Annotation of 43BSD/contrib/mh/papers/tutorial/text.tex, revision 1.1

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        !             2: 
        !             3: \banner
        !             4: 
        !             5: \section{Acknowledgements}
        !             6: The \MH/ system described herein is based on the original Rand \MH/ system.
        !             7: It has been extensively developed (perhaps too much so) by Marshall Rose and
        !             8: John Romine at the University of California, Irvine.
        !             9: Einar Stefferud, Jerry Sweet, and Terry Domae provided numerous suggestions
        !            10: to improve the UCI version of \MH/.
        !            11: 
        !            12: Parts of this document are taken from a Rand tutorial \cite{SPayn85} by
        !            13: Sue Payne.
        !            14: 
        !            15: \section{Disclaimer}
        !            16: The Regents of the University of California issue the following
        !            17: disclaimer concerning the UCI version of MH:
        !            18: \bigquote
        !            19: Although each program has been tested by its contributor,
        !            20: no warranty, express or implied,
        !            21: is made by the contributor or the University of California,
        !            22: as to the accuracy and functioning of the program
        !            23: and related program material,
        !            24: nor shall the fact of distribution constitute any such warranty,
        !            25: and no responsibility is assumed by the contributor
        !            26: or the University of California in connection herewith.
        !            27: \endbigquote
        !            28: 
        !            29: \section{Scope}
        !            30: This document assumes that you have no knowledge of \MH/.
        !            31: However, to use \MH/ you should have some familiarity with the \unix/ 
        !            32: operating system,
        !            33: particularly with the way commands are given,
        !            34: how files are named,
        !            35: the jargon (e.g. {\it shell}, {\it argument}, {\it home directory},
        !            36: {\it pathname\/}),
        !            37: and how to use a text editor (such as \pgm{ex}, \pgm{vi}, or \pgm{emacs\/}).
        !            38: 
        !            39: This tutorial covers only basic material.
        !            40: For additional information about \MH/,
        !            41: consult the {\it User's Manual} \cite{MRose85a}.
        !            42: Other documents of possible interest to you include
        !            43: {\it The UCI BBoards Facility} \cite{MRose84}
        !            44: and
        !            45: the {\it MH Administrator's Guide} \cite{MRose85b}.
        !            46: 
        !            47: \section{How To Use This Tutorial}
        !            48: Different typefaces and symbols are used in this document to denote the
        !            49: kinds of things you (the user) must type on your keyboard.
        !            50: \smallskip
        !            51: {\advance\leftskip by\parindent
        !            52: \item{1.} The names of programs are given in {\it text italics}:
        !            53: \smallskip\hskip 1in \pgm{comp}\smallskip
        !            54: \item{2.} Arguments to programs are given in {\tt typewriter style},
        !            55: delimited by single-quotes:
        !            56: \smallskip\hskip 1in \arg{msgs}\smallskip
        !            57: \item{3.} \unix/ pathnames are given in {\sl slanted roman}:
        !            58: \smallskip\hskip 1in \file{/usr/uci/}\smallskip
        !            59: \item{4.} Text giving a full example is presented in {\tt typewriter style}:
        !            60: \example comp\ -editor\ vi\endexample
        !            61: The ``\hbox{\tt\char`\ }'' glyph % (visible space glyph)
        !            62: is used to indicate an explicit space (the kind you make with the
        !            63: space bar on your keyboard).
        !            64: \smallskip}
        !            65: 
        !            66: \section{Introduction}
        !            67: With \MH/ you can send messages to other people on your system
        !            68: and read messages that other people send to you.
        !            69: Depending on how things have been set up on your system,
        !            70: it may be possible for you to send messages to people on remote systems.
        !            71: You can also reply to messages that you have received,
        !            72: review them,
        !            73: organize them in {\it folders},
        !            74: and delete them.
        !            75: 
        !            76: \MH/ differs from other mail programs in that it is composed of many
        !            77: small programs instead of just one very large program.
        !            78: Among new users this sometimes causes some confusion
        !            79: along the lines of ``what program do I run?''
        !            80: With \MH/, you use the shell to invoke one program at a time.
        !            81: This means that when you handle mail,
        !            82: the entire power of the shell is at your disposal
        !            83: in addition to the facilities that \MH/ provides.
        !            84: In the beginning, this may not make much sense or may not seem important.
        !            85: However, we have found that as new users of \MH/ gain experience, 
        !            86: they find this style of interface to be very useful.
        !            87: 
        !            88: \section{Summary}
        !            89: The most minimal list of \MH/ commands that you can get by with is:
        !            90: \smallskip
        !            91: {\advance\leftskip by\parindent
        !            92: \item{\pgm{inc}}       - incorporate mail (get new mail)
        !            93: \item{\pgm{show}}      - show the first message
        !            94: \item{\pgm{next}}      - show the next message
        !            95: \item{\pgm{prev}}      - show the previous message
        !            96: \item{\pgm{comp}}      - compose a new message to send
        !            97: \item{\pgm{repl}}      - reply to a received message
        !            98: \smallskip}
        !            99: \pgm{Comp} and \pgm{repl} give enough prompting possibly to get you along.
