1 10/17/84 The Multics Mail System
2
3 The Multics Mail System allows you to communicate with other users on
4 the system through the exchange of messages which are stored in
5 mailboxes. The mail system provides several types of addresses to be
6 used to identify the authors and recipients of a message. For more
7 information about messages and addresses, type:
8 help message_format.gi mail_addresses.gi
9
10 The mail system provides a subroutine interface, a simple command for
11 sending and printing mail, and several more sophisticated mail
12 processing subsystem which are available as unbundled software. Each
13 of these portions of the mail system is breifly described here.
14
15
16 The subroutine interface:
17 The mail system subroutine interface provides all of the necessary
18 functions to allow a subsystem or application program to create,
19 transmit, receive, and print messages. This interface consists of the
20 subroutines mail_system_ and mlsys_utils_. The mail_system_ subroutine
21 provides access to the primitive functions of the mail system eg:
22 transmitting and receiving messages; the mlsys_utils_ subroutine
23 provides many commonly used utility functions eg: message printing.
24
25 The subroutine interface is documented in the Multics Programmer's
26 Reference Manual order number AG91 and the Multics Subroutines and
27 I/O Modules Manual order number AG93.
28
29
30 Standard commands:
31 The standard Multics product includes three mail system commands/active
32 functions: mail, have_mail, have_messages.
33
34 The mail command is an extremely simply interface which allows a user
35 either to print all the mail in a mailbox or to send a message to other
36 users. However, due to its limited syntax, the mail command can not
37 access all features of the mail system such as the mail table or
38 mailing lists. One of the mail processing subsystems, described below,
39 should always be used instead of this command. For more information on
40 the mail command, type:
41 help mail
42
43 The have_mail and have_message command/active-functions indicate
44 whether mail or interactive messages are present in a given mailbox and
45 are intended mainly for use in start_up exec_coms. For more
46 information on these commands, type:
47 help have_mail have_messages
48
49
50 The Extended Mail Facility:
51 The three commands print_mail, read_mail, and send_mail comprise the
52 Extended Mail Facility product. This product is documented in the
53 Extended Mail Facility User's Guide order number CH23.
54
55 The print_mail command is an easy to use command which simply prints
56 each message in a mailbox and then asks you if you wish to delete it.
57 This command is designed to be used in place of the mail command for
58 reading mail as the mail command only provides you with the option of
59 deleting all of the messages in the mailbox. For more information,
60 type:
61 help print_mail
62
63
64 The read_mail command is a powerfull interactive subsystem which allows
65 you to peruse the messages in a mailbox. Requests are provided to
66 summarize, print, delete, reply to, forward with optional comments, and
67 save individual messages. Powerfull message selection capabilities are
68 also included to allow you, for example, to print all the messages in a
69 mailbox that were created in October 1982 by any one of a list of
70 individuals. For more information, type:
71 help read_mail
72
73 The send_mail command is an interactive subsystem which allows for the
74 creation and tranmission of messages to one or more individuals,
75 distribution lists, or combinations thereof. It is possible to edit
76 the message before transmission using the editor of the user's choice.
77 For more information, type:
78 help send_mail
79
80
81 The Executive Mail Facility:
82 This product is a menu-driven mail processing subsystem designed for
83 use on video display terminals. Executive mail implements most of the
84 functions of read_mail and send_mail but in a more structured
85 environment. This facility is documented in the Executive Mail
86 Facility User's Guide ordner number CX20.
87
88
89 The Emacs mail subsystem:
90 Two subsystems -- RMAIL and Send-Mail -- are available within the Emacs
91 video editor product. The RMAIL subsystem provides the same
92 functionality as the read_mail command but uses an Emacs buffer to
93 display the messages in the mailbox. The user may then use Emacs'
94 pwerfull screen management facilities to read and/or reply to the
95 message. The Send-Mail subsystem provides the same functionality as
96 the send_mail command but allows the user to construct the message
97 within an Emacs buffer where all the text manipulation facilites of
98 Emacs are readily available.
99
100 RMAIL and Send-Mail are documented in the Emacs Text Editor User's
101 Guide order number CH27.
102
103
104 The Mail Table:
105 The mail table is a system-wide database which provides a translation
106 between an arbitrary character string and a mail system address. The
107 mail table contains an entry for each person registered on the system
108 using their Person_id and alias as the name of the entry. Thus, the
109 mail table allows a user to send mail to another user without having to
110 know on what projects that user is registered. In addition, the mail
111 system provides the user with commands to change the address stored in
112 his mail table entry and to display the address stored in any mail
113 table entry.
114
115 For further information on the mail table, type: help mail_table.gi
116
117
118 Including your full name in outgoing mail:
119 All messages sent by the mail system include a header which contains,
120 among other items, the addresses of the authors of the message; this
121 list of authors is known as the From field. By default, when you send
122 a message, the mail system places your Person_id in the From field of
123 the message. However, the Person_id alone may not be sufficient for
124 the recipients of your message to realize that you are the author of
125 the message. In order to make your identity clearer, the mail system
126 provides the capability to include your full name along with your
127 Person_id in the From field.
128
129 The mail system looks in your default value segment for a variable
130 named "full_name._". If this variable is present, the mail system
131 includes its value as your full name in the From: field of any
132 messages that you send. You can use the value_set command to set
133 and/or change the value of this variable; however, if you change its
134 value, the mail system doesn't use the new value until you create a
135 new process. For more information about the use of value segments,
136 type
137 help value_set value_list
138
139
140 For example, the user Palter would use the command line
141
142 value_set full_name._ "Gary M. Palter"
143
144 to supply his full name to the mail system. Any messages sent by
145 Palter after executing this command would then contain the From field
146
147 From: Gary M. Palter <Palter>
148
149 rather than the default From field
150
151 From: Palter