1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002,
3 @c 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node Rmail, Dired, Sending Mail, Top
6 @chapter Reading Mail with Rmail
11 @vindex rmail-mode-hook
13 Rmail is an Emacs subsystem for reading and disposing of mail that
14 you receive. Rmail stores mail messages in files called Rmail files
15 which use a special format. Reading the message in an Rmail file is
16 done in a special major mode, Rmail mode, which redefines most letters
17 to run commands for managing mail.
19 * Basic: Rmail Basics. Basic concepts of Rmail, and simple use.
20 * Scroll: Rmail Scrolling. Scrolling through a message.
21 * Motion: Rmail Motion. Moving to another message.
22 * Deletion: Rmail Deletion. Deleting and expunging messages.
23 * Inbox: Rmail Inbox. How mail gets into the Rmail file.
24 * Files: Rmail Files. Using multiple Rmail files.
25 * Output: Rmail Output. Copying message out to files.
26 * Labels: Rmail Labels. Classifying messages by labeling them.
27 * Attrs: Rmail Attributes. Certain standard labels, called attributes.
28 * Reply: Rmail Reply. Sending replies to messages you are viewing.
29 * Summary: Rmail Summary. Summaries show brief info on many messages.
30 * Sort: Rmail Sorting. Sorting messages in Rmail.
31 * Display: Rmail Display. How Rmail displays a message; customization.
32 * Coding: Rmail Coding. How Rmail handles decoding character sets.
33 * Editing: Rmail Editing. Editing message text and headers in Rmail.
34 * Digest: Rmail Digest. Extracting the messages from a digest message.
35 * Rot13: Rmail Rot13. Reading messages encoded in the rot13 code.
36 * Movemail:: More details of fetching new mail.
37 * Remote Mailboxes:: Retrieving Mail from Remote Mailboxes.
38 * Other Mailbox Formats:: Retrieving Mail from Local Mailboxes in
43 @section Basic Concepts of Rmail
45 @cindex primary Rmail file
46 @vindex rmail-file-name
47 Using Rmail in the simplest fashion, you have one Rmail file
48 @file{~/RMAIL} in which all of your mail is saved. It is called your
49 @dfn{primary Rmail file}. The command @kbd{M-x rmail} reads your primary
50 Rmail file, merges new mail in from your inboxes, displays the first
51 message you haven't read yet, and lets you begin reading. The variable
52 @code{rmail-file-name} specifies the name of the primary Rmail file.
54 Rmail displays only one message in the Rmail file at a time.
55 The message that is shown is called the @dfn{current message}. Rmail
56 mode's special commands can do such things as delete the current
57 message, copy it into another file, send a reply, or move to another
58 message. You can also create multiple Rmail files and use Rmail to move
59 messages between them.
61 @cindex message number
62 Within the Rmail file, messages are normally arranged sequentially in
63 order of receipt; you can specify other ways to sort them. Messages are
64 identified by consecutive integers which are their @dfn{message numbers}.
65 The number of the current message is displayed in Rmail's mode line,
66 followed by the total number of messages in the file. You can move to
67 a message by specifying its message number with the @kbd{j} key
68 (@pxref{Rmail Motion}).
71 @findex rmail-expunge-and-save
72 Following the usual conventions of Emacs, changes in an Rmail file
73 become permanent only when you save the file. You can save it with
74 @kbd{s} (@code{rmail-expunge-and-save}), which also expunges deleted
75 messages from the file first (@pxref{Rmail Deletion}). To save the
76 file without expunging, use @kbd{C-x C-s}. Rmail also saves the Rmail
77 file after merging new mail from an inbox file (@pxref{Rmail Inbox}).
83 You can exit Rmail with @kbd{q} (@code{rmail-quit}); this expunges
84 and saves the Rmail file, then buries the Rmail buffer as well as its
85 summary buffer, if present (@pxref{Rmail Summary}). But there is no
86 need to ``exit'' formally. If you switch from Rmail to editing in
87 other buffers, and never switch back, you have exited. Just make sure
88 to save the Rmail file eventually (like any other file you have
89 changed). @kbd{C-x s} is a suitable way to do this (@pxref{Save
90 Commands}). The Rmail command @kbd{b}, @code{rmail-bury}, buries the
91 Rmail buffer and its summary buffer without expunging and saving the
95 @section Scrolling Within a Message
97 When Rmail displays a message that does not fit on the screen, you
98 must scroll through it to read the rest. You could do this with
99 @kbd{C-v}, @kbd{M-v} and @kbd{M-<}, but in Rmail scrolling is so
100 frequent that it deserves to be easier.
104 Scroll forward (@code{scroll-up}).
106 Scroll backward (@code{scroll-down}).
108 Scroll to start of message (@code{rmail-beginning-of-message}).
110 Scroll to end of message (@code{rmail-end-of-message}).
113 @kindex SPC @r{(Rmail)}
114 @kindex DEL @r{(Rmail)}
115 Since the most common thing to do while reading a message is to scroll
116 through it by screenfuls, Rmail makes @key{SPC} and @key{DEL} synonyms of
117 @kbd{C-v} (@code{scroll-up}) and @kbd{M-v} (@code{scroll-down})
119 @kindex . @r{(Rmail)}
120 @kindex / @r{(Rmail)}
121 @findex rmail-beginning-of-message
122 @findex rmail-end-of-message
123 The command @kbd{.} (@code{rmail-beginning-of-message}) scrolls back to the
124 beginning of the selected message. This is not quite the same as @kbd{M-<}:
125 for one thing, it does not set the mark; for another, it resets the buffer
126 boundaries to the current message if you have changed them. Similarly,
127 the command @kbd{/} (@code{rmail-end-of-message}) scrolls forward to the end
128 of the selected message.
131 @section Moving Among Messages
133 The most basic thing to do with a message is to read it. The way to
134 do this in Rmail is to make the message current. The usual practice is
135 to move sequentially through the file, since this is the order of
136 receipt of messages. When you enter Rmail, you are positioned at the
137 first message that you have not yet made current (that is, the first one
138 that has the @samp{unseen} attribute; @pxref{Rmail Attributes}). Move
139 forward to see the other new messages; move backward to re-examine old
144 Move to the next nondeleted message, skipping any intervening deleted
145 messages (@code{rmail-next-undeleted-message}).
147 Move to the previous nondeleted message
148 (@code{rmail-previous-undeleted-message}).
150 Move to the next message, including deleted messages
151 (@code{rmail-next-message}).
153 Move to the previous message, including deleted messages
154 (@code{rmail-previous-message}).
156 Move to the first message. With argument @var{n}, move to
157 message number @var{n} (@code{rmail-show-message}).
159 Move to the last message (@code{rmail-last-message}).
161 Move to the first message (@code{rmail-first-message}).
163 @item M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
164 Move to the next message containing a match for @var{regexp}
165 (@code{rmail-search}).