        !           100: However, it is suggested that you take the time to peruse this
        !           101: tutorial before leaping into things.
        !           102: 
        !           103: \section{Messages and Folders}
        !           104: A message takes the form of a memorandum,
        !           105: and is composed of two major parts:
        !           106: a {\it header},
        !           107: which contains such information as
        !           108: \eg{To} and \eg{From} addresses, \eg{Subject}, \eg{Date}, etc.;
        !           109: and the {\it body},
        !           110: which is the actual text of the message.
        !           111: Each {\it component} in the header starts with a keyword followed by
        !           112: a colon and additional information.
        !           113: For example, in the message:
        !           114: \example
        !           115:     Date: 10 Oct 84 17:41:14 EDT (Wed)\\
        !           116:     To: News@udel-dewey\\
        !           117:     Subject: UCI Software Talk\\
        !           118:     From: UCI Portal (agent: Marshall Rose) <uci@udel-dewey>\\\\
        !           119:     This is the text.
        !           120: \endexample
        !           121: there are four header items, and one line of text in the body.
        !           122: Note that a blank line separates the body from the headers.
        !           123: 
        !           124: \MH/ stores a message as an ordinary file in a \unix/ directory.
        !           125: This directory is called a {\it folder}.
        !           126: If you choose to keep and organize your messages,
        !           127: you may create as many folders as you wish.
        !           128: There is no limit as to the number of messages in a folder.
        !           129: Typically messages are numbered from~1 up.
        !           130: All of your personal folders,
        !           131: along with some other information that \MH/ needs to know,
        !           132: are kept in a special directory called \file{Mail} under your home directory.
        !           133: Normally, \MH/ manages these files and directories automatically,
        !           134: so you needn't muck around with them directly unless you really want to.
        !           135: 
        !           136: You won't have any folders until somebody sends mail to you, as a rule.
        !           137: If you are anxious to try out \MH/, but no one has sent you mail yet,
        !           138: try sending mail to yourself to start out with.
        !           139: 
        !           140: \section{Reading New Mail}
        !           141: When you are notified that you have mail (usually when you log in),
        !           142: perhaps with the message
        !           143: \example You have mail.\endexample
        !           144: then you know that messages are waiting in your {\it maildrop}.
        !           145: To read these messages, you first have to {\it incorporate} the mail
        !           146: into your ``in-box'' by typing the command:
        !           147: \example inc\endexample
        !           148: This incorporates the new mail from your mail drop to your in-box,
        !           149: which is a folder named (naturally enough) \arg{+inbox}.
        !           150: As \pgm{inc} incorporates your new mail,
        !           151: it generates a {\it scan listing} of the mail:
        !           152: $$\vbox{\tenpoint\tx\halign{\hfil#&#\hfil&&    \quad#\hfil\cr
        !           153: \noalign{\noindent Incorporating new mail into inbox...\medskip}
        !           154: 2&+&   10/10&  WESTINE\%USC-ISIF&      RFC 916 Now Available&
        !           155:                                        <<A new Request for Co\cr
        !           156: 3&&    10/10&  G B Reilly&             Gosling EMACS manual&
        !           157:                                        <<Marshall, I am lookin\cr
        !           158: 4&&    10/11&  WESTINE\%USC-ISIF&      Internet Monthly Report&\cr
        !           159: }}$$
        !           160: Each time \pgm{inc} is invoked,
        !           161: any new messages are added to the end of your \eg{+inbox} folder.
        !           162: 
        !           163: To read the first message,
        !           164: use the \pgm{show} command:
        !           165: \example show\endexample
        !           166: This displays the current message.
        !           167: To read each subsequent message,
        !           168: use the \pgm{next} command:
        !           169: \example next\endexample
        !           170: If you want to back up,
        !           171: the command \pgm{prev} shows the previous message.
        !           172: Another way to read your messages is to name them all at once:
        !           173: \example show\ all\endexample
        !           174: This command displays them all, one after the other.
        !           175: The \arg{all} argument to \pgm{show} above might also be replaced
        !           176: with \arg{next} or \arg{prev}, as in
        !           177: \example
        !           178:     show\ next\\
        !           179:     show\ prev
        !           180: \endexample
        !           181: which are respectively equivalent to the \pgm{next} and \pgm{prev}
        !           182: commands.
        !           183: 
        !           184: If you have had occasion to type \pgm{inc} more than once, then
        !           185: you will find that \eg{show\ all} is showing not only the new messages,
        !           186: but also the old messages that you've already seen.
        !           187: Therefore, you might find it better to use
        !           188: \example show\ cur-last\endexample
        !           189: instead.
        !           190: This command displays messages from the current message (\arg{cur})
        !           191: to the last message (\arg{last}).
