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 Reading the message in an Rmail file is done in a special major mode,
16 Rmail mode, which redefines most letters to run commands for managing mail.
18 * Basic: Rmail Basics. Basic concepts of Rmail, and simple use.
19 * Scroll: Rmail Scrolling. Scrolling through a message.
20 * Motion: Rmail Motion. Moving to another message.
21 * Deletion: Rmail Deletion. Deleting and expunging messages.
22 * Inbox: Rmail Inbox. How mail gets into the Rmail file.
23 * Files: Rmail Files. Using multiple Rmail files.
24 * Output: Rmail Output. Copying message out to files.
25 * Labels: Rmail Labels. Classifying messages by labeling them.
26 * Attrs: Rmail Attributes. Certain standard labels, called attributes.
27 * Reply: Rmail Reply. Sending replies to messages you are viewing.
28 * Summary: Rmail Summary. Summaries show brief info on many messages.
29 * Sort: Rmail Sorting. Sorting messages in Rmail.
30 * Display: Rmail Display. How Rmail displays a message; customization.
31 * Coding: Rmail Coding. How Rmail handles decoding character sets.
32 * Editing: Rmail Editing. Editing message text and headers in Rmail.
33 * Digest: Rmail Digest. Extracting the messages from a digest message.
34 * Rot13: Rmail Rot13. Reading messages encoded in the rot13 code.
35 * Movemail:: More details of fetching new mail.
36 * Remote Mailboxes:: Retrieving Mail from Remote Mailboxes.
37 * Other Mailbox Formats:: Retrieving Mail from Local Mailboxes in
42 @section Basic Concepts of Rmail
44 @cindex primary Rmail file
45 @vindex rmail-file-name
46 Using Rmail in the simplest fashion, you have one Rmail file
47 @file{~/RMAIL} in which all of your mail is saved. It is called your
48 @dfn{primary Rmail file}. The command @kbd{M-x rmail} reads your primary
49 Rmail file, merges new mail in from your inboxes, displays the first
50 message you haven't read yet, and lets you begin reading. The variable
51 @code{rmail-file-name} specifies the name of the primary Rmail file.
53 Rmail displays only one message in the Rmail file at a time.
54 The message that is shown is called the @dfn{current message}. Rmail
55 mode's special commands can do such things as delete the current
56 message, copy it into another file, send a reply, or move to another
57 message. You can also create multiple Rmail files and use Rmail to move
58 messages between them.
60 @cindex message number
61 Within the Rmail file, messages are normally arranged sequentially in
62 order of receipt; you can specify other ways to sort them. Messages are
63 identified by consecutive integers which are their @dfn{message numbers}.
64 The number of the current message is displayed in Rmail's mode line,
65 followed by the total number of messages in the file. You can move to
66 a message by specifying its message number with the @kbd{j} key
67 (@pxref{Rmail Motion}).
70 @findex rmail-expunge-and-save
71 Following the usual conventions of Emacs, changes in an Rmail file
72 become permanent only when you save the file. You can save it with
73 @kbd{s} (@code{rmail-expunge-and-save}), which also expunges deleted
74 messages from the file first (@pxref{Rmail Deletion}). To save the
75 file without expunging, use @kbd{C-x C-s}. Rmail also saves the Rmail
76 file after merging new mail from an inbox file (@pxref{Rmail Inbox}).
82 You can exit Rmail with @kbd{q} (@code{rmail-quit}); this expunges
83 and saves the Rmail file, then buries the Rmail buffer as well as its
84 summary buffer, if present (@pxref{Rmail Summary}). But there is no
85 need to ``exit'' formally. If you switch from Rmail to editing in
86 other buffers, and never switch back, you have exited. Just make sure
87 to save the Rmail file eventually (like any other file you have
88 changed). @kbd{C-x s} is a suitable way to do this (@pxref{Save
89 Commands}). The Rmail command @kbd{b}, @code{rmail-bury}, buries the
90 Rmail buffer and its summary buffer without expunging and saving the
94 @section Scrolling Within a Message
96 When Rmail displays a message that does not fit on the screen, you
97 must scroll through it to read the rest. You could do this with
98 @kbd{C-v}, @kbd{M-v} and @kbd{M-<}, but in Rmail scrolling is so
99 frequent that it deserves to be easier.