167 @item - M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
168 Move to the previous message containing a match for @var{regexp}.
171 @kindex n @r{(Rmail)}
172 @kindex p @r{(Rmail)}
173 @kindex M-n @r{(Rmail)}
174 @kindex M-p @r{(Rmail)}
175 @findex rmail-next-undeleted-message
176 @findex rmail-previous-undeleted-message
177 @findex rmail-next-message
178 @findex rmail-previous-message
179 @kbd{n} and @kbd{p} are the usual way of moving among messages in
180 Rmail. They move through the messages sequentially, but skip over
181 deleted messages, which is usually what you want to do. Their command
182 definitions are named @code{rmail-next-undeleted-message} and
183 @code{rmail-previous-undeleted-message}. If you do not want to skip
184 deleted messages---for example, if you want to move to a message to
185 undelete it---use the variants @kbd{M-n} and @kbd{M-p}
186 (@code{rmail-next-message} and @code{rmail-previous-message}). A
187 numeric argument to any of these commands serves as a repeat
190 In Rmail, you can specify a numeric argument by typing just the
191 digits. You don't need to type @kbd{C-u} first.
193 @kindex M-s @r{(Rmail)}
195 @cindex searching in Rmail
196 The @kbd{M-s} (@code{rmail-search}) command is Rmail's version of
197 search. The usual incremental search command @kbd{C-s} works in Rmail,
198 but it searches only within the current message. The purpose of
199 @kbd{M-s} is to search for another message. It reads a regular
200 expression (@pxref{Regexps}) nonincrementally, then searches starting at
201 the beginning of the following message for a match. It then selects
202 that message. If @var{regexp} is empty, @kbd{M-s} reuses the regexp
203 used the previous time.
205 To search backward in the file for another message, give @kbd{M-s} a
206 negative argument. In Rmail you can do this with @kbd{- M-s}.
208 It is also possible to search for a message based on labels.
211 @kindex j @r{(Rmail)}
212 @kindex > @r{(Rmail)}
213 @kindex < @r{(Rmail)}
214 @findex rmail-show-message
215 @findex rmail-last-message
216 @findex rmail-first-message
217 To move to a message specified by absolute message number, use @kbd{j}
218 (@code{rmail-show-message}) with the message number as argument. With
219 no argument, @kbd{j} selects the first message. @kbd{<}
220 (@code{rmail-first-message}) also selects the first message. @kbd{>}
221 (@code{rmail-last-message}) selects the last message.
224 @section Deleting Messages
226 @cindex deletion (Rmail)
227 When you no longer need to keep a message, you can @dfn{delete} it. This
228 flags it as ignorable, and some Rmail commands pretend it is no longer
229 present; but it still has its place in the Rmail file, and still has its
232 @cindex expunging (Rmail)
233 @dfn{Expunging} the Rmail file actually removes the deleted messages.
234 The remaining messages are renumbered consecutively. Expunging is the only
235 action that changes the message number of any message, except for
236 undigestifying (@pxref{Rmail Digest}).
240 Delete the current message, and move to the next nondeleted message
241 (@code{rmail-delete-forward}).
243 Delete the current message, and move to the previous nondeleted
244 message (@code{rmail-delete-backward}).
246 Undelete the current message, or move back to a deleted message and
247 undelete it (@code{rmail-undelete-previous-message}).
249 Expunge the Rmail file (@code{rmail-expunge}).
252 @kindex d @r{(Rmail)}
253 @kindex C-d @r{(Rmail)}
254 @findex rmail-delete-forward
255 @findex rmail-delete-backward
256 There are two Rmail commands for deleting messages. Both delete the
257 current message and select another message. @kbd{d}
258 (@code{rmail-delete-forward}) moves to the following message, skipping
259 messages already deleted, while @kbd{C-d} (@code{rmail-delete-backward})
260 moves to the previous nondeleted message. If there is no nondeleted
261 message to move to in the specified direction, the message that was just
262 deleted remains current. @kbd{d} with a numeric argument is
263 equivalent to @kbd{C-d}.
265 @vindex rmail-delete-message-hook
266 Whenever Rmail deletes a message, it runs the hook
267 @code{rmail-delete-message-hook}. When the hook functions are invoked,
268 the message has been marked deleted, but it is still the current message
271 @cindex undeletion (Rmail)
272 @kindex x @r{(Rmail)}
273 @findex rmail-expunge
274 @kindex u @r{(Rmail)}
275 @findex rmail-undelete-previous-message
276 To make all the deleted messages finally vanish from the Rmail file,
277 type @kbd{x} (@code{rmail-expunge}). Until you do this, you can still
278 @dfn{undelete} the deleted messages. The undeletion command, @kbd{u}
279 (@code{rmail-undelete-previous-message}), is designed to cancel the
280 effect of a @kbd{d} command in most cases. It undeletes the current
281 message if the current message is deleted. Otherwise it moves backward
282 to previous messages until a deleted message is found, and undeletes
285 You can usually undo a @kbd{d} with a @kbd{u} because the @kbd{u}
286 moves back to and undeletes the message that the @kbd{d} deleted. But
287 this does not work when the @kbd{d} skips a few already-deleted messages
288 that follow the message being deleted; then the @kbd{u} command
289 undeletes the last of the messages that were skipped. There is no clean
290 way to avoid this problem. However, by repeating the @kbd{u} command,
291 you can eventually get back to the message that you intend to
292 undelete. You can also select a particular deleted message with
293 the @kbd{M-p} command, then type @kbd{u} to undelete it.
295 A deleted message has the @samp{deleted} attribute, and as a result
296 @samp{deleted} appears in the mode line when the current message is
297 deleted. In fact, deleting or undeleting a message is nothing more than
298 adding or removing this attribute. @xref{Rmail Attributes}.
301 @section Rmail Files and Inboxes
304 When you receive mail locally, the operating system places incoming
305 mail for you in a file that we call your @dfn{inbox}. When you start
306 up Rmail, it runs a C program called @code{movemail} to copy the new
307 messages from your local inbox into your primary Rmail file, which
308 also contains other messages saved from previous Rmail sessions. It
309 is in this file that you actually read the mail with Rmail. This
310 operation is called @dfn{getting new mail}. You can get new mail at
311 any time in Rmail by typing @kbd{g}.
313 @vindex rmail-primary-inbox-list
314 @cindex @env{MAIL} environment variable
315 The variable @code{rmail-primary-inbox-list} contains a list of the
316 files which are inboxes for your primary Rmail file. If you don't set
317 this variable explicitly, it is initialized from the @env{MAIL}
318 environment variable, or, as a last resort, set to @code{nil}, which
319 means to use the default inbox. The default inbox file depends on
320 your operating system; often it is @file{/var/mail/@var{username}},
321 @file{/usr/spool/mail/@var{username}}, or
322 @file{/usr/mail/@var{username}}.
324 You can specify the inbox file(s) for any Rmail file with the
325 command @code{set-rmail-inbox-list}; see @ref{Rmail Files}.
327 There are two reasons for having separate Rmail files and inboxes.
331 The inbox file format varies between operating systems and according to
332 the other mail software in use. Only one part of Rmail needs to know
333 about the alternatives, and it need only understand how to convert all
334 of them to Rmail's own format.
337 It is very cumbersome to access an inbox file without danger of losing
338 mail, because it is necessary to interlock with mail delivery.
339 Moreover, different operating systems use different interlocking
340 techniques. The strategy of moving mail out of the inbox once and for
341 all into a separate Rmail file avoids the need for interlocking in all
342 the rest of Rmail, since only Rmail operates on the Rmail file.