        !           192: Each time \pgm{inc} is invoked, it makes the first new message
        !           193: the current message.
        !           194: It should be noted here that the name \arg{all} given in a previous
        !           195: example is equivalent to the {\it message range} \arg{first-last},
        !           196: where \arg{first} is the name of the first message in \arg{+inbox}.
        !           197: Also, \eg{show} by itself is equivalent to
        !           198: \example show\ cur\endexample
        !           199: 
        !           200: As mentioned earlier,
        !           201: with the \unix/ shell as your interface to \MH/,
        !           202: it becomes easy to list a message on a line printer or to another file.
        !           203: For example,
        !           204: \example show\ all\ |\ lpr\endexample
        !           205: lists all the messages in the current folder to the line printer.
        !           206: 
        !           207: To summarize, the preceding has introduced these important concepts:
        !           208: {\it folders} (in particular, the \arg{+inbox} folder),
        !           209: {\it messages},
        !           210: {\it message names} (e.g. \arg{prev}, \arg{next}, \arg{cur}, \arg{last}),
        !           211: and {\it message ranges} (e.g. \arg{cur-last}, \arg{all}).
        !           212: More will be said about folders and messages in succeeding sections.
        !           213: 
        !           214: \section{Sending Messages}
        !           215: To send a message, you compose a message {\it draft},
        !           216: either by replying to a message that someone sent to you,
        !           217: or by creating a draft from scratch.
        !           218: The \pgm{send} command is used {\bf after} completing the final draft
        !           219: of a message, 
        !           220: in the same way that you mail a paper letter only after you are finished
        !           221: writing it.
        !           222: This is a common source of confusion among new \MH/ users who
        !           223: may have had experience with other mail systems.
        !           224: 
        !           225: This section discusses how to originate messages
        !           226: and how to reply to messages that were previously received,
        !           227: along with a word or two about addresses.
        !           228: 
        !           229: \subsection{Originating Messages}
        !           230: To create a message draft from scratch,
        !           231: use the \pgm{comp} program.
        !           232: You will be prompted for the header components
        !           233: and then the body of the message.
        !           234: If you make a mistake, you may correct it later with a text editor.
        !           235: The draft will be sent only if you give an explicit \pgm{send} command,
        !           236: so you do not have to worry about the draft getting away from you
        !           237: prematurely.
        !           238: 
        !           239: To start, you simply type:
        !           240: \example comp\endexample
        !           241: 
        !           242: {\bf To:}
        !           243: First, the prompt \arg{To:} appears.
        !           244: Here you type the address of the person to whom you wish the message sent.
        !           245: If this person is on the same computer system as you,
        !           246: then that person's login ID should serve as the address
        !           247: (e.g. \arg{mrose} or \arg{jsweet}).
        !           248: 
        !           249: Here we digress briefly to discuss addresses.
        !           250: A full discussion of addresses is beyond the scope of this
        !           251: tutorial, but it should be mentioned that there are other
        !           252: kinds of addresses besides login IDs.
        !           253: To send messages to people on remote systems, 
        !           254: the usual way is to type \arg{login-id@host} in the \arg{To:} component,
        !           255: as in \arg{MRose@UCI-ICSA}.
        !           256: Examples of \arg{host} names at UCI include
        !           257: \arg{uci-icsa},
        !           258: \arg{uci-icse},
        !           259: and \arg{uci-cip1}.
        !           260: Upper and lower case letters may be used interchangeably.
        !           261: Sometimes a person's last name (e.g. \arg{Rose}, \arg{Sweet}) can be used
        !           262: instead of a login ID,
        !           263: but this cannot be relied upon in a world without unique surnames.
        !           264: 
        !           265: {\bf cc:}
        !           266: After you have given an address to the \arg{To:} prompt, 
        !           267: you are prompted for the \arg{cc:}
        !           268: (``carbon copy''--an archaism)
        !           269: address.
        !           270: It is customary, but not required, to put your own address
        !           271: here so that you get a copy of the message when it is sent.
        !           272: 
        !           273: To put more than one address in the \arg{To:} and
        !           274: \arg{cc:} components,
        !           275: just use a comma (``,'') between each address on a line.
        !           276: 
        !           277: {\bf Subject:}
        !           278: The third prompt is for the \arg{Subject:} component.
        !           279: Here a line of any descriptive text will do.
        !           280: Once you have typed a line of text, a dashed line is printed,
        !           281: and you are then expected to type the body of the message.
        !           282: End the body with EOT (usually CTRL-D).
        !           283: 
        !           284: An example of a complete message draft, as it appears on your screen,
        !           285: might be:
        !           286: \example
        !           287:     To: News\\
        !           288:     cc: farber, mrose\\
        !           289:     Subject: UCI Software Talk\\
        !           290:     --------\\
        !           291:     A presentation on the UCI software suite, including\\
        !           292:     the Rand/UCI Mail Handling System (MH), will be given\\
        !           293:     in CS220 on October 31st at 2:30 PM.  Refreshments\\
        !           294:     will be served afterward.\\\\
        !           295:     /mtr\\
        !           296:     \^{}D
        !           297: \endexample
        !           298: (The ``\^{}D'' does not appear in the draft.)