103 Scroll forward (@code{scroll-up}).
105 Scroll backward (@code{scroll-down}).
107 Scroll to start of message (@code{rmail-beginning-of-message}).
109 Scroll to end of message (@code{rmail-end-of-message}).
112 @kindex SPC @r{(Rmail)}
113 @kindex DEL @r{(Rmail)}
114 Since the most common thing to do while reading a message is to scroll
115 through it by screenfuls, Rmail makes @key{SPC} and @key{DEL} synonyms of
116 @kbd{C-v} (@code{scroll-up}) and @kbd{M-v} (@code{scroll-down})
118 @kindex . @r{(Rmail)}
119 @kindex / @r{(Rmail)}
120 @findex rmail-beginning-of-message
121 @findex rmail-end-of-message
122 The command @kbd{.} (@code{rmail-beginning-of-message}) scrolls back to the
123 beginning of the selected message. This is not quite the same as @kbd{M-<}:
124 for one thing, it does not set the mark; for another, it resets the buffer
125 boundaries to the current message if you have changed them. Similarly,
126 the command @kbd{/} (@code{rmail-end-of-message}) scrolls forward to the end
127 of the selected message.
130 @section Moving Among Messages
132 The most basic thing to do with a message is to read it. The way to
133 do this in Rmail is to make the message current. The usual practice is
134 to move sequentially through the file, since this is the order of
135 receipt of messages. When you enter Rmail, you are positioned at the
136 first message that you have not yet made current (that is, the first one
137 that has the @samp{unseen} attribute; @pxref{Rmail Attributes}). Move
138 forward to see the other new messages; move backward to re-examine old
143 Move to the next nondeleted message, skipping any intervening deleted
144 messages (@code{rmail-next-undeleted-message}).
146 Move to the previous nondeleted message
147 (@code{rmail-previous-undeleted-message}).
149 Move to the next message, including deleted messages
150 (@code{rmail-next-message}).
152 Move to the previous message, including deleted messages
153 (@code{rmail-previous-message}).
155 Move to the first message. With argument @var{n}, move to
156 message number @var{n} (@code{rmail-show-message}).
158 Move to the last message (@code{rmail-last-message}).
160 Move to the first message (@code{rmail-first-message}).
162 @item M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
163 Move to the next message containing a match for @var{regexp}
164 (@code{rmail-search}).
166 @item - M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
167 Move to the previous message containing a match for @var{regexp}.
170 @kindex n @r{(Rmail)}
171 @kindex p @r{(Rmail)}
172 @kindex M-n @r{(Rmail)}
173 @kindex M-p @r{(Rmail)}
174 @findex rmail-next-undeleted-message
175 @findex rmail-previous-undeleted-message
176 @findex rmail-next-message
177 @findex rmail-previous-message
178 @kbd{n} and @kbd{p} are the usual way of moving among messages in
179 Rmail. They move through the messages sequentially, but skip over
180 deleted messages, which is usually what you want to do. Their command
181 definitions are named @code{rmail-next-undeleted-message} and
182 @code{rmail-previous-undeleted-message}. If you do not want to skip
183 deleted messages---for example, if you want to move to a message to
184 undelete it---use the variants @kbd{M-n} and @kbd{M-p}
185 (@code{rmail-next-message} and @code{rmail-previous-message}). A
186 numeric argument to any of these commands serves as a repeat
189 In Rmail, you can specify a numeric argument by typing just the
190 digits. You don't need to type @kbd{C-u} first.
192 @kindex M-s @r{(Rmail)}
194 @cindex searching in Rmail
195 The @kbd{M-s} (@code{rmail-search}) command is Rmail's version of
196 search. The usual incremental search command @kbd{C-s} works in Rmail,
197 but it searches only within the current message. The purpose of
198 @kbd{M-s} is to search for another message. It reads a regular
199 expression (@pxref{Regexps}) nonincrementally, then searches starting at
200 the beginning of the following message for a match. It then selects
201 that message. If @var{regexp} is empty, @kbd{M-s} reuses the regexp
202 used the previous time.
204 To search backward in the file for another message, give @kbd{M-s} a
205 negative argument. In Rmail you can do this with @kbd{- M-s}.