345 Rmail was written to use Babyl format as its internal format. Since
346 then, we have recognized that the usual inbox format on Unix and GNU
347 systems is adequate for the job, and we plan to change Rmail to use that
348 as its internal format. However, the Rmail file will still be separate
349 from the inbox file, even when their format is the same.
351 @vindex rmail-preserve-inbox
352 When getting new mail, Rmail first copies the new mail from the
353 inbox file to the Rmail file; then it saves the Rmail file; then it
354 clears out the inbox file. This way, a system crash may cause
355 duplication of mail between the inbox and the Rmail file, but cannot
356 lose mail. If @code{rmail-preserve-inbox} is non-@code{nil}, then
357 Rmail does not clear out the inbox file when it gets new mail. You
358 may wish to set this, for example, on a portable computer you use to
359 check your mail via POP while traveling, so that your mail will remain
360 on the server and you can save it later on your workstation.
362 In some cases, Rmail copies the new mail from the inbox file
363 indirectly. First it runs the @code{movemail} program to move the mail
364 from the inbox to an intermediate file called
365 @file{~/.newmail-@var{inboxname}}. Then Rmail merges the new mail from
366 that file, saves the Rmail file, and only then deletes the intermediate
367 file. If there is a crash at the wrong time, this file continues to
368 exist, and Rmail will use it again the next time it gets new mail from
371 If Rmail is unable to convert the data in
372 @file{~/.newmail-@var{inboxname}} into mbox format, it renames the file
373 to @file{~/RMAILOSE.@var{n}} (@var{n} is an integer chosen to make the
374 name unique) so that Rmail will not have trouble with the data again.
375 You should look at the file, find whatever message confuses Rmail
376 (probably one that includes the control-underscore character, octal code
377 037), and delete it. Then you can use @kbd{1 g} to get new mail from
381 @section Multiple Rmail Files
383 Rmail operates by default on your @dfn{primary Rmail file}, which is named
384 @file{~/RMAIL} and receives your incoming mail from your system inbox file.
385 But you can also have other Rmail files and edit them with Rmail. These
386 files can receive mail through their own inboxes, or you can move messages
387 into them with explicit Rmail commands (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
390 @item i @var{file} @key{RET}
391 Read @var{file} into Emacs and run Rmail on it (@code{rmail-input}).
393 @item M-x set-rmail-inbox-list @key{RET} @var{files} @key{RET}
394 Specify inbox file names for current Rmail file to get mail from.
397 Merge new mail from current Rmail file's inboxes
398 (@code{rmail-get-new-mail}).
400 @item C-u g @var{file} @key{RET}
401 Merge new mail from inbox file @var{file}.
404 @kindex i @r{(Rmail)}
406 To run Rmail on a file other than your primary Rmail file, you can use
407 the @kbd{i} (@code{rmail-input}) command in Rmail. This visits the file
408 in Rmail mode. You can use @kbd{M-x rmail-input} even when not in
409 Rmail, but it is easier to type @kbd{C-u M-x rmail}, which does the
412 The file you read with @kbd{i} should normally be a valid mbox file.
413 If it is not, Rmail tries to convert its text to mbox format, and
414 visits the converted text in the buffer. If you save the buffer, that
417 If you specify a file name that doesn't exist, @kbd{i} initializes a
418 new buffer for creating a new Rmail file.
420 @vindex rmail-secondary-file-directory
421 @vindex rmail-secondary-file-regexp
422 You can also select an Rmail file from a menu. In the Classify menu,
423 choose the Input Rmail File item; then choose the Rmail file you want.
424 The variables @code{rmail-secondary-file-directory} and
425 @code{rmail-secondary-file-regexp} specify which files to offer in the
426 menu: the first variable says which directory to find them in; the
427 second says which files in that directory to offer (all those that
428 match the regular expression). These variables also apply to choosing
429 a file for output (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
432 @findex set-rmail-inbox-list
433 Each Rmail file can contain a list of inbox file names; you can specify
434 this list with @kbd{M-x set-rmail-inbox-list @key{RET} @var{files}
435 @key{RET}}. The argument can contain any number of file names, separated
436 by commas. It can also be empty, which specifies that this file should
437 have no inboxes. Once you specify a list of inboxes in an Rmail file,
438 the Rmail file remembers it permanently until you specify a different list.
441 @vindex rmail-inbox-list
442 The inbox files to use are specified by the variable
443 @code{rmail-inbox-list}, which is buffer-local in Rmail mode. As a
444 special exception, if you have specified no inbox files for your
445 primary Rmail file, it uses your standard system inbox.
447 @kindex g @r{(Rmail)}
448 @findex rmail-get-new-mail
449 The @kbd{g} command (@code{rmail-get-new-mail}) merges mail into the
450 current Rmail file from its inboxes. If the Rmail file has no
451 inboxes, @kbd{g} does nothing. The command @kbd{M-x rmail} also
452 merges new mail into your primary Rmail file.
454 To merge mail from a file that is not the usual inbox, give the
455 @kbd{g} key a numeric argument, as in @kbd{C-u g}. Then it reads a file
456 name and merges mail from that file. The inbox file is not deleted or
457 changed in any way when @kbd{g} with an argument is used. This is,
458 therefore, a general way of merging one file of messages into another.
461 @section Copying Messages Out to Files
463 These commands copy messages from an Rmail file into another file.
466 @item o @var{file} @key{RET}
467 Append a full copy of the current message to the file @var{file}
468 (@code{rmail-output}).
470 @item C-o @var{file} @key{RET}
471 Append a copy of the current message, as displayed, to the file
472 @var{file} (@code{rmail-output-as-seen}).
474 @item w @var{file} @key{RET}
475 Output just the message body to the file @var{file}, taking the default
476 file name from the message @samp{Subject} header.
479 @kindex o @r{(Rmail)}
480 @findex rmail-output-as-seen
481 @kindex C-o @r{(Rmail)}
483 The commands @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} copy the current message into a
484 specified file, adding it at the end. The two commands differ mainly
485 in how much to copy: @kbd{o} copies the full message headers, even if
486 they are not all visible, while @kbd{C-o} copies exactly the headers
487 currently displayed and no more. @xref{Rmail Display}. In addition,
488 @kbd{o} converts the message to Babyl format (used by Rmail in Emacs
489 version 22 and before) if the file is in Babyl format; @kbd{C-o}
490 cannot output to Babyl files at all.
492 If the output file is currently visited in an Emacs buffer, the
493 output commands append the message to that buffer. It is up to you to
494 save the buffer eventually in its file.
496 @kindex w @r{(Rmail)}
497 @findex rmail-output-body-to-file
498 Sometimes you may receive a message whose body holds the contents of a
499 file. You can save the body to a file (excluding the message header)
500 with the @kbd{w} command (@code{rmail-output-body-to-file}). Often
501 these messages contain the intended file name in the @samp{Subject}
502 field, so the @kbd{w} command uses the @samp{Subject} field as the
503 default for the output file name. However, the file name is read using
504 the minibuffer, so you can specify a different name if you wish.
