NAME

bin-mail, binmail − an early program for processing mail messages

SYNOPSIS

/usr/bin/mail [ −ipq ] [ −f filename ] address
/usr/bin/mail recipient ...

DESCRIPTION

Note: This is the old version 7 UNIX system mail program.  The default mail command, /usr/ucb/mail is described in mail(1). 

/usr/bin/mail with no address prints a user’s mail, message-by-message in last-in, first-out order.  /usr/bin/mail accepts commands from the standard input to direct disposition messages. 

When addresses are named, /usr/bin/mail takes the standard input up to an EOF (or a line with just ‘.’) and routes it through the mailer daemon to each recipient. See sendmail(8) for details.  The message is preceded by the sender’s name and a postmark.  Lines that look like postmarks are prepended with ‘>’.  A recipient is a user name recognized by login(1), a network address or local mail alias, or a filename (see aliases(5) for details). 

If there is any pending mail, login tells you there is mail when you log in.  It is also possible to have the C shell, or the daemon biff tell you about mail that arrives while you are logged in. 

To forward mail automatically, add the addresses of additional recipients to the .forward file in your home directory.  Note: forwarding addresses must be valid, or the messages will bounce.  You cannot, for instance, reroute your mail to a new host by forwarding it to your new address if it is not yet listed in the Network Information Service (NIS) aliases domain. 

OPTIONS

−i Ignore interrupts. 

−p Print messages without prompting for commands.  Exit immediately upon receiving an interrupt. 

−q Quit immediately upon interrupt. 

−f filename Use filename as if it were the mail file. 

USAGE

?  Print a command summary. 

CTRL-D Put unexamined mail back in the mail file and quit. 

!command Escape to the shell to do command.

− Go back to previous message. 

+ Go on to next message. 

RETURN Go on to next message. 

d Delete message and go on to the next. 

dq Delete message and quit. 

m [ recipient ] ... Mail the message to the named recipients (yourself is default).

n Go on to next message. 

p Print message (again). 

q Same as EOT . 

s [ filename] ... Save the message in the named filenames (‘mbox’ default).  If saved successfully, remove it from the list and go on to the next message. 

w [ filename ] ... Save the message, without a header, in the named filenames (‘mbox’ default).  If saved successfully, remove it from the list and go on to the next message. 

x Exit without changing the mail file. 

FILES

/etc/passwd to identify sender and locate address

/var/spool/mail/∗ incoming mail for user ∗

/usr/ucb/mail routes input through daemon to recipients

mbox saved mail

/tmp/ma∗ temp file

/var/spool/mail/∗.lock
lock for mail directory

dead.letter unmailable text is saved here

$HOME/.forward list of forwarding recipients

SEE ALSO

biff(1), csh(1), des(1), login(1), mail(1), uucp(1C), uux(1C), write(1), xsend(1), crypt(3), aliases(5), sendmail(8)

BUGS

Race conditions sometimes result in a failure to remove a lock file. 

The super-user can read your mail, unless it is encrypted by des(1), xsend(1), or crypt(3).  Even if you encrypt it, the super-user can delete it. 

NOTES

The Network Information Service (NIS) was formerly known as Yellow Pages (YP).  The functionality of the two remains the same; only the name has changed. 

Solbourne Computer, Inc.  —  28 November 1988