207 It is also possible to search for a message based on labels.
210 @kindex j @r{(Rmail)}
211 @kindex > @r{(Rmail)}
212 @kindex < @r{(Rmail)}
213 @findex rmail-show-message
214 @findex rmail-last-message
215 @findex rmail-first-message
216 To move to a message specified by absolute message number, use @kbd{j}
217 (@code{rmail-show-message}) with the message number as argument. With
218 no argument, @kbd{j} selects the first message. @kbd{<}
219 (@code{rmail-first-message}) also selects the first message. @kbd{>}
220 (@code{rmail-last-message}) selects the last message.
223 @section Deleting Messages
225 @cindex deletion (Rmail)
226 When you no longer need to keep a message, you can @dfn{delete} it. This
227 flags it as ignorable, and some Rmail commands pretend it is no longer
228 present; but it still has its place in the Rmail file, and still has its
231 @cindex expunging (Rmail)
232 @dfn{Expunging} the Rmail file actually removes the deleted messages.
233 The remaining messages are renumbered consecutively. Expunging is the only
234 action that changes the message number of any message, except for
235 undigestifying (@pxref{Rmail Digest}).
239 Delete the current message, and move to the next nondeleted message
240 (@code{rmail-delete-forward}).
242 Delete the current message, and move to the previous nondeleted
243 message (@code{rmail-delete-backward}).
245 Undelete the current message, or move back to a deleted message and
246 undelete it (@code{rmail-undelete-previous-message}).
248 Expunge the Rmail file (@code{rmail-expunge}).
251 @kindex d @r{(Rmail)}
252 @kindex C-d @r{(Rmail)}
253 @findex rmail-delete-forward
254 @findex rmail-delete-backward
255 There are two Rmail commands for deleting messages. Both delete the
256 current message and select another message. @kbd{d}
257 (@code{rmail-delete-forward}) moves to the following message, skipping
258 messages already deleted, while @kbd{C-d} (@code{rmail-delete-backward})
259 moves to the previous nondeleted message. If there is no nondeleted
260 message to move to in the specified direction, the message that was just
261 deleted remains current. @kbd{d} with a numeric argument is
262 equivalent to @kbd{C-d}.
264 @vindex rmail-delete-message-hook
265 Whenever Rmail deletes a message, it runs the hook
266 @code{rmail-delete-message-hook}. When the hook functions are invoked,
267 the message has been marked deleted, but it is still the current message
270 @cindex undeletion (Rmail)
271 @kindex x @r{(Rmail)}
272 @findex rmail-expunge
273 @kindex u @r{(Rmail)}
274 @findex rmail-undelete-previous-message
275 To make all the deleted messages finally vanish from the Rmail file,
276 type @kbd{x} (@code{rmail-expunge}). Until you do this, you can still
277 @dfn{undelete} the deleted messages. The undeletion command, @kbd{u}
278 (@code{rmail-undelete-previous-message}), is designed to cancel the
279 effect of a @kbd{d} command in most cases. It undeletes the current
280 message if the current message is deleted. Otherwise it moves backward
281 to previous messages until a deleted message is found, and undeletes
284 You can usually undo a @kbd{d} with a @kbd{u} because the @kbd{u}
285 moves back to and undeletes the message that the @kbd{d} deleted. But
286 this does not work when the @kbd{d} skips a few already-deleted messages
287 that follow the message being deleted; then the @kbd{u} command
288 undeletes the last of the messages that were skipped. There is no clean
289 way to avoid this problem. However, by repeating the @kbd{u} command,
290 you can eventually get back to the message that you intend to
291 undelete. You can also select a particular deleted message with
292 the @kbd{M-p} command, then type @kbd{u} to undelete it.
294 A deleted message has the @samp{deleted} attribute, and as a result
295 @samp{deleted} appears in the mode line when the current message is
296 deleted. In fact, deleting or undeleting a message is nothing more than
297 adding or removing this attribute. @xref{Rmail Attributes}.
300 @section Rmail Files and Inboxes
303 When you receive mail locally, the operating system places incoming
304 mail for you in a file that we call your @dfn{inbox}. When you start
305 up Rmail, it runs a C program called @code{movemail} to copy the new
306 messages from your local inbox into your primary Rmail file, which
307 also contains other messages saved from previous Rmail sessions. It
308 is in this file that you actually read the mail with Rmail. This
309 operation is called @dfn{getting new mail}. You can get new mail at
310 any time in Rmail by typing @kbd{g}.