        !           299: 
        !           300: At this point, you are asked
        !           301: \example What\ now?\endexample
        !           302: This is known as being at \whatnow/ level.
        !           303: For now, there are probably only four options that will interest you:
        !           304: \smallskip
        !           305: {\advance\leftskip by\parindent
        !           306: \item{\pgm{edit}} - edit the draft
        !           307: \item{\pgm{list}} - list the draft on your screen
        !           308: \item{\pgm{quit}} - quit, without sending the draft
        !           309: \item{\pgm{send}} - send the draft, then quit
        !           310: \medskip}
        !           311: \noindent
        !           312: All of these options take various arguments,
        !           313: but only \pgm{edit} really needs an argument.
        !           314: 
        !           315: {\bf Edit:}
        !           316: The \pgm{edit} option will let you edit the draft before sending it.
        !           317: If your favorite text editor is \pgm{vi},
        !           318: then you would use the \pgm{edit} option as:
        !           319: \example edit\ vi\endexample
        !           320: Just specifying \pgm{edit} with no argument
        !           321: will only let you append text to the body of the
        !           322: message draft.
        !           323: Another editor (e.g. \pgm{vi}, \pgm{ex}, \pgm{emacs\/})
        !           324: should really be run to finish the draft up.
        !           325: When you leave the editor, you will come back to the \whatnow/ level,
        !           326: where you can re-edit the draft, send it, list it, or simply quit
        !           327: without sending the draft at all.
        !           328: 
        !           329: Caution: while in the editor,
        !           330: you should not delete colons in the headers
        !           331: or change the spelling of \arg{To:}, \arg{cc:}, or \arg{Subject:};
        !           332: and do not leave blank lines between these lines.
        !           333: Feel free to change the addresses that you typed previously,
        !           334: or to add these lines if they are missing.
        !           335: Do not delete the dashes that separate the header lines from
        !           336: the text of the message.
        !           337: You should not add additional header lines unless you understand
        !           338: precisely what you are doing.  
        !           339: This means particularly that you should not type or fill in a \arg{From:}
        !           340: line.
        !           341: When the message is sent, the system automatically adds this line.
        !           342: Also, you should not type a \arg{Date:} line in the header.
        !           343: When the message is sent, the system automatically adds the current
        !           344: date and time.
        !           345: 
        !           346: {\bf Quit:}
        !           347: If you \pgm{quit} without sending the draft,
        !           348: the draft is saved in a file called \file{Mail/draft} under your
        !           349: home directory.
        !           350: This file can be recalled later using the \arg{-use} argument
        !           351: to \pgm{comp}:
        !           352: \example comp\ -use\endexample
        !           353: The \whatnow/ level will permit you to do further editing
        !           354: and to send the final draft when you are ready.
        !           355: 
        !           356: {\bf Send:}
        !           357: When it is time to send the draft on its way,
        !           358: use the \pgm{send} option by itself.
        !           359: If there are any problems with the draft 
        !           360: (for example,
        !           361: if one or more of the people whom you specified in the \arg{To:} and \arg{cc:}
        !           362: components do not exist)
        !           363: then you will be notified at this time.
        !           364: 
        !           365: \subsection{Replying to Messages}
        !           366: To reply to a message,
        !           367: use the \pgm{repl} command.
        !           368: For example,
        !           369: \example repl\endexample
        !           370: creates a reply to the current message.
        !           371: You may also reply to a specific message (other than the current one)
        !           372: by giving a {\it message number} (e.g. \arg{1}, \arg{4}, etc.)
        !           373: or a {\it message name} (e.g. \arg{first}, \arg{last}, \arg{prev}):
        !           374: \example repl\ prev\endexample
        !           375: We haven't really introduced message numbers yet.
        !           376: They will be discussed in the next section.
        !           377: 
        !           378: The process of replying to a message is very similar to composing
        !           379: a message from scratch (see the previous section),
        !           380: but \pgm{repl} conveniently constructs and displays the header
        !           381: of the reply draft for you.
        !           382: You need only type in the text of the reply.
        !           383: An EOT (usually CTRL-D) indicates that you are done typing.
        !           384: If you make a mistake, you may correct it later with a text editor.
        !           385: The draft will be sent only if you give an explicit \pgm{send} command,
        !           386: so you do not have to worry about the draft getting away from you
        !           387: prematurely.
        !           388: 
        !           389: An example of a complete reply draft, as it appears on your screen might be:
        !           390: \example
        !           391:     To: MRose\\
        !           392:     cc: JSweet\\
        !           393:     Subject: Re: UCI Software Talk\\
        !           394:     In-reply-to: Your message of 10 Oct 84 18:15:08 PDT (Wed).\\
        !           395:     --------\\
        !           396:     I'll be there.\\
        !           397:     -jns\\
        !           398:     \^{}D      
        !           399: \endexample
        !           400: (The ``\^{}D'' does not appear in the draft.)
