
- Forwarding a message encloses it between two delimiter lines. It also
- modifies every line that starts with a dash, by inserting @w{@samp{- }}
- at the start of the line. When you receive a forwarded message, if it
- contains something besides ordinary text---for example, program source
- code---you might find it useful to undo that transformation. You can do
- this by selecting the forwarded message and typing @kbd{M-x
- unforward-rmail-message}. This command extracts the original forwarded
- message, deleting the inserted @w{@samp{- }} strings, and inserts it
- into the Rmail file as a separate message immediately following the
- current one.
- @findex rmail-resend
- @dfn{Resending} is an alternative similar to forwarding; the
- difference is that resending sends a message that is ``from'' the
- original sender, just as it reached you---with a few added header fields
- @samp{Resent-From} and @samp{Resent-To} to indicate that it came via
- you. To resend a message in Rmail, use @kbd{C-u f}. (@kbd{f} runs
- @code{rmail-forward}, which is programmed to invoke @code{rmail-resend}
- if you provide a numeric argument.)
- @kindex m @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-mail
- The @kbd{m} (@code{rmail-mail}) command is used to start editing an
- outgoing message that is not a reply. It leaves the header fields empty.
- Its only difference from @kbd{C-x 4 m} is that it makes the Rmail buffer
- accessible for @kbd{C-c C-y}, just as @kbd{r} does. Thus, @kbd{m} can be
- used to reply to or forward a message; it can do anything @kbd{r} or @kbd{f}
- can do.@refill
- @kindex c @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-continue
- The @kbd{c} (@code{rmail-continue}) command resumes editing the
- @samp{*mail*} buffer, to finish editing an outgoing message you were
- already composing, or to alter a message you have sent.@refill
- @vindex rmail-mail-new-frame
- If you set the variable @code{rmail-mail-new-frame} to a
- non-@code{nil} value, then all the Rmail commands to start sending a
- message create a new frame to edit it in. This frame is deleted when
- you send the message, or when you use the @samp{Cancel} item in the
- @samp{Mail} menu.
- All the Rmail commands to send a message use the mail-composition
- method that you have chosen (@pxref{Mail Methods}).
- @node Rmail Summary
- @section Summaries
- @cindex summary (Rmail)
- A @dfn{summary} is a buffer containing one line per message to give
- you an overview of the mail in an Rmail file. Each line shows the
- message number and date, the sender, the line count, the labels, and
- the subject. Moving point in the summary buffer selects messages as
- you move to their summary lines. Almost all Rmail commands are valid
- in the summary buffer also; when used there, they apply to the message
- described by the current line of the summary.
- A summary buffer applies to a single Rmail file only; if you are
- editing multiple Rmail files, each one can have its own summary buffer.
- The summary buffer name is made by appending @samp{-summary} to the
- Rmail buffer's name. Normally only one summary buffer is displayed at a
- time.
- @menu
- * Rmail Make Summary:: Making various sorts of summaries.
- * Rmail Summary Edit:: Manipulating messages from the summary.
- @end menu
- @node Rmail Make Summary
- @subsection Making Summaries
- Here are the commands to create a summary for the current Rmail file.
- Once the Rmail file has a summary buffer, changes in the Rmail file
- (such as deleting or expunging messages, and getting new mail)
- automatically update the summary.
- @table @kbd
- @item h
- @itemx C-M-h
- Summarize all messages (@code{rmail-summary}).
- @item l @var{labels} @key{RET}
- @itemx C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}
- Summarize messages that have one or more of the specified labels
- (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}).
- @item C-M-r @var{rcpts} @key{RET}
- Summarize messages that have one or more of the specified recipients
- (@code{rmail-summary-by-recipients}).
- @item C-M-t @var{topic} @key{RET}
- Summarize messages that have a match for the specified regexp
- @var{topic} in their subjects (@code{rmail-summary-by-topic}).
- @item C-M-s @var{regexp}
- Summarize messages whose headers and the subject line match the
- specified regular expression @var{regexp}
- (@code{rmail-summary-by-regexp}).