312 @vindex rmail-primary-inbox-list
313 @cindex @env{MAIL} environment variable
314 The variable @code{rmail-primary-inbox-list} contains a list of the
315 files which are inboxes for your primary Rmail file. If you don't set
316 this variable explicitly, it is initialized from the @env{MAIL}
317 environment variable, or, as a last resort, set to @code{nil}, which
318 means to use the default inbox. The default inbox file depends on
319 your operating system; often it is @file{/var/mail/@var{username}},
320 @file{/usr/spool/mail/@var{username}}, or
321 @file{/usr/mail/@var{username}}.
323 You can specify the inbox file(s) for any Rmail file with the
324 command @code{set-rmail-inbox-list}; see @ref{Rmail Files}.
326 There are two reasons for having separate Rmail files and inboxes.
330 The inbox file format varies between operating systems and according to
331 the other mail software in use. Only one part of Rmail needs to know
332 about the alternatives, and it need only understand how to convert all
333 of them to Rmail's own format.
336 It is very cumbersome to access an inbox file without danger of losing
337 mail, because it is necessary to interlock with mail delivery.
338 Moreover, different operating systems use different interlocking
339 techniques. The strategy of moving mail out of the inbox once and for
340 all into a separate Rmail file avoids the need for interlocking in all
341 the rest of Rmail, since only Rmail operates on the Rmail file.
344 Rmail was originally written to use Babyl as its internal format.
345 Since then, we have recognized that the usual inbox format on Unix and
346 GNU systems is adequate for the job, and so since Emacs 23 Rmail uses
347 that as its internal format. The Rmail file is still separate from the
348 inbox file, even though their format is the same.
350 @vindex rmail-preserve-inbox
351 When getting new mail, Rmail first copies the new mail from the
352 inbox file to the Rmail file; then it saves the Rmail file; then it
353 clears out the inbox file. This way, a system crash may cause
354 duplication of mail between the inbox and the Rmail file, but cannot
355 lose mail. If @code{rmail-preserve-inbox} is non-@code{nil}, then
356 Rmail does not clear out the inbox file when it gets new mail. You
357 may wish to set this, for example, on a portable computer you use to
358 check your mail via POP while traveling, so that your mail will remain
359 on the server and you can save it later on your workstation.
361 In some cases, Rmail copies the new mail from the inbox file
362 indirectly. First it runs the @code{movemail} program to move the mail
363 from the inbox to an intermediate file called
364 @file{~/.newmail-@var{inboxname}}. Then Rmail merges the new mail from
365 that file, saves the Rmail file, and only then deletes the intermediate
366 file. If there is a crash at the wrong time, this file continues to
367 exist, and Rmail will use it again the next time it gets new mail from
370 If Rmail is unable to convert the data in
371 @file{~/.newmail-@var{inboxname}} into mbox format, it renames the file
372 to @file{~/RMAILOSE.@var{n}} (@var{n} is an integer chosen to make the
373 name unique) so that Rmail will not have trouble with the data again.
374 You should look at the file, find whatever message confuses Rmail
375 (probably one that includes the control-underscore character, octal code
376 037), and delete it. Then you can use @kbd{1 g} to get new mail from
380 @section Multiple Rmail Files
382 Rmail operates by default on your @dfn{primary Rmail file}, which is named
383 @file{~/RMAIL} and receives your incoming mail from your system inbox file.
384 But you can also have other Rmail files and edit them with Rmail. These
385 files can receive mail through their own inboxes, or you can move messages
386 into them with explicit Rmail commands (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
389 @item i @var{file} @key{RET}
390 Read @var{file} into Emacs and run Rmail on it (@code{rmail-input}).
392 @item M-x set-rmail-inbox-list @key{RET} @var{files} @key{RET}
393 Specify inbox file names for current Rmail file to get mail from.
396 Merge new mail from current Rmail file's inboxes
397 (@code{rmail-get-new-mail}).
