-.\"
+.TH MH-ALIAS %manext5% 2014-04-18 "%nmhversion%"
+.
.\" %nmhwarning%
-.\"
-.TH MH-ALIAS %manext5% "%nmhdate%" MH.6.8 [%nmhversion%]
+.
.SH NAME
-mh-alias \- alias file for nmh message system
-.SH SYNOPSIS
-any
-.B nmh
-command
+mh-alias \- format of nmh email-address alias files
.SH DESCRIPTION
-This describes both
-.B nmh
-personal alias files and
-the global alias file for
-.B nmh
-mail delivery, the file
.PP
-.RS 5
-%etcdir%/MailAliases
-.RE
-.PP
-It does
-.B not
-describe aliases files used by the message transport system.
-Each line of the alias file has the format:
+Each line of an
+.B nmh
+alias file takes one of the following forms:
.PP
.RS 5
.I alias
.B :
-.I address\-group
+.I address-group
.RE
-or
+.sp
.RS 5
.I alias
.B ;
-.I address\-group
+.I address-group
.RE
-or
+.sp
.RS 5
.B <
-.I alias\-file
+.I alias-file
.RE
-or
+.sp
.RS 5
.B ;
+|
+.B :
+|
+.B #
.I comment
.RE
.PP
.PP
.RS 5
.nf
-.IR address\-group " := " address\-list
+.IR address-group " := " address-list
.RI " | < " file
-.RI " | = " UNIX\-group
-.RI " | + " UNIX\-group
- | *
-.IR address\-list " := " address
-.RI " | " address\-list ", " address
+.IR address-list " := " address
+.RI " | " address-list ", " address
.fi
.RE
.PP
-Continuation lines in alias files end with `\\' followed by the newline
-character.
+Continuation lines end with \*(lq\\\*(rq followed by a newline
+character. This also applies to comment lines. Thus, the line following a
+\*(lq\\\*(rq-terminated
+comment line is a continuation of
+that comment line.
.PP
-.RI \*(lq Alias\-file \*(rq
+.I Alias-file
and
-.RI \*(lq file \*(rq
-are UNIX file names.
-.I UNIX\-group
-is a group name (or number) from
-.IR /etc/group .
-An address is a \*(lqsimple\*(rq
-Internet\-style address. Througout this file, case is ignored, except
-for file names.
+.I file
+are Unix file names.
+Alias file contents are case-insensitive, with the exception
+of filesystem path names.
.PP
-If the line starts with a `<', then the file named after the `<' is
+If the line starts with a \*(lq<\*(rq, the file named after the \*(lq<\*(rq is
read for more alias definitions. The reading is done recursively, so a
-`<' may occur in the beginning of an alias file with the expected results.
-.PP
-If the
-.I address\-group
-starts with a `<', then the file named after the
-`<' is read and its contents are added to the
-.I address\-list
-for the alias.
+\*(lq<\*(rq may occur in the beginning of an alias file with the expected results.
.PP
If the
-.I address\-group
-starts with an `=', then the file
-.I /etc/group
-is consulted for the UNIX\-group named after the `='. Each login name
-occurring as a member of the group is added to the
-.I address\-list
-for the alias.
-.PP
-In contrast, if the
-.I address\-group
-starts with a `+', then the file
-.I /etc/group
-is consulted to determine the group\-id of the
-UNIX\-group named after the `+'. Each login name occurring in the
-.I /etc/passwd
-file whose group\-id is indicated by this group is
-added to the
-.I address\-list
-for the alias.
-.PP
-If the
-.I address\-group
-is simply `*', then the file
-.I /etc/passwd
-is consulted and all login names with a userid
-greater than some magic number (usually 200) are added to the
-.I address\-list
+.I address-group
+starts with a \*(lq<\*(rq, the file named after the
+\*(lq<\*(rq is read and its contents are added to the
+.I address-list
for the alias.
.PP
In match, a trailing \*(lq*\*(rq on an alias will match just about anything
-appropriate. (See example below.)
+appropriate.
.PP
-An approximation of the way aliases are resolved at posting time is
-(it's not really done this way):
-.PP
-.RS 2
-.IP 1) 3
+An approximation of the way aliases are resolved at posting time is:
+.IP 1)
Build a list of all addresses from the message to be delivered,
eliminating duplicate addresses.
-.PP
-.IP 2) 3
-If this draft originated on the local host, then for those addresses in
-the message that have no host specified, perform alias resolution.
-.PP
-.IP 3) 3
+.IP 2)
+For those addresses in the message that have no host specified,
+perform alias resolution.
+.IP 3)
For each line in the alias file, compare \*(lqalias\*(rq against all of
the existing addresses. If a match, remove the matched \*(lqalias\*(rq
-from the address list, and add each new address in the address\-group to
+from the address list, and add each new address in the address-group to
the address list if it is not already on the list. The alias itself is
-not usually output, rather the address\-group that the alias maps to is
-output instead. If \*(lqalias\*(rq is terminated with a `;' instead of
-a `:', then both the \*(lqalias\*(rq and the address are output in the
-correct format. (This makes replies possible since
-.B nmh
-aliases
-and personal aliases are unknown to the mail transport system.)
-.RE
-.PP
-Since the alias file is read line by line, forward references work, but
-backward references are not recognized, thus, there is no recursion.
-.PP
-Example Alias File:
+not usually output, rather the address-group that the alias maps to is
+output instead. If \*(lqalias\*(rq is terminated with a \*(lq;\*(rq instead of
+a \*(lq:\*(rq, then both the \*(lqalias\*(rq and the address are output in the
+correct format (with the alias quoted if necessary and the address
+wrapped in <>).
+.PP
+Since the
+.I mh-alias
+file is read line by line, forward references work, but
+backward references are not recognized.