- @end table
- @kindex h @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-summary
- The @kbd{h} or @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{rmail-summary}) command fills the summary buffer
- for the current Rmail file with a summary of all the messages in the file.
- It then displays and selects the summary buffer in another window.
- @kindex l @r{(Rmail)}
- @kindex C-M-l @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-summary-by-labels
- @kbd{C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}) makes
- a partial summary mentioning only the messages that have one or more of the
- labels @var{labels}. @var{labels} should contain label names separated by
- commas.@refill
- @kindex C-M-r @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-summary-by-recipients
- @kbd{C-M-r @var{rcpts} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-recipients})
- makes a partial summary mentioning only the messages that have one or more
- of the recipients @var{rcpts}. @var{rcpts} should contain mailing
- addresses separated by commas.@refill
- @kindex C-M-t @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-summary-by-topic
- @kbd{C-M-t @var{topic} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-topic})
- makes a partial summary mentioning only the messages whose subjects have
- a match for the regular expression @var{topic}.
- @kindex C-M-s @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-summary-by-regexp
- @kbd{C-M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-regexp})
- makes a partial summary which mentions only the messages whose headers
- (including the date and the subject lines) match the regular
- expression @var{regexp}.
- Note that there is only one summary buffer for any Rmail file; making one
- kind of summary discards any previously made summary.
- @vindex rmail-summary-window-size
- @vindex rmail-summary-line-count-flag
- The variable @code{rmail-summary-window-size} says how many lines to
- use for the summary window. The variable
- @code{rmail-summary-line-count-flag} controls whether the summary line
- for a message should include the line count of the message.
- @node Rmail Summary Edit
- @subsection Editing in Summaries
- You can use the Rmail summary buffer to do almost anything you can do
- in the Rmail buffer itself. In fact, once you have a summary buffer,
- there's no need to switch back to the Rmail buffer.
- You can select and display various messages in the Rmail buffer, from
- the summary buffer, just by moving point in the summary buffer to
- different lines. It doesn't matter what Emacs command you use to move
- point; whichever line point is on at the end of the command, that
- message is selected in the Rmail buffer.
- Almost all Rmail commands work in the summary buffer as well as in the
- Rmail buffer. Thus, @kbd{d} in the summary buffer deletes the current
- message, @kbd{u} undeletes, and @kbd{x} expunges. @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o}
- output the current message to a file; @kbd{r} starts a reply to it. You
- can scroll the current message while remaining in the summary buffer
- using @key{SPC} and @key{DEL}.
- The Rmail commands to move between messages also work in the summary
- buffer, but with a twist: they move through the set of messages included
- in the summary. They also ensure the Rmail buffer appears on the screen
- (unlike cursor motion commands, which update the contents of the Rmail
- buffer but don't display it in a window unless it already appears).
- Here is a list of these commands:
- @table @kbd
- @item n
- Move to next line, skipping lines saying `deleted', and select its
- message.
- @item p
- Move to previous line, skipping lines saying `deleted', and select
- its message.
- @item M-n
- Move to next line and select its message.
- @item M-p
- 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
- @vindex rmail-redisplay-summary
- Deletion, undeletion, and getting new mail, and even selection of a
- different message all update the summary buffer when you do them in the
- Rmail buffer. If the variable @code{rmail-redisplay-summary} is
- non-@code{nil}, these actions also bring the summary buffer back onto
- the screen.
- @kindex Q @r{(Rmail summary)}
- @findex rmail-summary-wipe
- @kindex q @r{(Rmail summary)}
- @findex rmail-summary-quit
- When you are finished using the summary, type @kbd{Q}
- (@code{rmail-summary-wipe}) to delete the summary buffer's window. You
- can also exit Rmail while in the summary: @kbd{q}
- (@code{rmail-summary-quit}) deletes the summary window, then exits from
- Rmail by saving the Rmail file and switching to another buffer.
- @node Rmail Sorting
- @section Sorting the Rmail File
- @table @kbd
- @item M-x rmail-sort-by-date
- Sort messages of current Rmail file by date.