399 @item C-u g @var{file} @key{RET}
400 Merge new mail from inbox file @var{file}.
403 @kindex i @r{(Rmail)}
405 To run Rmail on a file other than your primary Rmail file, you can use
406 the @kbd{i} (@code{rmail-input}) command in Rmail. This visits the file
407 in Rmail mode. You can use @kbd{M-x rmail-input} even when not in
408 Rmail, but it is easier to type @kbd{C-u M-x rmail}, which does the
411 The file you read with @kbd{i} should normally be a valid mbox file.
412 If it is not, Rmail tries to convert its text to mbox format, and
413 visits the converted text in the buffer. If you save the buffer, that
416 If you specify a file name that doesn't exist, @kbd{i} initializes a
417 new buffer for creating a new Rmail file.
419 @vindex rmail-secondary-file-directory
420 @vindex rmail-secondary-file-regexp
421 You can also select an Rmail file from a menu. In the Classify menu,
422 choose the Input Rmail File item; then choose the Rmail file you want.
423 The variables @code{rmail-secondary-file-directory} and
424 @code{rmail-secondary-file-regexp} specify which files to offer in the
425 menu: the first variable says which directory to find them in; the
426 second says which files in that directory to offer (all those that
427 match the regular expression). These variables also apply to choosing
428 a file for output (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
431 @findex set-rmail-inbox-list
432 Each Rmail file can contain a list of inbox file names; you can specify
433 this list with @kbd{M-x set-rmail-inbox-list @key{RET} @var{files}
434 @key{RET}}. The argument can contain any number of file names, separated
435 by commas. It can also be empty, which specifies that this file should
436 have no inboxes. Once you specify a list of inboxes in an Rmail file,
437 the Rmail file remembers it permanently until you specify a different list.
440 @vindex rmail-inbox-list
441 The inbox files to use are specified by the variable
442 @code{rmail-inbox-list}, which is buffer-local in Rmail mode. As a
443 special exception, if you have specified no inbox files for your
444 primary Rmail file, it uses your standard system inbox.
446 @kindex g @r{(Rmail)}
447 @findex rmail-get-new-mail
448 The @kbd{g} command (@code{rmail-get-new-mail}) merges mail into the
449 current Rmail file from its inboxes. If the Rmail file has no
450 inboxes, @kbd{g} does nothing. The command @kbd{M-x rmail} also
451 merges new mail into your primary Rmail file.
453 To merge mail from a file that is not the usual inbox, give the
454 @kbd{g} key a numeric argument, as in @kbd{C-u g}. Then it reads a file
455 name and merges mail from that file. The inbox file is not deleted or
456 changed in any way when @kbd{g} with an argument is used. This is,
457 therefore, a general way of merging one file of messages into another.
460 @section Copying Messages Out to Files
462 These commands copy messages from an Rmail file into another file.
465 @item o @var{file} @key{RET}
466 Append a full copy of the current message to the file @var{file}
467 (@code{rmail-output}).
469 @item C-o @var{file} @key{RET}
470 Append a copy of the current message, as displayed, to the file
471 @var{file} (@code{rmail-output-as-seen}).
473 @item w @var{file} @key{RET}
474 Output just the message body to the file @var{file}, taking the default
475 file name from the message @samp{Subject} header.
478 @kindex o @r{(Rmail)}
479 @findex rmail-output-as-seen
480 @kindex C-o @r{(Rmail)}
482 The commands @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} copy the current message into a
483 specified file, adding it at the end. The two commands differ mainly
484 in how much to copy: @kbd{o} copies the full message headers, even if
485 they are not all visible, while @kbd{C-o} copies exactly the headers
486 currently displayed and no more. @xref{Rmail Display}. In addition,
487 @kbd{o} converts the message to Babyl format (used by Rmail in Emacs
488 version 22 and before) if the file is in Babyl format; @kbd{C-o}
489 cannot output to Babyl files at all.
491 If the output file is currently visited in an Emacs buffer, the
492 output commands append the message to that buffer. It is up to you to
493 save the buffer eventually in its file.
495 @kindex w @r{(Rmail)}
496 @findex rmail-output-body-to-file
497 Sometimes you may receive a message whose body holds the contents of a
498 file. You can save the body to a file (excluding the message header)
499 with the @kbd{w} command (@code{rmail-output-body-to-file}). Often
500 these messages contain the intended file name in the @samp{Subject}
501 field, so the @kbd{w} command uses the @samp{Subject} field as the
502 default for the output file name. However, the file name is read using
503 the minibuffer, so you can specify a different name if you wish.