506 You can also output a message to an Rmail file chosen with a menu.
507 In the Classify menu, choose the Output Rmail File menu item; then
508 choose the Rmail file you want. This outputs the current message to
509 that file, like the @kbd{o} command. The variables
510 @code{rmail-secondary-file-directory} and
511 @code{rmail-secondary-file-regexp} specify which files to offer in the
512 menu: the first variable says which directory to find them in; the
513 second says which files in that directory to offer (all those that
514 match the regular expression).
516 @vindex rmail-delete-after-output
517 Copying a message with @kbd{o} or @kbd{C-o} gives the original copy
518 of the message the @samp{filed} attribute, so that @samp{filed}
519 appears in the mode line when such a message is current.
521 If you like to keep just a single copy of every mail message, set
522 the variable @code{rmail-delete-after-output} to @code{t}; then the
523 @kbd{o}, @kbd{C-o} and @kbd{w} commands delete the original message
524 after copying it. (You can undelete it afterward if you wish.)
526 @vindex rmail-output-file-alist
527 The variable @code{rmail-output-file-alist} lets you specify
528 intelligent defaults for the output file, based on the contents of the
529 current message. The value should be a list whose elements have this
533 (@var{regexp} . @var{name-exp})
537 If there's a match for @var{regexp} in the current message, then the
538 default file name for output is @var{name-exp}. If multiple elements
539 match the message, the first matching element decides the default file
540 name. The subexpression @var{name-exp} may be a string constant giving
541 the file name to use, or more generally it may be any Lisp expression
542 that returns a file name as a string. @code{rmail-output-file-alist}
543 applies to both @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o}.
547 @cindex label (Rmail)
548 @cindex attribute (Rmail)
550 Each message can have various @dfn{labels} assigned to it as a means
551 of classification. Each label has a name; different names are different
552 labels. Any given label is either present or absent on a particular
553 message. A few label names have standard meanings and are given to
554 messages automatically by Rmail when appropriate; these special labels
555 are called @dfn{attributes}.
557 (@xref{Rmail Attributes}.)
559 All other labels are assigned only by users.
562 @item a @var{label} @key{RET}
563 Assign the label @var{label} to the current message (@code{rmail-add-label}).
564 @item k @var{label} @key{RET}
565 Remove the label @var{label} from the current message (@code{rmail-kill-label}).
566 @item C-M-n @var{labels} @key{RET}
567 Move to the next message that has one of the labels @var{labels}
568 (@code{rmail-next-labeled-message}).
569 @item C-M-p @var{labels} @key{RET}
570 Move to the previous message that has one of the labels @var{labels}
571 (@code{rmail-previous-labeled-message}).
572 @item l @var{labels} @key{RET}
573 @itemx C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}
574 Make a summary of all messages containing any of the labels @var{labels}
575 (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}).
578 @kindex a @r{(Rmail)}
579 @kindex k @r{(Rmail)}
580 @findex rmail-add-label
581 @findex rmail-kill-label
582 The @kbd{a} (@code{rmail-add-label}) and @kbd{k}
583 (@code{rmail-kill-label}) commands allow you to assign or remove any
584 label on the current message. If the @var{label} argument is empty, it
585 means to assign or remove the same label most recently assigned or
588 Once you have given messages labels to classify them as you wish, there
589 are two ways to use the labels: in moving and in summaries.
591 @kindex C-M-n @r{(Rmail)}
592 @kindex C-M-p @r{(Rmail)}
593 @findex rmail-next-labeled-message
594 @findex rmail-previous-labeled-message
595 The command @kbd{C-M-n @var{labels} @key{RET}}
596 (@code{rmail-next-labeled-message}) moves to the next message that has
597 one of the labels @var{labels}. The argument @var{labels} specifies one
598 or more label names, separated by commas. @kbd{C-M-p}
599 (@code{rmail-previous-labeled-message}) is similar, but moves backwards
600 to previous messages. A numeric argument to either command serves as a
603 The command @kbd{C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}}
604 (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}) displays a summary containing only the
605 messages that have at least one of a specified set of labels. The
606 argument @var{labels} is one or more label names, separated by commas.
607 @xref{Rmail Summary}, for information on summaries.
609 If the @var{labels} argument to @kbd{C-M-n}, @kbd{C-M-p} or
610 @kbd{C-M-l} is empty, it means to use the last set of labels specified
611 for any of these commands.
613 @node Rmail Attributes
614 @section Rmail Attributes
616 Some labels such as @samp{deleted} and @samp{filed} have built-in
617 meanings, and Rmail assigns them to messages automatically at
618 appropriate times; these labels are called @dfn{attributes}. Here is
619 a list of Rmail attributes:
623 Means the message has never been current. Assigned to messages when
624 they come from an inbox file, and removed when a message is made
625 current. When you start Rmail, it initially shows the first message
626 that has this attribute.
628 Means the message is deleted. Assigned by deletion commands and
629 removed by undeletion commands (@pxref{Rmail Deletion}).
631 Means the message has been copied to some other file. Assigned by the
632 @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} file output commands (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
634 Means you have mailed an answer to the message. Assigned by the @kbd{r}
635 command (@code{rmail-reply}). @xref{Rmail Reply}.
637 Means you have forwarded the message. Assigned by the @kbd{f} command
638 (@code{rmail-forward}). @xref{Rmail Reply}.
640 Means you have edited the text of the message within Rmail.
641 @xref{Rmail Editing}.
643 Means you have resent the message. Assigned by the command @kbd{M-x
644 rmail-resend}. @xref{Rmail Reply}.
646 Means you have retried a failed outgoing message. Assigned by the
647 command @kbd{M-x rmail-retry-failure}. @xref{Rmail Reply}.
650 All other labels are assigned or removed only by users, and have no
654 @section Sending Replies
656 Rmail has several commands that use Mail mode to send outgoing mail.
657 @xref{Sending Mail}, for information on using Mail mode, including
658 certain features meant to work with Rmail. What this section documents
659 are the special commands of Rmail for entering Mail mode. Note that the
660 usual keys for sending mail---@kbd{C-x m}, @kbd{C-x 4 m}, and @kbd{C-x 5
661 m}---also work normally in Rmail mode.
665 Send a message (@code{rmail-mail}).
667 Continue editing the already started outgoing message (@code{rmail-continue}).
669 Send a reply to the current Rmail message (@code{rmail-reply}).
671 Forward the current message to other users (@code{rmail-forward}).
673 Resend the current message to other users (@code{rmail-resend}).
675 Try sending a bounced message a second time (@code{rmail-retry-failure}).
678 @kindex r @r{(Rmail)}
680 @cindex reply to a message
681 The most common reason to send a message while in Rmail is to reply
682 to the message you are reading. To do this, type @kbd{r}
683 (@code{rmail-reply}). This displays the @samp{*mail*} buffer in
684 another window, much like @kbd{C-x 4 m}, but preinitializes the
685 @samp{Subject}, @samp{To}, @samp{CC}, @samp{In-reply-to} and
686 @samp{References} header fields based on the message you are replying
687 to. The @samp{To} field starts out as the address of the person who
688 sent the message you received, and the @samp{CC} field starts out with
689 all the other recipients of that message.
