-.TH MH-ALIAS %manext5% "November 15, 2014" "%nmhversion%"
-.\"
+.TH MH-ALIAS %manext5% 2014-04-18 "%nmhversion%"
+.
.\" %nmhwarning%
-.\"
+.
.SH NAME
mh-alias \- format of nmh alias files
.SH DESCRIPTION
.RS 5
.I alias
.B :
-.I address\-group
+.I address-group
.RE
.sp
.RS 5
.I alias
.B ;
-.I address\-group
+.I address-group
.RE
.sp
.RS 5
.B <
-.I alias\-file
+.I alias-file
.RE
.sp
.RS 5
.PP
.RS 5
.nf
-.IR address\-group " := " address\-list
+.IR address-group " := " address-list
.RI " | < " file
-.RI " | = " UNIX\-group
-.RI " | + " UNIX\-group
+.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 end with \*(lq\\\*(rq followed by a newline
character. This also applies to comment lines. Thus, the line following a
-\*(lq\\\*(rq\-terminated
+\*(lq\\\*(rq-terminated
comment line is a continuation of
that comment line.
.PP
-.I Alias\-file
+.I Alias-file
and
.I file
-are UNIX file names.
-.I UNIX\-group
+are Unix file names.
+.I Unix-group
is a group name or number from
the system's group database.
Alias file contents are case-insensitive, with the exception
\*(lq<\*(rq may occur in the beginning of an alias file with the expected results.
.PP
If the
-.I address\-group
+.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
+.I address-list
for the alias.
.PP
If the
-.I address\-group
+.I address-group
starts with an \*(lq=\*(rq, the
system's group database
-is consulted for the UNIX\-group named after the \*(lq=\*(rq. Each login name
+is consulted for the Unix-group named after the \*(lq=\*(rq. Each login name
occurring as a member of the group is added to the
-.I address\-list
+.I address-list
for the alias.
.PP
In contrast, if the
-.I address\-group
+.I address-group
starts with a \*(lq+\*(rq, the system's group database
-is consulted to determine the group\-id of the
-UNIX\-group named after the \*(lq+\*(rq. Each login name occurring in the
+is consulted to determine the group-id of the
+Unix-group named after the \*(lq+\*(rq. Each login name occurring in the
system's password database
-whose group\-id is indicated by this group is
+whose group-id is indicated by this group is
added to the
-.I address\-list
+.I address-list
for the alias.
.PP
In match, a trailing \*(lq*\*(rq on an alias will match just about anything
.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
+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
.RS 5
.nf
<%nmhetcdir%/BBoardAliases
-fred: frated@UCI.example
sgroup: fred, fear, freida
+fred: frated@UCI.example
b-people: Blind List: bill, betty
-UNIX\-committee: <unix.aliases
+Unix\-committee: <unix.aliases
staff: =staff
wheels: +wheel
news.*: news
The first line says that more aliases should immediately be read from
the file
.BR %nmhetcdir%/BBoardAliases .
-Following this, \*(lqfred\*(rq
-is defined as an alias for \*(lqfrated@UCI.example\*(rq, and \*(lqsgroup\*(rq
-is defined as an alias for the three names \*(lqfrated@UCI.example\*(rq,
-\*(rqfear\*(rq, and \*(rqfreida\*(rq.
+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 delivered to those
.B sendmail/pipe
mail transport method.
.PP
-Next, the definition of \*(lqUNIX\-committee\*(rq is given by
+The definition of \*(lqUnix\-committee\*(rq is given by
reading the file
.I unix.aliases
in the user's
.B nmh
-directory,
+directory.
+.PP
\*(lqstaff\*(rq is defined as all users who are listed as members of the
group \*(lqstaff\*(rq in the
system's group database, and \*(lqwheels\*(rq
-is defined as all users whose group\-id in
+is defined as all users whose group-id in
the system's password database
is equivalent to the \*(lqwheel\*(rq group.
+.PP
+Lastly,
+.RI \*(lqnews. anything \*(rq
+is aliased to \*(lqnews\*(rq;
+the full stop is just another literal character.
.SH "PROFILE COMPONENTS"
.TP 20
Aliasfile:
Although the forward-referencing semantics of
mh\-alias
files prevent recursion, the
-.B alias\-file
+.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
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