505 You can also output a message to an Rmail file chosen with a menu.
506 In the Classify menu, choose the Output Rmail File menu item; then
507 choose the Rmail file you want. This outputs the current message to
508 that file, like the @kbd{o} command. The variables
509 @code{rmail-secondary-file-directory} and
510 @code{rmail-secondary-file-regexp} specify which files to offer in the
511 menu: the first variable says which directory to find them in; the
512 second says which files in that directory to offer (all those that
513 match the regular expression).
515 @vindex rmail-delete-after-output
516 Copying a message with @kbd{o} or @kbd{C-o} gives the original copy
517 of the message the @samp{filed} attribute, so that @samp{filed}
518 appears in the mode line when such a message is current.
520 If you like to keep just a single copy of every mail message, set
521 the variable @code{rmail-delete-after-output} to @code{t}; then the
522 @kbd{o}, @kbd{C-o} and @kbd{w} commands delete the original message
523 after copying it. (You can undelete it afterward if you wish.)
525 @vindex rmail-output-file-alist
526 The variable @code{rmail-output-file-alist} lets you specify
527 intelligent defaults for the output file, based on the contents of the
528 current message. The value should be a list whose elements have this
532 (@var{regexp} . @var{name-exp})
536 If there's a match for @var{regexp} in the current message, then the
537 default file name for output is @var{name-exp}. If multiple elements
538 match the message, the first matching element decides the default file
539 name. The subexpression @var{name-exp} may be a string constant giving
540 the file name to use, or more generally it may be any Lisp expression
541 that returns a file name as a string. @code{rmail-output-file-alist}
542 applies to both @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o}.
546 @cindex label (Rmail)
547 @cindex attribute (Rmail)
549 Each message can have various @dfn{labels} assigned to it as a means
550 of classification. Each label has a name; different names are different
551 labels. Any given label is either present or absent on a particular
552 message. A few label names have standard meanings and are given to
553 messages automatically by Rmail when appropriate; these special labels
554 are called @dfn{attributes}.
556 (@xref{Rmail Attributes}.)
558 All other labels are assigned only by users.
561 @item a @var{label} @key{RET}
562 Assign the label @var{label} to the current message (@code{rmail-add-label}).
563 @item k @var{label} @key{RET}
564 Remove the label @var{label} from the current message (@code{rmail-kill-label}).
565 @item C-M-n @var{labels} @key{RET}
566 Move to the next message that has one of the labels @var{labels}
567 (@code{rmail-next-labeled-message}).
568 @item C-M-p @var{labels} @key{RET}
569 Move to the previous message that has one of the labels @var{labels}
570 (@code{rmail-previous-labeled-message}).
571 @item l @var{labels} @key{RET}
572 @itemx C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}
573 Make a summary of all messages containing any of the labels @var{labels}
574 (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}).
577 @kindex a @r{(Rmail)}
578 @kindex k @r{(Rmail)}
579 @findex rmail-add-label
580 @findex rmail-kill-label
581 The @kbd{a} (@code{rmail-add-label}) and @kbd{k}
582 (@code{rmail-kill-label}) commands allow you to assign or remove any
583 label on the current message. If the @var{label} argument is empty, it
584 means to assign or remove the same label most recently assigned or
587 Once you have given messages labels to classify them as you wish, there
588 are two ways to use the labels: in moving and in summaries.
590 @kindex C-M-n @r{(Rmail)}
591 @kindex C-M-p @r{(Rmail)}
592 @findex rmail-next-labeled-message
593 @findex rmail-previous-labeled-message
594 The command @kbd{C-M-n @var{labels} @key{RET}}
595 (@code{rmail-next-labeled-message}) moves to the next message that has
596 one of the labels @var{labels}. The argument @var{labels} specifies one
597 or more label names, separated by commas. @kbd{C-M-p}
598 (@code{rmail-previous-labeled-message}) is similar, but moves backwards
599 to previous messages. A numeric argument to either command serves as a
602 The command @kbd{C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}}
603 (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}) displays a summary containing only the
604 messages that have at least one of a specified set of labels. The
605 argument @var{labels} is one or more label names, separated by commas.
