diplodocus.org Git - nmh/blob - man/dist.man

   1 .TH DIST %manext1% 2012-12-04 "%nmhversion%"
   2 .
   3 .\" %nmhwarning%
   4 .
   5 .SH NAME
   6 dist \- distribute an nmh message to additional addresses
   7 .SH SYNOPSIS
   8 .HP 5
   9 .na
  10 .B dist
  11 .RB [ \-help ]
  12 .RB [ \-version ]
  13 .RI [ +folder ]
  14 .RI [ msg ]
  15 .RB [ \-form
  16 .IR formfile ]
  17 .RB [ \-annotate " | " \-noannotate ]
  18 .RB [ \-inplace " | " \-noinplace ]
  19 .RB [ \-draftfolder
  20 .IR +folder ]
  21 .RB [ \-draftmessage
  22 .IR msg ]
  23 .RB [ \-nodraftfolder ]
  24 .RB [ \-editor
  25 .IR editor ]
  26 .RB [ \-noedit ]
  27 .RB [ \-width
  28 .IR columns ]
  29 .RB [ \-from
  30 .IR address ]
  31 .RB [ \-to
  32 .IR address ]
  33 .RB [ \-cc
  34 .IR address ]
  35 .RB [ \-fcc
  36 .IR +folder ]
  37 .RB [ \-whatnowproc
  38 .IR program ]
  39 .RB [ \-nowhatnowproc ]
  40 .RB [ \-atfile ]
  41 .RB [ \-noatfile ]
  42 .ad
  43 .SH DESCRIPTION
  44 .B dist
  45 is similar to
  46 .BR forw .
  47 It prepares the specified message
  48 for redistribution to addresses that (presumably) are not on the original
  49 address list.
  50 .PP
  51 The default message form contains the following elements:
  52 .PP
  53 .RS 5
  54 .nf
  55 Resent-From: {from switch} or <Local-Mailbox> or <username@hostname>
  56 Resent-To: {to switch} or blank
  57 Resent-cc: {cc switch} or blank
  58 Resent-fcc: {fcc switch} or blank
  59 .fi
  60 .RE
  61 .PP
  62 If a file named
  63 .RI \*(lq distcomps \*(rq
  64 exists in the user's nmh directory, it
  65 will be used instead of this default form.  You may specify an alternate
  66 forms file with the switch
  67 .B \-form
  68 .IR formfile .
  69 Forms are processed via the
  70 .B nmh
  71 template system; see
  72 .IR mh\-format (5)
  73 for details.  Components from the redistributed message are available
  74 as standard component escapes in the forms file.
  75 .PP
  76 In addition to the standard
  77 .IR mh\-format (5)
  78 escapes, the following
  79 .I component
  80 escapes are also supported:
  81 .PP
  82 .RS 5
  83 .nf
  84 .ta \w'Escape   'u +\w'Returns  'u
  85 .I "Escape      Returns Description"
  86 fcc     string  Any folders specified with `\-fcc\ folder'
  87 nmh\-from       string  Addresses specified with `\-from\ address'
  88 nmh\-to string  Addresses specified with `\-to\ address'
  89 nmh\-cc string  Addresses specified with `\-cc\ address'
  90 .fi
  91 .RE
  92 .PP
  93 See
  94 .IR forw (1)
  95 for descriptions of the
  96 .BR \-from ,
  97 .BR \-to ,
  98 .BR \-cc ,
  99 and
 100 .B \-fcc
 101 switches.
 102 .PP
 103 If the draft already exists,
 104 .B dist
 105 will ask you as to the disposition of the draft.  A reply of
 106 .B quit
 107 will abort
 108 .BR dist ,
 109 leaving the draft intact;
 110 .B replace
 111 will replace the existing draft with a blank skeleton; and
 112 .B list
 113 will display the draft.
 114 .PP
 115 Only those addresses in
 116 .RI \*(lq Resent\-To: \*(rq,
 117 .RI \*(lq Resent\-cc: \*(rq,
 118 and
 119 .RI \*(lq Resent\-Bcc: \*(rq
 120 will be sent.  Also, a
 121 .RI \*(lq "Resent\-Fcc: folder" \*(rq
 122 will be honored (see
 123 .IR send (1)).
 124 Note that with
 125 .BR dist ,
 126 the draft should contain only
 127 .RI \*(lq Resent\-xxx: \*(rq
 128 fields and no body.  The headers and the body of
 129 the original message are copied to the draft when the message is sent.
 130 Use care in constructing the headers for the redistribution.
 131 .PP
 132 Because the draft is minimal, the
 133 .IR prompter (1)
 134 editor is quite useful with
 135 .BR dist .
 136 .PP
 137 If the
 138 .B \-annotate
 139 switch is given, the  message being distributed will
 140 be annotated with the lines:
 141 .RS
 142 Resent:\ date
 143 .br
 144 Resent:\ addrs
 145 .RE
 146 where each address list contains as many lines as required.  This
 147 annotation will be done only if the message is sent directly from
 148 .BR dist .