691 @vindex rmail-dont-reply-to-names
692 You can exclude certain recipients from being placed automatically in
693 the @samp{CC}, using the variable @code{rmail-dont-reply-to-names}. Its
694 value should be a regular expression (as a string); any recipient that
695 the regular expression matches, is excluded from the @samp{CC} field.
696 The default value matches your own name, and any name starting with
697 @samp{info-}. (Those names are excluded because there is a convention
698 of using them for large mailing lists to broadcast announcements.)
700 To omit the @samp{CC} field completely for a particular reply, enter
701 the reply command with a numeric argument: @kbd{C-u r} or @kbd{1 r}.
702 This means to reply only to the sender of the original message.
704 Once the @samp{*mail*} buffer has been initialized, editing and
705 sending the mail goes as usual (@pxref{Sending Mail}). You can edit the
706 presupplied header fields if they are not what you want. You can also
707 use the commands of Mail mode (@pxref{Mail Mode}), including @kbd{C-c
708 C-y} which yanks in the message that you are replying to. You can
709 also switch to the Rmail buffer, select a different message there, switch
710 back, and yank the new current message.
712 @kindex M-m @r{(Rmail)}
713 @findex rmail-retry-failure
714 @cindex retrying a failed message
715 @vindex rmail-retry-ignored-headers
716 Sometimes a message does not reach its destination. Mailers usually
717 send the failed message back to you, enclosed in a @dfn{failure
718 message}. The Rmail command @kbd{M-m} (@code{rmail-retry-failure})
719 prepares to send the same message a second time: it sets up a
720 @samp{*mail*} buffer with the same text and header fields as before. If
721 you type @kbd{C-c C-c} right away, you send the message again exactly
722 the same as the first time. Alternatively, you can edit the text or
723 headers and then send it. The variable
724 @code{rmail-retry-ignored-headers}, in the same format as
725 @code{rmail-ignored-headers} (@pxref{Rmail Display}), controls which
726 headers are stripped from the failed message when retrying it.
728 @kindex f @r{(Rmail)}
729 @findex rmail-forward
730 @cindex forwarding a message
731 Another frequent reason to send mail in Rmail is to @dfn{forward} the
732 current message to other users. @kbd{f} (@code{rmail-forward}) makes
733 this easy by preinitializing the @samp{*mail*} buffer with the current
734 message as the text, and a subject designating a forwarded message. All
735 you have to do is fill in the recipients and send. When you forward a
736 message, recipients get a message which is ``from'' you, and which has
737 the original message in its contents.
739 @findex unforward-rmail-message
740 Forwarding a message encloses it between two delimiter lines. It also
741 modifies every line that starts with a dash, by inserting @w{@samp{- }}
742 at the start of the line. When you receive a forwarded message, if it
743 contains something besides ordinary text---for example, program source
744 code---you might find it useful to undo that transformation. You can do
745 this by selecting the forwarded message and typing @kbd{M-x
746 unforward-rmail-message}. This command extracts the original forwarded
747 message, deleting the inserted @w{@samp{- }} strings, and inserts it
748 into the Rmail file as a separate message immediately following the
752 @dfn{Resending} is an alternative similar to forwarding; the
753 difference is that resending sends a message that is ``from'' the
754 original sender, just as it reached you---with a few added header fields
755 @samp{Resent-From} and @samp{Resent-To} to indicate that it came via
756 you. To resend a message in Rmail, use @kbd{C-u f}. (@kbd{f} runs
757 @code{rmail-forward}, which is programmed to invoke @code{rmail-resend}
758 if you provide a numeric argument.)
760 @kindex m @r{(Rmail)}
762 Use the @kbd{m} (@code{rmail-mail}) command to start editing an
763 outgoing message that is not a reply. It leaves the header fields empty.
764 Its only difference from @kbd{C-x 4 m} is that it makes the Rmail buffer
765 accessible for @kbd{C-c C-y}, just as @kbd{r} does. Thus, @kbd{m} can be
766 used to reply to or forward a message; it can do anything @kbd{r} or @kbd{f}
769 @kindex c @r{(Rmail)}
770 @findex rmail-continue
771 The @kbd{c} (@code{rmail-continue}) command resumes editing the
772 @samp{*mail*} buffer, to finish editing an outgoing message you were
773 already composing, or to alter a message you have sent.
775 @vindex rmail-mail-new-frame
776 If you set the variable @code{rmail-mail-new-frame} to a
777 non-@code{nil} value, then all the Rmail commands to start sending a
778 message create a new frame to edit it in. This frame is deleted when
779 you send the message, or when you use the @samp{Cancel} item in the
782 All the Rmail commands to send a message use the mail-composition
783 method that you have chosen (@pxref{Mail Methods}).
787 @cindex summary (Rmail)
789 A @dfn{summary} is a buffer containing one line per message to give
790 you an overview of the mail in an Rmail file. Each line shows the
791 message number and date, the sender, the line count, the labels, and
792 the subject. Moving point in the summary buffer selects messages as
793 you move to their summary lines. Almost all Rmail commands are valid
794 in the summary buffer also; when used there, they apply to the message
795 described by the current line of the summary.
797 A summary buffer applies to a single Rmail file only; if you are
798 editing multiple Rmail files, each one can have its own summary buffer.
799 The summary buffer name is made by appending @samp{-summary} to the
800 Rmail buffer's name. Normally only one summary buffer is displayed at a
804 * Rmail Make Summary:: Making various sorts of summaries.
805 * Rmail Summary Edit:: Manipulating messages from the summary.
808 @node Rmail Make Summary
809 @subsection Making Summaries
811 Here are the commands to create a summary for the current Rmail file.
812 Once the Rmail file has a summary buffer, changes in the Rmail file
813 (such as deleting or expunging messages, and getting new mail)
814 automatically update the summary.
819 Summarize all messages (@code{rmail-summary}).
820 @item l @var{labels} @key{RET}
821 @itemx C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}
822 Summarize messages that have one or more of the specified labels
823 (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}).
824 @item C-M-r @var{rcpts} @key{RET}
825 Summarize messages that have one or more of the specified recipients
826 (@code{rmail-summary-by-recipients}).
827 @item C-M-t @var{topic} @key{RET}
828 Summarize messages that have a match for the specified regexp
829 @var{topic} in their subjects (@code{rmail-summary-by-topic}).
830 @item C-M-s @var{regexp}
831 Summarize messages whose headers and the subject line match the
832 specified regular expression @var{regexp}
833 (@code{rmail-summary-by-regexp}).
836 @kindex h @r{(Rmail)}
837 @findex rmail-summary
838 The @kbd{h} or @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{rmail-summary}) command fills the summary buffer
839 for the current Rmail file with a summary of all the messages in the file.
840 It then displays and selects the summary buffer in another window.
842 @kindex l @r{(Rmail)}
843 @kindex C-M-l @r{(Rmail)}
844 @findex rmail-summary-by-labels
845 @kbd{C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}) makes
846 a partial summary mentioning only the messages that have one or more of the
847 labels @var{labels}. @var{labels} should contain label names separated by
850 @kindex C-M-r @r{(Rmail)}
851 @findex rmail-summary-by-recipients
852 @kbd{C-M-r @var{rcpts} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-recipients})
853 makes a partial summary mentioning only the messages that have one or more
854 of the recipients @var{rcpts}. @var{rcpts} should contain mailing
855 addresses separated by commas.