- @item M-x rmail-sort-by-subject
- Sort messages of current Rmail file by subject.
- @item M-x rmail-sort-by-author
- Sort messages of current Rmail file by author's name.
- @item M-x rmail-sort-by-recipient
- Sort messages of current Rmail file by recipient's names.
- @item M-x rmail-sort-by-correspondent
- Sort messages of current Rmail file by the name of the other
- correspondent.
- @item M-x rmail-sort-by-lines
- Sort messages of current Rmail file by size (number of lines).
- @item M-x rmail-sort-by-keywords @key{RET} @var{labels} @key{RET}
- Sort messages of current Rmail file by labels. The argument
- @var{labels} should be a comma-separated list of labels. The order of
- these labels specifies the order of messages; messages with the first
- label come first, messages with the second label come second, and so on.
- Messages which have none of these labels come last.
- @end table
- The Rmail sort commands perform a @emph{stable sort}: if there is no
- reason to prefer either one of two messages, their order remains
- unchanged. You can use this to sort by more than one criterion. For
- example, if you use @code{rmail-sort-by-date} and then
- @code{rmail-sort-by-author}, messages from the same author appear in
- order by date.
- With a numeric argument, all these commands reverse the order of
- comparison. This means they sort messages from newest to oldest, from
- biggest to smallest, or in reverse alphabetical order.
- @node Rmail Display
- @section Display of Messages
- Rmail reformats the header of each message before displaying it for
- the first time. Reformatting hides uninteresting header fields to
- reduce clutter. You can use the @kbd{t} command to show the entire
- header or to repeat the header reformatting operation.
- @table @kbd
- @item t
- Toggle display of complete header (@code{rmail-toggle-header}).
- @end table
- @vindex rmail-ignored-headers
- Reformatting the header involves deleting most header fields, on the
- grounds that they are not interesting. The variable
- @code{rmail-ignored-headers} holds a regular expression that specifies
- which header fields to hide in this way---if it matches the beginning of
- a header field, that whole field is hidden.
- @kindex t @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-toggle-header
- Rmail saves the complete original header before reformatting; to see
- it, use the @kbd{t} command (@code{rmail-toggle-header}). This
- discards the reformatted headers of the current message and displays it
- with the original header. Repeating @kbd{t} reformats the message
- again. Selecting the message again also reformats.
- One consequence of this is that if you edit the reformatted header
- (using @kbd{e}; @pxref{Rmail Editing}), subsequent use of @kbd{t} will
- discard your edits. On the other hand, if you use @kbd{e} after
- @kbd{t}, to edit the original (unreformatted) header, those changes are
- permanent.
- When the @kbd{t} command has a prefix argument, a positive argument
- means to show the reformatted header, and a zero or negative argument
- means to show the full header.
- @vindex rmail-highlighted-headers
- When the terminal supports multiple fonts or colors, Rmail
- highlights certain header fields that are especially interesting---by
- default, the @samp{From} and @samp{Subject} fields. The variable
- @code{rmail-highlighted-headers} holds a regular expression that
- specifies the header fields to highlight; if it matches the beginning
- of a header field, that whole field is highlighted.
- If you specify unusual colors for your text foreground and
- background, the colors used for highlighting may not go well with
- them. If so, specify different colors for the face
- @code{rmail-highlight-face}. @xref{Faces}, for how to do this. To
- turn off highlighting entirely in Rmail, set
- @code{rmail-highlighted-headers} to @code{nil}.
- 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}.
- @node Rmail Coding
- @section Rmail and Coding Systems
- @cindex decoding mail messages (Rmail)
- Rmail automatically decodes messages which contain non-ASCII
- characters, just as Emacs does with files you visit and with subprocess
- output. Rmail uses the standard @samp{charset=@var{charset}} header in
- the message, if any, to determine how the message was encoded by the
- sender. It maps @var{charset} into the corresponding Emacs coding
- system (@pxref{Coding Systems}), and uses that coding system to decode
- message text. If the message header doesn't have the @samp{charset}
- specification, or if @var{charset} is not recognized,
- Rmail chooses the coding system with the usual Emacs heuristics and
- defaults (@pxref{Recognize Coding}).