+.SS
+Example Alias File
.PP
.RS 5
.nf
-<%etcdir%/BBoardAliases
+<%nmhetcdir%/BBoardAliases
sgroup: fred, fear, freida
-b-people: Blind List: bill, betty;
-fred: frated@UCI
-UNIX\-committee: <unix.aliases
-staff: =staff
-wheels: +wheel
-everyone: *
+fred: frated@UCI.example
+b-people: Blind List: bill, betty
+Unix\-committee: <unix.aliases
news.*: news
.fi
.RE
.PP
The first line says that more aliases should immediately be read from
the file
-.IR %etcdir%/BBoardAliases .
-Following this, \*(lqfred\*(rq
-is defined as an alias for \*(lqfrated@UCI\*(rq, and \*(lqsgroup\*(rq
-is defined as an alias for the three names \*(lqfrated@UCI\*(rq,
-\*(rqfear\*(rq, and \*(rqfreida\*(rq.
+.BR %nmhetcdir%/BBoardAliases .
+Next, \*(lqsgroup\*(rq is defined as an alias for three names,
+and one of them, \*(lqfred\*(rq,
+is a forward reference to another alias for \*(lqfrated@UCI.example\*(rq.
.PP
The alias \*(lqb-people\*(rq is a blind list which includes the addresses
-\*(lqbill\*(rq and \*(lqbetty\*(rq; the message will be delieved to those
-addresses, but the message header will show only \*(lqBlind List: ;\*(rq
-(not the addresses).
-.PP
-Next, the definition of \*(lqUNIX\-committee\*(rq is given by
+\*(lqbill\*(rq and \*(lqbetty\*(rq; the message will be delivered to those
+addresses, but the message header will show only \*(lqBlind List: ;\*(rq
+(not the addresses). The alias must not be terminated with, or contain,
+a semicolon.
+Note that blind lists are not supported with the
+.B sendmail/pipe
+mail transport method.
+.PP
+The definition of \*(lqUnix\-committee\*(rq is given by
reading the file
.I unix.aliases
-in the users
-.B nmh
-directory,
-\*(lqstaff\*(rq is defined as all users who are listed as members of the
-group \*(lqstaff\*(rq in the
-.I /etc/group
-file, and \*(lqwheels\*(rq
-is defined as all users whose group\-id in
-.I /etc/passwd
-is equivalent to the \*(lqwheel\*(rq group.
-.PP
-Finally, \*(lqeveryone\*(rq is defined as all users with a user\-id
-in
-.I /etc/passwd
-greater than 200, and all aliases of the form
-\*(lqnews.<anything>\*(rq are defined to be \*(lqnews\*(rq.
-.PP
-The key thing to understand about aliasing in
-.B nmh
-is that aliases in
-.B nmh
-alias files are expanded into the headers of messages posted.
-This aliasing occurs first, at posting time, without the knowledge of the
-message transport system. In contrast, once the message transport system
-is given a message to deliver to a list of addresses, for each address
-that appears to be local, a system\-wide alias file is consulted. These
-aliases are
-.B NOT
-expanded into the headers of messages delivered.
-
-.SH "HELPFUL HINTS"
-To use aliasing in
-.B nmh
-quickly, do the following:
-.PP
-.RS 2
-.IP 1) 3
-In your
-.IR \&.mh\(ruprofile ,
-choose a name for your alias file, say
-.RI \*(lq aliases \*(rq,
-and add the line:
-.PP
-.RS 5
-.nf
-Aliasfile: aliases
-.\" ali: \-alias aliases
-.\" send: \-alias aliases
-.\" whom: \-alias aliases
-.fi
-.RE
-.PP
-.IP 2) 3
-Create the file
-.RI \*(lq aliases \*(rq
-in your
+in the user's
.B nmh
directory.
.PP
-.IP 3) 3
-Start adding aliases to your
-.RI \*(lq aliases \*(rq
-file as appropriate.
-.RE
-
-.SH FILES
-.fc ^ ~
-.nf
-.ta \w'%etcdir%/ExtraBigFileName 'u
-^%etcdir%/MailAliases~^global nmh alias file
-.fi
-
+Lastly,
+.RI \*(lqnews. anything \*(rq
+is aliased to \*(lqnews\*(rq;
+the full stop is just another literal character.
.SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
-.fc ^ ~
-.nf
-.ta 2.4i
-.ta \w'ExtraBigProfileName 'u
-^Aliasfile:~^For a default alias file
-.fi
-
+.TP 20
+Aliasfile:
+Default alias file.
+.SH FILES
+.TP 20
+%nmhetcdir%/MailAliases
+System-wide default alias file.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
-ali(1), send(1), whom(1), group(5), passwd(5), conflict(8), post(8)
-
-.SH CONTEXT
-None
-
+.IR ali (1),
+.IR send (1),
+.IR whom (1),
+.IR getgrent (3),
+.IR getpwent (3),
+.IR post (8)
.SH BUGS
Although the forward-referencing semantics of
-.B mh\-alias
+mh\-alias
files prevent recursion, the
-.RI \*(lq< " alias\-file" \*(rq
-command may defeat this.
-Since the number of file descriptors is finite (and very limited), such
+.B alias-file
+directive may defeat this.
+Since the number of file descriptors is finite, such
infinite recursion will terminate with a meaningless diagnostic when
all the fds are used up.
.PP
-Forward references do not work correctly inside blind lists.
+Earlier versions of this man page showed a semicolon at the end of the
+blind list example. That caused the preceding alias to not be
+expanded. There must not be a semicolon at the end of, or within, the
+address group of a blind list.
+.B post
+will append the semicolon to the blind list name.
projects / nmh / blobdiff