857 @kindex C-M-t @r{(Rmail)}
858 @findex rmail-summary-by-topic
859 @kbd{C-M-t @var{topic} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-topic})
860 makes a partial summary mentioning only the messages whose subjects have
861 a match for the regular expression @var{topic}.
863 @kindex C-M-s @r{(Rmail)}
864 @findex rmail-summary-by-regexp
865 @kbd{C-M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-regexp})
866 makes a partial summary which mentions only the messages whose headers
867 (including the date and the subject lines) match the regular
868 expression @var{regexp}.
870 Note that there is only one summary buffer for any Rmail file;
871 making any kind of summary discards any previous summary.
873 @vindex rmail-summary-window-size
874 @vindex rmail-summary-line-count-flag
875 The variable @code{rmail-summary-window-size} says how many lines to
876 use for the summary window. The variable
877 @code{rmail-summary-line-count-flag} controls whether the summary line
878 for a message should include the line count of the message.
880 @node Rmail Summary Edit
881 @subsection Editing in Summaries
883 You can use the Rmail summary buffer to do almost anything you can do
884 in the Rmail buffer itself. In fact, once you have a summary buffer,
885 there's no need to switch back to the Rmail buffer.
887 You can select and display various messages in the Rmail buffer, from
888 the summary buffer, just by moving point in the summary buffer to
889 different lines. It doesn't matter what Emacs command you use to move
890 point; whichever line point is on at the end of the command, that
891 message is selected in the Rmail buffer.
893 Almost all Rmail commands work in the summary buffer as well as in the
894 Rmail buffer. Thus, @kbd{d} in the summary buffer deletes the current
895 message, @kbd{u} undeletes, and @kbd{x} expunges. (However, in the
896 summary buffer, a numeric argument to @kbd{d}, @kbd{C-d} and @kbd{u}
897 serves as a repeat count. A negative argument reverses the meaning of
898 @kbd{d} and @kbd{C-d}.) @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} output the current
899 message to a file; @kbd{r} starts a reply to it. You can scroll the
900 current message while remaining in the summary buffer using @key{SPC}
903 The Rmail commands to move between messages also work in the summary
904 buffer, but with a twist: they move through the set of messages included
905 in the summary. They also ensure the Rmail buffer appears on the screen
906 (unlike cursor motion commands, which update the contents of the Rmail
907 buffer but don't display it in a window unless it already appears).
908 Here is a list of these commands:
912 Move to next line, skipping lines saying `deleted', and select its
915 Move to previous line, skipping lines saying `deleted', and select
918 Move to next line and select its message.
920 Move to previous line and select its message.
922 Move to the last line, and select its message.
924 Move to the first line, and select its message.
927 Select the message on the current line (ensuring that the RMAIL buffer
928 appears on the screen). With argument @var{n}, select message number
929 @var{n} and move to its line in the summary buffer; this signals an
930 error if the message is not listed in the summary buffer.
931 @item M-s @var{pattern} @key{RET}
932 Search through messages for @var{pattern} starting with the current
933 message; select the message found, and move point in the summary buffer
934 to that message's line.
937 @vindex rmail-redisplay-summary
938 Deletion, undeletion, and getting new mail, and even selection of a
939 different message all update the summary buffer when you do them in the
940 Rmail buffer. If the variable @code{rmail-redisplay-summary} is
941 non-@code{nil}, these actions also bring the summary buffer back onto
944 @kindex Q @r{(Rmail summary)}
945 @findex rmail-summary-wipe
946 @kindex q @r{(Rmail summary)}
947 @findex rmail-summary-quit
948 When you are finished using the summary, type @kbd{Q}
949 (@code{rmail-summary-wipe}) to delete the summary buffer's window. You
950 can also exit Rmail while in the summary: @kbd{q}
951 (@code{rmail-summary-quit}) deletes the summary window, then exits from
952 Rmail by saving the Rmail file and switching to another buffer.
955 @section Sorting the Rmail File
956 @cindex sorting Rmail file
957 @cindex Rmail file sorting
960 @findex rmail-sort-by-date
961 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-date
962 Sort messages of current Rmail file by date.
964 @findex rmail-sort-by-subject
965 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-subject
966 Sort messages of current Rmail file by subject.
968 @findex rmail-sort-by-author
969 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-author
970 Sort messages of current Rmail file by author's name.
972 @findex rmail-sort-by-recipient
973 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-recipient
974 Sort messages of current Rmail file by recipient's names.
976 @findex rmail-sort-by-correspondent
977 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-correspondent
978 Sort messages of current Rmail file by the name of the other
981 @findex rmail-sort-by-lines
982 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-lines
983 Sort messages of current Rmail file by size (number of lines).
985 @findex rmail-sort-by-keywords
986 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-keywords @key{RET} @var{labels} @key{RET}
987 Sort messages of current Rmail file by labels. The argument
988 @var{labels} should be a comma-separated list of labels. The order of
989 these labels specifies the order of messages; messages with the first
990 label come first, messages with the second label come second, and so on.
991 Messages which have none of these labels come last.
994 The Rmail sort commands perform a @emph{stable sort}: if there is no
995 reason to prefer either one of two messages, their order remains
996 unchanged. You can use this to sort by more than one criterion. For
997 example, if you use @code{rmail-sort-by-date} and then
998 @code{rmail-sort-by-author}, messages from the same author appear in
1001 With a numeric argument, all these commands reverse the order of
1002 comparison. This means they sort messages from newest to oldest, from
1003 biggest to smallest, or in reverse alphabetical order.
1006 @section Display of Messages
1008 Rmail reformats the header of each message before displaying it for
1009 the first time. Reformatting hides uninteresting header fields to
1010 reduce clutter. You can use the @kbd{t} command to show the entire
1011 header or to repeat the header reformatting operation.
1015 Toggle display of complete header (@code{rmail-toggle-header}).
1018 @vindex rmail-ignored-headers
1019 @vindex rmail-nonignored-headers
1020 Reformatting the header involves deleting most header fields, on the
1021 grounds that they are not interesting. The variable
1022 @code{rmail-ignored-headers} holds a regular expression that specifies
1023 which header fields to hide in this way---if it matches the beginning
1024 of a header field, that whole field is hidden. However, the variable
1025 @code{rmail-nonignored-headers} provides a further override: a header
1026 matching that regular expression is shown even if it matches
1027 @code{rmail-ignored-headers} too.
1029 @kindex t @r{(Rmail)}
1030 @findex rmail-toggle-header
1031 Rmail saves the complete original header before reformatting; to see
1032 it, use the @kbd{t} command (@code{rmail-toggle-header}). This
1033 discards the reformatted headers of the current message and displays
1034 it with the original header. Repeating @kbd{t} reformats the message
1035 again, which shows only the interesting headers according to the
1036 current values of those variable. Selecting the message again also
1037 reformats it if necessary.
1039 When the @kbd{t} command has a prefix argument, a positive argument
1040 means to show the reformatted header, and a zero or negative argument
1041 means to show the full header.