- @cindex fixing incorrectly decoded mail messages
- Occasionally, a message is decoded incorrectly, either because Emacs
- guessed the wrong coding system in the absence of the @samp{charset}
- specification, or because the specification was inaccurate. For
- example, a misconfigured mailer could send a message with a
- @samp{charset=iso-8859-1} header when the message is actually encoded
- in @code{koi8-r}. When you see the message text garbled, or some of
- its characters displayed as empty boxes, this may have happened.
- @findex rmail-redecode-body
- You can correct the problem by decoding the message again using the
- right coding system, if you can figure out or guess which one is
- right. To do this, invoke the @kbd{M-x rmail-redecode-body} command.
- It reads the name of a coding system, encodes the message body using
- whichever coding system was used to decode it before, then redecodes
- it using the coding system you specified. If you specified the right
- coding system, the result should be readable.
- Decoding and encoding using the wrong coding system is lossless for
- most encodings, in particular with 8-bit encodings such as iso-8859 or
- koi8. So, if the initial attempt to redecode the message didn't
- result in a legible text, you can try other coding systems until you
- succeed.
- With some coding systems, notably those from the iso-2022 family,
- information can be lost in decoding, so that encoding the message
- again won't bring back the original incoming text. In such a case,
- @code{rmail-redecode-body} cannot work. However, the problems that
- call for use of @code{rmail-redecode-body} rarely occur with those
- coding systems. So in practice the command works when you need it.
- @node Rmail Editing
- @section Editing Within a Message
- Most of the usual Emacs commands are available in Rmail mode, though a
- few, such as @kbd{C-M-n} and @kbd{C-M-h}, are redefined by Rmail for
- other purposes. However, the Rmail buffer is normally read only, and
- most of the letters are redefined as Rmail commands. If you want to
- edit the text of a message, you must use the Rmail command @kbd{e}.
- @table @kbd
- @item e
- Edit the current message as ordinary text.
- @end table
- @kindex e @r{(Rmail)}
- @findex rmail-edit-current-message
- The @kbd{e} command (@code{rmail-edit-current-message}) switches from
- Rmail mode into Rmail Edit mode, another major mode which is nearly the
- same as Text mode. The mode line indicates this change.
- In Rmail Edit mode, letters insert themselves as usual and the Rmail
- commands are not available. When you are finished editing the message and
- are ready to go back to Rmail, type @kbd{C-c C-c}, which switches back to
- Rmail mode. Alternatively, you can return to Rmail mode but cancel all the
- editing that you have done, by typing @kbd{C-c C-]}.
- @vindex rmail-edit-mode-hook
- Entering Rmail Edit mode runs the hook @code{text-mode-hook}; then it
- runs the hook @code{rmail-edit-mode-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}). It adds the
- attribute @samp{edited} to the message. It also displays the full
- headers of the message, so that you can edit the headers as well as the
- body of the message, and your changes in the headers will be
- permanent.
- @node Rmail Digest
- @section Digest Messages
- @cindex digest message
- @cindex undigestify
- A @dfn{digest message} is a message which exists to contain and carry
- several other messages. Digests are used on some moderated mailing
- lists; all the messages that arrive for the list during a period of time
- such as one day are put inside a single digest which is then sent to the
- subscribers. Transmitting the single digest uses much less computer
- time than transmitting the individual messages even though the total
- size is the same, because the per-message overhead in network mail
- transmission is considerable.
- @findex undigestify-rmail-message
- When you receive a digest message, the most convenient way to read it is
- to @dfn{undigestify} it: to turn it back into many individual messages.
- Then you can read and delete the individual messages as it suits you.
- To do this, select the digest message and type the command @kbd{M-x
- undigestify-rmail-message}. This extracts the submessages as separate
- Rmail messages, and inserts them following the digest. The digest
- message itself is flagged as deleted.