        !           401: 
        !           402: At this point, you are asked
        !           403: \example What\ now?\endexample
        !           404: This is known as being at \whatnow/ level.
        !           405: Refer to the previous section regarding how to edit,
        !           406: display, or send the draft at this point.
        !           407: 
        !           408: As with \pgm{comp}, 
        !           409: if you \pgm{quit} without sending the reply draft,
        !           410: the draft is saved in a file called \file{Mail/draft} under your
        !           411: home directory.
        !           412: This file can be recalled later using the \arg{-use} argument
        !           413: to \pgm{comp}:
        !           414: \example comp\ -use\endexample
        !           415: The \whatnow/ level will permit you to do further editing
        !           416: and to send the final draft when you are ready.
        !           417: 
        !           418: \section{Scanning Messages}
        !           419: The scan listing created by \pgm{inc} shows the {\it message number},
        !           420: the date on which the message was sent,
        !           421: the sender,
        !           422: and the subject of the message.
        !           423: If there is sufficient space remaining on the line,
        !           424: the beginning of the text of the message is displayed as well,
        !           425: preceded by two left angle brackets (``{\tenpoint\tx$<<$\/}'').
        !           426: An example of a scan listing is:
        !           427: $$\vbox{\tenpoint\tx\halign{\hfil#&#\hfil&&    \quad#\hfil\cr
        !           428: 1&+&   10/10&  WESTINE\%USC-ISIF&      RFC 916 Now Available&
        !           429:                                        <<A new Request for Co\cr
        !           430: 2&&    10/10&  G B Reilly&             Gosling EMACS manual&
        !           431:                                        <<Marshall, I am lookin\cr
        !           432: 3&&    10/11&  WESTINE\%USC-ISIF&      Internet Monthly Report&\cr
        !           433: }}$$
        !           434: Note that all messages have message numbers.
        !           435: 
        !           436: To generate your own scan listing, use the \pgm{scan} program.
        !           437: Typing simply
        !           438: \example scan\endexample
        !           439: will list all the messages in the current folder.
        !           440: To scan a subset of these messages,
        !           441: you can specify the numbers of the messages that you consider interesting,
        !           442: e.g.,
        !           443: \example scan\ 2\ 3\endexample
        !           444: Message names may be specified in addition to discrete message numbers.
        !           445: The built-in message names recognized by \MH/ are:
        !           446: \smallskip
        !           447: {\advance\leftskip by\parindent
        !           448: \item{\underbar{all}:} all messages in the folder (\arg{first-last})
        !           449: \item{\underbar{first}:}       the first message in the folder
        !           450: \item{\underbar{last}:}        the last message in the folder
        !           451: \item{\underbar{prev}:}        the message immediately before the current message
        !           452: \item{\underbar{cur}:} the current message
        !           453: \item{\underbar{next}:}        the message immediately after the current message
        !           454: \medskip}
        !           455: \noindent
        !           456: 
        !           457: Message ranges may be specified in addition to discrete message numbers
        !           458: or names by separating the beginning
        !           459: and final message numbers with a dash (``-'').
        !           460: For example,
        !           461: \example scan\ 5-10\endexample
        !           462: scans messages~5 through~10 inclusive.
        !           463: A range of messages may also be specified by separating a beginning
        !           464: message number and a relative number of messages with
        !           465: a colon (``:'').
        !           466: For example,
        !           467: \example scan\ last:3\endexample
        !           468: scans the last three messages in the folder.
        !           469: Similarly,
        !           470: \example scan\ first:3\endexample
        !           471: scans the first three messages in the folder;
        !           472: \example scan\ next:3\endexample
        !           473: scans the next three messages;
        !           474: \example scan\ cur:3\endexample
        !           475: scans the three messages beginning from the current message;
        !           476: \example scan\ 100:4\endexample
        !           477: scans four messages beginning from message number 100.
        !           478: 
        !           479: To summarize, the important concepts that have been discussed
        !           480: in the section are:
        !           481: {\it message ranges},
        !           482: {\it message numbers},
        !           483: and {\it message names}.
        !           484: When an \MH/ command is described as taking a \arg{msg} argument,
        !           485: it accepts either a message name or a message number.
        !           486: Most \MH/ commands are described as taking \arg{msgs} arguments,
        !           487: meaning that more than one message or message range is accepted.
        !           488: 
        !           489: \section{Deleting Messages}
        !           490: To delete a message, use the \pgm{rmm} program.
        !           491: By default, \pgm{rmm} deletes the current message,
        !           492: but you can give \pgm{rmm} a list of messages to be removed as well.
        !           493: There is no corresponding ``\pgm{unrmm}'' program,
        !           494: but clever users with a need will find out how to change the way \pgm{rmm}
        !           495: works so that it simply moves messages to another folder
        !           496: (say, \arg{+wastebasket}).