1043 @vindex rmail-highlighted-headers
1044 When the terminal supports multiple fonts or colors, Rmail
1045 highlights certain header fields that are especially interesting---by
1046 default, the @samp{From} and @samp{Subject} fields. The variable
1047 @code{rmail-highlighted-headers} holds a regular expression that
1048 specifies the header fields to highlight; if it matches the beginning
1049 of a header field, that whole field is highlighted.
1051 If you specify unusual colors for your text foreground and
1052 background, the colors used for highlighting may not go well with
1053 them. If so, specify different colors by setting the variable
1054 @code{rmail-highlight-face} to a suitable face. To turn off
1055 highlighting entirely in Rmail, set @code{rmail-highlighted-headers}
1058 You can highlight and activate URLs in incoming messages by adding
1059 the function @code{goto-address-mode} to the hook
1060 @code{rmail-show-message-hook}. Then you can browse these URLs by
1061 clicking on them with @kbd{Mouse-2} (or @kbd{Mouse-1} quickly) or by
1062 moving to one and typing @kbd{C-c @key{RET}}. @xref{Goto Address
1063 mode, Activating URLs, Activating URLs}.
1066 @section Rmail and Coding Systems
1068 @cindex decoding mail messages (Rmail)
1069 Rmail automatically decodes messages which contain non-@acronym{ASCII}
1070 characters, just as Emacs does with files you visit and with subprocess
1071 output. Rmail uses the standard @samp{charset=@var{charset}} header in
1072 the message, if any, to determine how the message was encoded by the
1073 sender. It maps @var{charset} into the corresponding Emacs coding
1074 system (@pxref{Coding Systems}), and uses that coding system to decode
1075 message text. If the message header doesn't have the @samp{charset}
1076 specification, or if @var{charset} is not recognized,
1077 Rmail chooses the coding system with the usual Emacs heuristics and
1078 defaults (@pxref{Recognize Coding}).
1080 @cindex fixing incorrectly decoded mail messages
1081 Occasionally, a message is decoded incorrectly, either because Emacs
1082 guessed the wrong coding system in the absence of the @samp{charset}
1083 specification, or because the specification was inaccurate. For
1084 example, a misconfigured mailer could send a message with a
1085 @samp{charset=iso-8859-1} header when the message is actually encoded
1086 in @code{koi8-r}. When you see the message text garbled, or some of
1087 its characters displayed as empty boxes, this may have happened.
1089 @findex rmail-redecode-body
1090 You can correct the problem by decoding the message again using the
1091 right coding system, if you can figure out or guess which one is
1092 right. To do this, invoke the @kbd{M-x rmail-redecode-body} command.
1093 It reads the name of a coding system, and then redecodes the message
1094 using the coding system you specified. If you specified the right
1095 coding system, the result should be readable.
1098 @section Editing Within a Message
1100 Most of the usual Emacs commands are available in Rmail mode, though a
1101 few, such as @kbd{C-M-n} and @kbd{C-M-h}, are redefined by Rmail for
1102 other purposes. However, the Rmail buffer is normally read only, and
1103 most of the letters are redefined as Rmail commands. If you want to
1104 edit the text of a message, you must use the Rmail command @kbd{e}.
1108 Edit the current message as ordinary text.
1111 @kindex e @r{(Rmail)}
1112 @findex rmail-edit-current-message
1113 The @kbd{e} command (@code{rmail-edit-current-message}) switches from
1114 Rmail mode into Rmail Edit mode, another major mode which is nearly the
1115 same as Text mode. The mode line indicates this change.
1117 In Rmail Edit mode, letters insert themselves as usual and the Rmail
1118 commands are not available. You can edit message body and header
1119 fields. When you are finished editing the message, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
1120 to switch back to Rmail mode. Alternatively, you can return to Rmail
1121 mode but cancel all the editing that you have done, by typing @kbd{C-c
1124 @vindex rmail-edit-mode-hook
1125 Entering Rmail Edit mode runs the hook @code{text-mode-hook}; then
1126 it runs the hook @code{rmail-edit-mode-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}).
1127 Returning to ordinary Rmail mode adds the attribute @samp{edited} to
1128 the message, if you have made any changes in it.
1131 @section Digest Messages
1132 @cindex digest message
1135 A @dfn{digest message} is a message which exists to contain and carry
1136 several other messages. Digests are used on some moderated mailing
1137 lists; all the messages that arrive for the list during a period of time
1138 such as one day are put inside a single digest which is then sent to the
1139 subscribers. Transmitting the single digest uses much less computer
1140 time than transmitting the individual messages even though the total
1141 size is the same, because the per-message overhead in network mail
1142 transmission is considerable.
1144 @findex undigestify-rmail-message
1145 When you receive a digest message, the most convenient way to read it is
1146 to @dfn{undigestify} it: to turn it back into many individual messages.
1147 Then you can read and delete the individual messages as it suits you.
1148 To do this, select the digest message and type the command @kbd{M-x
1149 undigestify-rmail-message}. This extracts the submessages as separate
1150 Rmail messages, and inserts them following the digest. The digest
1151 message itself is flagged as deleted.
1154 @section Reading Rot13 Messages
1157 Mailing list messages that might offend some readers are sometimes
1158 encoded in a simple code called @dfn{rot13}---so named because it
1159 rotates the alphabet by 13 letters. This code is not for secrecy, as it
1160 provides none; rather, it enables those who might be offended to avoid
1161 seeing the real text of the message.
1163 @findex rot13-other-window
1164 To view a buffer which uses the rot13 code, use the command @kbd{M-x
1165 rot13-other-window}. This displays the current buffer in another window
1166 which applies the code when displaying the text.
1169 @section @code{movemail} program
1170 @cindex @code{movemail} program
1172 When invoked for the first time, Rmail attempts to locate the
1173 @code{movemail} program and determine its version. There are two
1174 versions of @code{movemail} program: the native one, shipped with GNU
1175 Emacs (the ``emacs version'') and the one included in GNU mailutils
1176 (the ``mailutils version,'' @pxref{movemail,,,mailutils,GNU
1177 mailutils}). They support the same command line syntax and the same
1178 basic subset of options. However, the Mailutils version offers
1179 additional features.
1181 The Emacs version of @code{movemail} is able to retrieve mail from
1182 usual UNIX mailbox formats and from remote mailboxes using the POP3
1185 The Mailutils version is able to handle a wide set of mailbox
1186 formats, such as plain UNIX mailboxes, @code{maildir} and @code{MH}
1187 mailboxes, etc. It is able to retrieve remote mail using POP3 or
1188 IMAP4 protocol, and can retrieve mail from them using a TLS encrypted
1189 channel. It also accepts mailbox argument in the @acronym{URL} form.
1190 The detailed description of mailbox @acronym{URL}s can be found in
1191 @ref{URL,,,mailutils,Mailbox URL Formats}. In short, a @acronym{URL}
1195 @var{proto}://[@var{user}[:@var{password}]@@]@var{host-or-file-name}
1199 where square brackets denote optional elements.
1203 Specifies the @dfn{mailbox protocol}, or @dfn{format} to
1204 use. The exact semantics of the rest of @acronym{URL} elements depends
1205 on the actual value of @var{proto} (see below).