- @node Out of Rmail
- @section Converting an Rmail File to Inbox Format
- @cindex Babyl format to Inbox format
- @cindex converting Rmail file to mailbox format
- @findex unrmail
- The command @kbd{M-x unrmail} converts a file in Rmail format to inbox
- format (also known as the system mailbox, or mbox, format), so that
- you can use it with other mail-editing tools. You must specify two
- arguments, the name of the Rmail file and the name to use for the
- converted file. @kbd{M-x unrmail} does not alter the Rmail file itself.
- @pindex b2m
- @kbd{M-x unrmail} is useful if you can run Emacs on the machine
- where the Rmail file resides, or can access the Rmail file remotely
- (@pxref{Remote Files}) from a machine where Emacs is installed. If
- accessing Rmail files from Emacs is impossible, you can use the
- @command{b2m} program instead. @command{b2m} is part of the Emacs
- distribution, it is installed into the same directory where all the
- other auxiliary programs (@command{etags} etc.) are installed, and its
- source is available in the Emacs source distribution, so that you
- could copy the source to the target machine and compile it there.
- To convert a file @file{@var{babyl-file}} into @file{@var{mbox-file}},
- invoke @command{b2m} like this:
- @example
- b2m < @var{babyl-file} > @var{mbox-file}
- @end example
- @node Rmail Rot13
- @section Reading Rot13 Messages
- @cindex rot13 code
- Mailing list messages that might offend some readers are sometimes
- encoded in a simple code called @dfn{rot13}---so named because it
- rotates the alphabet by 13 letters. This code is not for secrecy, as it
- provides none; rather, it enables those who might be offended to avoid
- ever seeing the real text of the message.
- @findex rot13-other-window
- To view a buffer using the rot13 code, use the command @kbd{M-x
- rot13-other-window}. This displays the current buffer in another window
- which applies the code when displaying the text.
- @node Movemail
- @section @code{movemail} and POP
- @cindex @code{movemail} program
- @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.
- @pindex movemail
- 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. @code{movemail} can work
- with POP if you compile it with the macro @code{MAIL_USE_POP} defined.
- (You can achieve that by specifying @samp{--with-pop} when you run
- @code{configure} during the installation of Emacs.)
- @code{movemail} only works with POP3, not with older
- versions of POP.
- @cindex @env{MAILHOST} environment variable
- @cindex POP inboxes
- Assuming you have compiled and installed @code{movemail}
- appropriately, you can specify a POP inbox by using a ``file name'' of
- the form @samp{po:@var{username}}, in the inbox list of an Rmail file.
- @code{movemail} handles such a name by opening a connection to the POP
- server. The @env{MAILHOST} environment variable specifies the machine
- to look for the server on; alternatively, you can specify the POP server
- host name as part of the mailbox name using the syntax
- @samp{po:@var{username}:@var{hostname}}.
- @vindex rmail-pop-password
- @vindex rmail-pop-password-required
- Accessing mail via POP may require a password. If the variable
- @code{rmail-pop-password} is non-@code{nil}, it specifies the password
- to use for POP. Alternatively, if @code{rmail-pop-password-required} is
- non-@code{nil}, then Rmail asks you for the password to use.
- @vindex rmail-movemail-flags
- If you need to pass additional command-line flags to @code{movemail},
- set the variable @code{rmail-movemail-flags} a list of the flags you
- wish to use. Do not use this variable to pass the @samp{-p} flag to
- preserve your inbox contents; use @code{rmail-preserve-inbox} instead.
- @cindex Kerberos POP authentication
- The @code{movemail} program installed at your site may support
- Kerberos authentication. If it is
- supported, it is used by default whenever you attempt to retrieve
- POP mail when @code{rmail-pop-password} and
- @code{rmail-pop-password-required} are unset.
- @cindex reverse order in POP inboxes
- Some POP servers store messages in reverse order. If your server does
- this, and you would rather read your mail in the order in which it was
- received, you can tell @code{movemail} to reverse the order of
- downloaded messages by adding the @samp{-r} flag to
- @code{rmail-movemail-flags}.
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