 149 If the message is not sent immediately from
 150 .BR dist ,
 151 .RB \*(lq comp
 152 .BR \-use \*(rq
 153 may be used to re-edit and send the constructed
 154 message, but the annotations won't take place.  Normally annotations are
 155 done in place in order to preserve any links to the message.  You may use
 156 the
 157 .B \-noinplace
 158 switch to change this.
 159 .PP
 160 See
 161 .IR comp (1)
 162 for a description of the
 163 .B \-editor
 164 and
 165 .B \-noedit
 166 switches.  Note that while in the editor, with
 167 .B \-atfile
 168 and if the current directory is writable, the message being resent
 169 is available through a link named \*(lq@\*(rq (assuming the default
 170 .IR whatnowproc ).
 171 In addition, the actual pathname of the message is
 172 stored in the environment variable
 173 .BR $editalt ,
 174 and the pathname of
 175 the folder containing the message is stored in the environment variable
 176 .BR $mhfolder .
 177 The creation of the \*(lq@\*(rq file is controlled via the
 178 .B \-atfile
 179 and
 180 .B \-noatfile
 181 options.
 182 .PP
 183 The
 184 .B \-draftfolder
 185 .I +folder
 186 and
 187 .B \-draftmessage
 188 .I msg
 189 switches invoke the
 190 .B nmh
 191 draft folder facility.  This is an advanced (and highly
 192 useful) feature.  Consult
 193 .IR mh-draft (5)
 194 for more information.
 195 .PP
 196 Upon exiting from the editor,
 197 .B dist
 198 will invoke the
 199 .B whatnow
 200 program.  See
 201 .IR whatnow (1)
 202 for a discussion of available options.  The invocation of this
 203 program can be inhibited by using the
 204 .B \-nowhatnowproc
 205 switch.  (In fact, it is the
 206 .B whatnow
 207 program which starts the initial edit.  Hence,
 208 .B \-nowhatnowproc
 209 will prevent any edit from occurring.)
 210 .SH FILES
 211 .PD 0
 212 .TP 20
 213 %nmhetcdir%/distcomps
 214 The default message skeleton.
 215 .TP 20
 216 <mh-dir>/distcomps
 217 The user's message skeleton.
 218 .TP 20
 219 $HOME/.mh_profile
 220 The user's profile.
 221 .TP 20
 222 <mh-dir>/draft
 223 The draft file.
 224 .PD
 225 .SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
 226 .PD 0
 227 .TP 20
 228 Path:
 229 To determine the user's nmh directory.
 230 .TP 20
 231 Current\-Folder:
 232 To find the default current folder.
 233 .TP 20
 234 Draft\-Folder:
 235 To find the default draft-folder.
 236 .TP 20
 237 Editor:
 238 To override the default editor.
 239 .TP 20
 240 fileproc:
 241 Program to refile the message.
 242 .TP 20
 243 whatnowproc:
 244 Program to ask the \*(lqWhat now?\*(rq questions.
 245 .PD
 246 .SH "SEE ALSO"
 247 .IR comp (1),
 248 .IR forw (1),
 249 .IR prompter (1),
 250 .IR repl (1),
 251 .IR send (1),
 252 .IR whatnow (1)
 253 .SH DEFAULTS
 254 .PD 0
 255 .TP 20
 256 +folder
 257 The current folder.
 258 .TP 20
 259 msg
 260 The current message.
 261 .TP 20
 262 \-noannotate
 263 .TP 20
 264 \-nodraftfolder
 265 .TP 20
 266 \-inplace
 267 .TP 20
 268 \-noatfile
 269 .PD
 270 .SH CONTEXT
 271 If a folder is given, it will become the current folder.  The message
 272 distributed will become the current message.
 273 .SH HISTORY
 274 .B dist
 275 originally used headers of the form
 276 .RI \*(lq Distribute\-xxx: \*(rq
 277 instead of
 278 .RI \*(lq Resent\-xxx: \*(rq.
 279 In order to conform with the ARPA Internet standard, RFC 822, the
 280 .RI \*(lq Resent\-xxx: \*(rq
 281 form is now used.
 282 .B dist
 283 will recognize
 284 .RI \*(lq Distribute\-xxx: \*(rq
 285 type headers and automatically convert them to
 286 .RI \*(lq Resent\-xxx: \*(rq.
 287 .SH BUGS
 288 .B dist
 289 does not rigorously check the message being distributed
 290 for adherence to the transport standard, but
 291 .B post
 292 called by
 293 .B send
 294 does.  The
 295 .B post
 296 program will balk (and rightly so) at poorly formatted messages, and
 297 .B dist
 298 won't correct things for you.
 299 .PP
 300 If
 301 .I whatnowproc
 302 is
 303 .BR whatnow ,
 304 then
 305 .B comp
 306 uses a built-in
 307 .BR whatnow ,
 308 it does not actually run the
 309 .B whatnow
 310 program.
 311 Hence, if you define your own
 312 .IR whatnowproc ,
 313 don't call it
 314 .B whatnow
 315 since
 316 .B comp
 317 won't run it.