606 @xref{Rmail Summary}, for information on summaries.
608 If the @var{labels} argument to @kbd{C-M-n}, @kbd{C-M-p} or
609 @kbd{C-M-l} is empty, it means to use the last set of labels specified
610 for any of these commands.
612 @node Rmail Attributes
613 @section Rmail Attributes
615 Some labels such as @samp{deleted} and @samp{filed} have built-in
616 meanings, and Rmail assigns them to messages automatically at
617 appropriate times; these labels are called @dfn{attributes}. Here is
618 a list of Rmail attributes:
622 Means the message has never been current. Assigned to messages when
623 they come from an inbox file, and removed when a message is made
624 current. When you start Rmail, it initially shows the first message
625 that has this attribute.
627 Means the message is deleted. Assigned by deletion commands and
628 removed by undeletion commands (@pxref{Rmail Deletion}).
630 Means the message has been copied to some other file. Assigned by the
631 @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} file output commands (@pxref{Rmail Output}).
633 Means you have mailed an answer to the message. Assigned by the @kbd{r}
634 command (@code{rmail-reply}). @xref{Rmail Reply}.
636 Means you have forwarded the message. Assigned by the @kbd{f} command
637 (@code{rmail-forward}). @xref{Rmail Reply}.
639 Means you have edited the text of the message within Rmail.
640 @xref{Rmail Editing}.
642 Means you have resent the message. Assigned by the command @kbd{M-x
643 rmail-resend}. @xref{Rmail Reply}.
645 Means you have retried a failed outgoing message. Assigned by the
646 command @kbd{M-x rmail-retry-failure}. @xref{Rmail Reply}.
649 All other labels are assigned or removed only by users, and have no
653 @section Sending Replies
655 Rmail has several commands that use Mail mode to send outgoing mail.
656 @xref{Sending Mail}, for information on using Mail mode, including
657 certain features meant to work with Rmail. What this section documents
658 are the special commands of Rmail for entering Mail mode. Note that the
659 usual keys for sending mail---@kbd{C-x m}, @kbd{C-x 4 m}, and @kbd{C-x 5
660 m}---also work normally in Rmail mode.
664 Send a message (@code{rmail-mail}).
666 Continue editing the already started outgoing message (@code{rmail-continue}).
668 Send a reply to the current Rmail message (@code{rmail-reply}).
670 Forward the current message to other users (@code{rmail-forward}).
672 Resend the current message to other users (@code{rmail-resend}).
674 Try sending a bounced message a second time (@code{rmail-retry-failure}).
677 @kindex r @r{(Rmail)}
679 @cindex reply to a message
680 The most common reason to send a message while in Rmail is to reply
681 to the message you are reading. To do this, type @kbd{r}
682 (@code{rmail-reply}). This displays the @samp{*mail*} buffer in
683 another window, much like @kbd{C-x 4 m}, but preinitializes the
684 @samp{Subject}, @samp{To}, @samp{CC}, @samp{In-reply-to} and
685 @samp{References} header fields based on the message you are replying
686 to. The @samp{To} field starts out as the address of the person who
687 sent the message you received, and the @samp{CC} field starts out with
688 all the other recipients of that message.
690 @vindex rmail-dont-reply-to-names
691 You can exclude certain recipients from being placed automatically in
692 the @samp{CC}, using the variable @code{rmail-dont-reply-to-names}. Its
693 value should be a regular expression (as a string); any recipient that
694 the regular expression matches, is excluded from the @samp{CC} field.
695 The default value matches your own name, and any name starting with
696 @samp{info-}. (Those names are excluded because there is a convention
697 of using them for large mailing lists to broadcast announcements.)
699 To omit the @samp{CC} field completely for a particular reply, enter
700 the reply command with a numeric argument: @kbd{C-u r} or @kbd{1 r}.
701 This means to reply only to the sender of the original message.
703 Once the @samp{*mail*} buffer has been initialized, editing and
704 sending the mail goes as usual (@pxref{Sending Mail}). You can edit the
705 presupplied header fields if they are not what you want. You can also
706 use the commands of Mail mode (@pxref{Mail Mode}), including @kbd{C-c
707 C-y} which yanks in the message that you are replying to. You can
708 also switch to the Rmail buffer, select a different message there, switch
709 back, and yank the new current message.