        !           497: 
        !           498: \section{Filing Messages}
        !           499: The possibility of having folders other than \eg{+inbox} has been mentioned
        !           500: previously.
        !           501: The methods for moving messages between folders and manipulating folders
        !           502: are discussed here.
        !           503: 
        !           504: The \pgm{refile} command moves messages from a {\it source folder} to one or
        !           505: more {\it destination folders}.
        !           506: By default, the current message is moved from the {\it current folder} 
        !           507: (typically \arg{+inbox}) to another folder specified as an
        !           508: argument to \pgm{refile}.
        !           509: For example,
        !           510: \example refile\ +todo\endexample
        !           511: moves the current message from the current folder to the folder \eg{+todo}.
        !           512: To move messages from a folder other than the current folder,
        !           513: use the \switch{src +folder} switch, as in
        !           514: \example refile\ -src\ +todo\ last\ +save\ +notes\endexample
        !           515: which moves the last message in the \eg{+todo} folder to the folders
        !           516: \eg{+save} and \eg{+notes}.
        !           517: Note that this operation is a {\it move}, not a {\it copy};
        !           518: it removes the message from the source folder.
        !           519: To keep a copy in the source folder as well, use the \switch{link} switch
        !           520: \example refile\ -link\ -src\ +todo\ last\ +save\ +notes\endexample
        !           521: 
        !           522: Whenever a folder argument is given to an \MH/ command,
        !           523: that folder becomes the {\it current folder}.
        !           524: To find out which folder is current, use the command
        !           525: \example folder\endexample
        !           526: The \pgm{inc} command sets the current folder back to \arg{+inbox}
        !           527: by default.
        !           528: To find out about all of a user's folders, use the command
        !           529: \example folders\endexample
        !           530: Since folders can contain other folders,
        !           531: the command
        !           532: \example folders\ -recurse\endexample
        !           533: will recursively examine each folder for you.
        !           534: 
        !           535: To set the current folder, without doing anything else,
        !           536: use the \pgm{folder} program with a folder argument.
        !           537: Hence,
        !           538: \example folder\ +inbox\endexample
        !           539: makes \eg{+inbox} the current folder.
        !           540: 
        !           541: After a using \pgm{rmm} and \pgm{refile} on a folder a number of times,
        !           542: there tend to be gaps in the numbering sequence.
        !           543: To compress the numbers for the all messages in a folder,
        !           544: use
        !           545: \example folder\ -pack\endexample
        !           546: 
        !           547: \section{The Profile}
        !           548: You can customize the \MH/ environment by editing your \profile/ file.
        !           549: Although there are lots of options,
        !           550: here are the most useful:
        !           551: \smallskip
        !           552: {\advance\leftskip by\parindent
        !           553: \item{\underbar{Editor}:} lists the default editor that \pgm{comp} and
        !           554: \pgm{repl} should use.
        !           555: The default is
        !           556: \example editor:\ prompter\endexample
        !           557: but another editor might be preferred.
        !           558: 
        !           559: \item{\underbar{{\it editor}-next}:} lists the editor that should be used
        !           560: after the last edit with {\it editor}.
        !           561: Hence, if you have a profile entry
        !           562: \example prompter-next:\ vi\endexample
        !           563: after editing a draft with \pgm{prompter},
        !           564: and being at \whatnow/ level,
        !           565: you could say \eg{edit} (instead of \eg{edit vi})
        !           566: to continue to edit the draft with \pgm{vi}.
        !           567: 
        !           568: \item{\underbar{Msg-Protect}:}
        !           569: Whenever \MH/ creates a message (for example, with \pgm{inc\/}),
        !           570: this is the octal protection mode that the message is created with.
        !           571: The default is
        !           572: \example Msg-Protect:\ 644\endexample
        !           573: This protection mode permits all other users on the system to read
        !           574: your messages.
        !           575: To maintain privacy, the mode 600 should be used.
        !           576: Note that changing the mode in the profile does not change the modes
        !           577: of messages that have been created already.
        !           578: Use the \unix/ command \pgm{chmod} to change the modes of your
        !           579: existing messages.
        !           580: 
        !           581: \item{\underbar{Folder-Protect}:}
        !           582: Whenever \MH/ creates a folder (for example, with \pgm{refile\/}),
        !           583: this is the octal mode that the folder is created with.
        !           584: The default is
        !           585: \example Folder-Protect:\ 711\endexample
        !           586: This mode permits other users on the system to make access to
        !           587: specific messages in your folders.
        !           588: To maintain stricter privacy, the mode 700 should be used.
        !           589: 
        !           590: \item{\underbar{{\it program\/}}:}
        !           591: Each \MH/ program that reads user's \profile/ file
        !           592: looks for an entry beginning with its own
        !           593: name to determine its initial defaults.
        !           594: For example,
        !           595: if you want the default editor for \pgm{repl} to be \pgm{emacs},
        !           596: the line
        !           597: \example repl:\ -editor\ emacs\endexample
        !           598: is sufficient.
