NAME

vacation − return “I am on vacation” message

SYNOPSIS

vacation [ option ]
vacation user

DESCRIPTION

Vacation returns a message saying that you are on vacation to any user who sends you mail.  It is intended for use in a .forward file.  For example, your .forward file might contain the following:

\eric, "|vacation eric"

This line would send messages to you (assuming your login name was eric) and send a message back to the sender. 

Vacation expects a file called .vacation.msg in your home directory containing a message to be sent back to each sender.  It should be an entire message (including headers).  For example, it might say:

From: eric@ucbmonet.Berkeley.EDU (Eric Allman)
Subject: I am on vacation
Delivered-By-The-Graces-Of: the Vacation program
 I am on vacation until July 22.  If you have something urgent,
please contact Joe Kalash <kalash@ucbingres.Berkeley.EDU>.
--eric

Vacation will send this message only once a week to each unique sender.  A list of the people who have sent you messages are kept in the files .vacation.pag and .vacation.dir in your home directory.  The −I option initializes these files.  You should run vacation with this option before before you modify your .forward file. 

If the −I flag is not specified, vacation reads the first line from the standard input for a UNIX-style “From” line to determine the sender.  If this is not present, a nasty diagnostic is produced.  Sendmail(8) includes the “From” line automatically. 

No message is sent if the initial “From” line includes the string “-REQUEST@” or if a “Precedence: bulk” or “Precedence: junk” line is included in the header. 

OPTION

−I Initializes the files .vacation.pag and .vacation.dir.  Run vacation with this option before you modify your .forward file. 

SEE ALSO

sendmail(8)

6 BSD  —  June 16, 1985