1208 User name to access the remote mailbox.
1211 User password to access the remote mailbox.
1213 @item host-or-file-name
1214 Hostname of the remote server for remote mailboxes or file name of a
1219 @var{Proto} can be one of:
1223 Usual UNIX mailbox format. In this case, neither @var{user} nor
1224 @var{pass} are used, and @var{host-or-file-name} denotes the file name of
1225 the mailbox file, e.g., @code{mbox://var/spool/mail/smith}.
1228 A local mailbox in the @acronym{MH} format. @var{User} and
1229 @var{pass} are not used. @var{Host-or-file-name} denotes the name of
1230 @acronym{MH} folder, e.g., @code{mh://Mail/inbox}.
1233 A local mailbox in the @acronym{maildir} format. @var{User} and
1234 @var{pass} are not used, and @var{host-or-file-name} denotes the name of
1235 @code{maildir} mailbox, e.g., @code{maildir://mail/inbox}.
1238 Any local mailbox format. Its actual format is detected automatically
1242 A remote mailbox to be accessed via POP3 protocol. @var{User}
1243 specifies the remote user name to use, @var{pass} may be used to
1244 specify the user password, @var{host-or-file-name} is the name or IP
1245 address of the remote mail server to connect to; e.g.,
1246 @code{pop://smith:guessme@@remote.server.net}.
1249 A remote mailbox to be accessed via IMAP4 protocol. @var{User}
1250 specifies the remote user name to use, @var{pass} may be used to
1251 specify the user password, @var{host-or-file-name} is the name or IP
1252 address of the remote mail server to connect to;
1253 e.g., @code{imap://smith:guessme@@remote.server.net}.
1256 Alternatively, you can specify the file name of the mailbox to use.
1257 This is equivalent to specifying the @samp{file} protocol:
1260 /var/spool/mail/@var{user} @equiv{} file://var/spool/mail/@var{user}
1263 @vindex rmail-movemail-program
1264 @vindex rmail-movemail-search-path
1265 The variable @code{rmail-movemail-program} controls which version of
1266 @code{movemail} to use. If that is a string, it specifies the
1267 absolute file name of the @code{movemail} executable. If it is
1268 @code{nil}, Rmail searches for @code{movemail} in the directories
1269 listed in @code{rmail-movemail-search-path} and @code{exec-path}, then
1270 in @code{exec-directory}.
1272 @node Remote Mailboxes
1273 @section Retrieving Mail from Remote Mailboxes
1276 Some sites use a method called POP for accessing users' inbox data
1277 instead of storing the data in inbox files. The @code{Emacs
1278 movemail} can work with POP if you compile it with the macro
1279 @code{MAIL_USE_POP} defined. (You can achieve that by specifying
1280 @samp{--with-pop} when you run @code{configure} during the
1281 installation of Emacs.)
1283 The Mailutils @code{movemail} by default supports POP, unless it was
1284 configured with @samp{--disable-pop} option.
1286 Both versions of @code{movemail} only work with POP3, not with older
1289 @cindex @env{MAILHOST} environment variable
1290 @cindex POP mailboxes
1291 No matter which flavor of @code{movemail} you use, you can specify
1292 POP inbox by using POP @dfn{URL} (@pxref{Movemail}). A POP
1293 @acronym{URL} is a ``file name'' of the form
1294 @samp{pop://@var{username}@@@var{hostname}}, where
1295 @var{hostname} is the host name or IP address of the remote mail
1296 server and @var{username} is the user name on that server.
1297 Additionally, you may specify the password in the mailbox @acronym{URL}:
1298 @samp{pop://@var{username}:@var{password}@@@var{hostname}}. In this
1299 case, @var{password} takes preference over the one set by
1300 @code{rmail-remote-password}. This is especially useful if you have
1301 several remote mailboxes with different passwords.
1303 For backward compatibility, Rmail also supports two alternative ways
1304 of specifying remote POP mailboxes. First, specifying an inbox name
1305 in the form @samp{po:@var{username}:@var{hostname}} is equivalent to
1306 @samp{pop://@var{username}@@@var{hostname}}. Alternatively, you may
1307 set a ``file name'' of @samp{po:@var{username}} in the inbox list of
1308 an Rmail file. @code{movemail} will handle such a name by opening a
1309 connection to the POP server. In this case, the @env{MAILHOST}
1310 environment variable specifies the machine on which to look for the
1313 @cindex IMAP mailboxes
1314 Another method for accessing remote mailboxes is IMAP. This method is
1315 supported only by the Mailutils @code{movemail}. To specify an IMAP
1316 mailbox in the inbox list, use the following mailbox @acronym{URL}:
1317 @samp{imap://@var{username}[:@var{password}]@@@var{hostname}}. The
1318 @var{password} part is optional, as described above.
1320 @vindex rmail-remote-password
1321 @vindex rmail-remote-password-required
1322 @vindex rmail-pop-password
1323 @vindex rmail-pop-password-required
1324 Accessing a remote mailbox may require a password. Rmail uses the
1325 following algorithm to retrieve it:
1329 If the @var{password} is present in mailbox URL (see above), it is
1332 If the variable @code{rmail-remote-password} is non-@code{nil}, its
1335 Otherwise, if @code{rmail-remote-password-required} is non-@code{nil},
1336 then Rmail will ask you for the password to use.
1338 Otherwise, Rmail assumes no password is required.
1341 For compatibility with previous versions, the variables
1342 @code{rmail-pop-password} and @code{rmail-pop-password-required} may
1343 be used instead of @code{rmail-remote-password} and
1344 @code{rmail-remote-password-required}.
1346 @vindex rmail-movemail-flags
1347 If you need to pass additional command-line flags to @code{movemail},
1348 set the variable @code{rmail-movemail-flags} a list of the flags you
1349 wish to use. Do not use this variable to pass the @samp{-p} flag to
1350 preserve your inbox contents; use @code{rmail-preserve-inbox} instead.
1352 @cindex Kerberos POP authentication
1353 The @code{movemail} program installed at your site may support
1354 Kerberos authentication. If it is
1355 supported, it is used by default whenever you attempt to retrieve
1356 POP mail when @code{rmail-pop-password} and
1357 @code{rmail-pop-password-required} are unset.
1359 @cindex reverse order in POP inboxes
1360 Some POP servers store messages in reverse order. If your server does
1361 this, and you would rather read your mail in the order in which it was
1362 received, you can tell @code{movemail} to reverse the order of
1363 downloaded messages by adding the @samp{-r} flag to
1364 @code{rmail-movemail-flags}.
1366 @cindex TLS encryption (Rmail)
1367 Mailutils @code{movemail} supports TLS encryption. If you wish to
1368 use it, add the @samp{--tls} flag to @code{rmail-movemail-flags}.
1370 @node Other Mailbox Formats
1371 @section Retrieving Mail from Local Mailboxes in Various Formats
1373 If your incoming mail is stored on a local machine in a format other
1374 than UNIX mailbox, you will need the Mailutils @code{movemail} to
1375 retrieve it. @xref{Movemail}, for the detailed description of
1376 @code{movemail} versions. For example, to access mail from a inbox in
1377 @code{maildir} format located in @file{/var/spool/mail/in}, you would
1378 include the following in the Rmail inbox list:
1381 maildir://var/spool/mail/in
1385 arch-tag: 034965f6-38df-47a2-a9f1-b8bc8ab37e23