        !           599: Command line arguments tend to override profile settings.
        !           600: Given the profile setting for \pgm{repl} above,
        !           601: if you invoked \pgm{repl} with
        !           602: \example repl\ -editor\ vi\endexample
        !           603: \pgm{repl} would use the \pgm{vi} editor instead
        !           604: of \pgm{emacs}.
        !           605: 
        !           606: \item{\underbar{signature}:}
        !           607: When \MH/ posts mail for you,
        !           608: it looks for this profile entry for your ``real world'' name.
        !           609: For example,
        !           610: \example signature:\ Marshall\ Rose\endexample
        !           611: The contents of the \eg{signature:} entry in the profile should be a simple
        !           612: phrase, with no embedded periods (e.g. ``Marshall T.~Rose'').
        !           613: \medskip}
        !           614: \noindent
        !           615: Note that your profile resembles the header portion of a message.
        !           616: Be sure that it is properly formatted by placing a colon after each entry
        !           617: name,
        !           618: and keep each entry on a single line.
        !           619: 
        !           620: \section{Conventions}
        !           621: Now let's summarize the conventions that \MH/ programs use:
        !           622: \smallskip
        !           623: {\advance\leftskip by\parindent
        !           624: \item{1.} Any \MH/ command that deals with messages can be given a
        !           625: \arg{+folder} argument to say which folder to use.
        !           626: However, only one \arg{+folder} argument may be given per command
        !           627: in most cases.
        !           628: 
        !           629: \item{2.} If an \MH/ command accepts a \arg{msgs} argument,
        !           630: then any number of messages can be given to the command.
        !           631: The \MH/ command will expand all the ranges and process each message,
        !           632: starting with the lowest numbered one and working its way to the message with
        !           633: the highest number.
        !           634: 
        !           635: \item{3.} If an \MH/ command accepts a \arg{msg} argument,
        !           636: then at most one message can be given.
        !           637: 
        !           638: \item{4.} Switches (options) to \MH/ commands start with a dash.
        !           639: Unlike the standard \unix/ convention,
        !           640: each switch consists of more than one character,
        !           641: for example \switch{header}.
        !           642: To minimize typing,
        !           643: only a unique abbreviation of the switch need be typed;
        !           644: thus for \switch{header}, \switch{hea} is probably sufficient,
        !           645: depending on the other switches accepted by the command.
        !           646: 
        !           647: \item{5.} All \MH/ commands have a \switch{help} switch,
        !           648: which {\it must} be spelled out fully.
        !           649: When an \MH/ command encounters the \switch{help} switch,
        !           650: it prints out the syntax of the command,
        !           651: the switches that it accepts,
        !           652: and version information.
        !           653: In the list of switches,
        !           654: parentheses indicate required characters.
        !           655: For example,
        !           656: all \switch{help} switches will appear as \switch{(help)},
        !           657: indicating that no abbreviation is accepted.
        !           658: 
        !           659: \item{6.} Many \MH/ switches have both on and off forms,
        !           660: such as \switch{format} and \switch{noformat}.
        !           661: In these cases,
        !           662: the last occurrence of the switch on the command line determines the setting
        !           663: of the option.
        !           664: 
        !           665: \item{7.} All \MH/ commands that read your \MH/ profile operate the
        !           666: same way:
        !           667: \underbar{first},
        !           668: the profile is consulted for an entry matching the name with which
        !           669: the command was invoked;
        !           670: \underbar{second},
        !           671: if such an entry was found,
        !           672: then the command immediately uses the arguments listed;
        !           673: \underbar{third},
        !           674: any arguments on the command line are then interpreted.
        !           675: Since most switches have both on and off forms,
        !           676: it's easy to customize the default options for each \MH/ command in the
        !           677: \profile/,
        !           678: and to override those defaults on the command line.
        !           679: \smallskip}
        !           680: 
        !           681: \section{Online Documentation}
        !           682: Each \MH/ program has its own \unix/ manual entry.
        !           683: For example, to get information about \pgm{comp},
        !           684: type
        !           685: \example man\ comp\endexample
        !           686: The manual entry for \man mh(1) lists all \MH/ commands,
        !           687: while the manual entry for \man mh-chart(1) lists the syntax and switches for
        !           688: all \MH/ commands.
        !           689: 
        !           690: In addition,
        !           691: here are a few other manual entries might be found useful:
        !           692: \smallskip
        !           693: {\advance\leftskip by\parindent
        !           694: \item{\man mh-alias(5)} to find out how aliases in \MH/ work;
        !           695: \item{\man mh-mail(5)} to find out how \MH/ stores and interprets messages
        !           696: (this manual entry explains all of the standard header components);
        !           697: \item{\man mh-profile(5)} to find out about the \MH/ user-environment.
        !           698: \smallskip}
        !           699: 
        !           700: The manual pages for \MH/ are in the standard \unix/ format,
        !           701: but contain additional sections unique to \MH/.
        !           702: Here's a summary of the sections one might find in an \MH/ manual entry:
        !           703: \smallskip
        !           704: {\advance\leftskip by\parindent
        !           705: \item{\sc Name} command name and one-line description.
        !           706: 
        !           707: \item{\sc Synopsis} syntax of the command.\hbreak
        !           708: All commands accept a \switch{help} switch.
        !           709: 
        !           710: \item{\sc Description} semantics of the command.
        !           711: 
        !           712: \item{\sc Files} files used by the command\hbreak
        !           713: Almost always this includes \file{.mh\_profile}.
        !           714: 
        !           715: \item{\sc Profile} entries in the \profile/ used by the command;
        !           716: \vskip -\parskip
        !           717: \item{\sc Components} these do not include the profile entry for the
        !           718: command itself.
        !           719: 
        !           720: \item{\sc See Also} other \unix/ manual entries (usually \MH/ programs) that
        !           721: are related to this command.
        !           722: 
        !           723: \item{\sc Defaults} default arguments for the command\hbreak
        !           724: If the command takes a \arg{+folder} argument,
        !           725: this defaults to the current folder.
        !           726: If the command takes a \arg{msg} argument,
        !           727: this defaults to the current message.
        !           728: If the command takes a \arg{msgs} argument,
        !           729: this defaults to the current message or all messages,
        !           730: depending on which one makes more sense.
        !           731: 
        !           732: \item{\sc Context} changes to your \MH/ context made by the command.
        !           733: 
        !           734: \item{\sc Hints} Helpful hints discussing the easy way to do things.
        !           735: 
        !           736: \item{\sc History} A historical perspective on why \MH/ works the way it does.
        !           737: 
        !           738: \item{\sc Bugs} Too embarrassing to mention.\hbreak
        !           739: Just kidding.
        !           740: \medskip}
        !           741: \noindent
        !           742: Obviously, not all \MH/ manual entries may have all of these sections.
        !           743: 
        !           744: \section{Reporting Problems}
        !           745: If problems are encountered with an \MH/ program,
        !           746: the problems should be reported to the local maintainers of \MH/.
        !           747: When doing this,
        !           748: the name of the program should be reported,
        !           749: along with the version information for the program.
        !           750: To find out what version of an \MH/ program is being run,
        !           751: invoke the program with the \switch{help} switch.
        !           752: In addition to listing the syntax of the command,
        !           753: the program will list information pertaining to its version.
        !           754: This information includes the version of \MH/,
        !           755: the host it was generated on,
        !           756: the date the program was loaded,
        !           757: and the configuration options in effect when \MH/ was generated.
        !           758: For example,
        !           759: \example
        !           760:     version: MH 6.1 \#1[UCI] (gremlin) of Wed Nov  6 01:13:53 PST 1985\\
        !           761:     options: [BSD42] [MHE] [NETWORK] [SENDMTS] [MMDFII] [SMTP] [POP]\endexample
        !           762: The \eg{6.1~\#1[UCI]} indicates that the program is from the UCI \mh6
        !           763: version of \MH/.
        !           764: The program was generated on the host \eg{gremlin} on
        !           765: \eg{Wed Nov  6 01:13:53 PST 1985}.
        !           766: It's usually a good idea to send the output of the \switch{help} switch along
        !           767: with your report.
        !           768: 
        !           769: If there is no local \MH/ maintainer,
        !           770: try the address {\tx Bug-MH}.
        !           771: If that fails, use the Internet mailbox {\tx [email protected]}.
        !           772: 
        !           773: \section{More on MH}
        !           774: There are myriad aspects of \MH/ that this tutorial hasn't touched upon.
        !           775: Here are a few to whet your appetite:
        !           776: \smallskip
        !           777: {\advance\leftskip by\parindent
        !           778: \item{1.} user-defined sequences\hbreak
        !           779: Define {\it meaningful} message names and shorten type-in considerably
        !           780: (see \man pick(1) for details).
        !           781: 
        !           782: \item{2.} draft folders\hbreak
        !           783: Maintain a folder of drafts so that more than one draft can be edited at a
        !           784: time,
        !           785: and allow a draft to be edited over several \unix/ sessions independently of
        !           786: other drafts
        !           787: (see the {\bf Advanced Features} section of the \MH/ user's manual for
        !           788: details).
        !           789: 
        !           790: \item{3.} draft pushing\hbreak
        !           791: Post a draft in the background
        !           792: and immediately free your terminal for other activities
        !           793: (see the {\bf Advanced Features} section of the \MH/ user's manual for
        !           794: details).
        !           795: 
        !           796: \item{4.} aliases\hbreak
        !           797: Maintain one or more alias files containing the addresses of the people
        !           798: frequently (or infrequently) sent to.
        !           799: This lets you shorten type-in of addressees
        !           800: and saves you from looking up
        !           801: their addresses all the time.
        !           802: (see \man mh-alias(5) for details).
        !           803: \smallskip}

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