711 @kindex M-m @r{(Rmail)}
712 @findex rmail-retry-failure
713 @cindex retrying a failed message
714 @vindex rmail-retry-ignored-headers
715 Sometimes a message does not reach its destination. Mailers usually
716 send the failed message back to you, enclosed in a @dfn{failure
717 message}. The Rmail command @kbd{M-m} (@code{rmail-retry-failure})
718 prepares to send the same message a second time: it sets up a
719 @samp{*mail*} buffer with the same text and header fields as before. If
720 you type @kbd{C-c C-c} right away, you send the message again exactly
721 the same as the first time. Alternatively, you can edit the text or
722 headers and then send it. The variable
723 @code{rmail-retry-ignored-headers}, in the same format as
724 @code{rmail-ignored-headers} (@pxref{Rmail Display}), controls which
725 headers are stripped from the failed message when retrying it.
727 @kindex f @r{(Rmail)}
728 @findex rmail-forward
729 @cindex forwarding a message
730 Another frequent reason to send mail in Rmail is to @dfn{forward} the
731 current message to other users. @kbd{f} (@code{rmail-forward}) makes
732 this easy by preinitializing the @samp{*mail*} buffer with the current
733 message as the text, and a subject designating a forwarded message. All
734 you have to do is fill in the recipients and send. When you forward a
735 message, recipients get a message which is ``from'' you, and which has
736 the original message in its contents.
738 @findex unforward-rmail-message
739 Forwarding a message encloses it between two delimiter lines. It also
740 modifies every line that starts with a dash, by inserting @w{@samp{- }}
741 at the start of the line. When you receive a forwarded message, if it
742 contains something besides ordinary text---for example, program source
743 code---you might find it useful to undo that transformation. You can do
744 this by selecting the forwarded message and typing @kbd{M-x
745 unforward-rmail-message}. This command extracts the original forwarded
746 message, deleting the inserted @w{@samp{- }} strings, and inserts it
747 into the Rmail file as a separate message immediately following the
751 @dfn{Resending} is an alternative similar to forwarding; the
752 difference is that resending sends a message that is ``from'' the
753 original sender, just as it reached you---with a few added header fields
754 @samp{Resent-From} and @samp{Resent-To} to indicate that it came via
755 you. To resend a message in Rmail, use @kbd{C-u f}. (@kbd{f} runs
756 @code{rmail-forward}, which is programmed to invoke @code{rmail-resend}
757 if you provide a numeric argument.)
759 @kindex m @r{(Rmail)}
761 Use the @kbd{m} (@code{rmail-mail}) command to start editing an
762 outgoing message that is not a reply. It leaves the header fields empty.
763 Its only difference from @kbd{C-x 4 m} is that it makes the Rmail buffer
764 accessible for @kbd{C-c C-y}, just as @kbd{r} does. Thus, @kbd{m} can be
765 used to reply to or forward a message; it can do anything @kbd{r} or @kbd{f}
768 @kindex c @r{(Rmail)}
769 @findex rmail-continue
770 The @kbd{c} (@code{rmail-continue}) command resumes editing the
771 @samp{*mail*} buffer, to finish editing an outgoing message you were
772 already composing, or to alter a message you have sent.
774 @vindex rmail-mail-new-frame
775 If you set the variable @code{rmail-mail-new-frame} to a
776 non-@code{nil} value, then all the Rmail commands to start sending a
777 message create a new frame to edit it in. This frame is deleted when
778 you send the message, or when you use the @samp{Cancel} item in the
781 All the Rmail commands to send a message use the mail-composition
782 method that you have chosen (@pxref{Mail Methods}).
786 @cindex summary (Rmail)
788 A @dfn{summary} is a buffer containing one line per message to give
789 you an overview of the mail in an Rmail file. Each line shows the
790 message number and date, the sender, the line count, the labels, and
791 the subject. Moving point in the summary buffer selects messages as
792 you move to their summary lines. Almost all Rmail commands are valid
793 in the summary buffer also; when used there, they apply to the message
794 described by the current line of the summary.
796 A summary buffer applies to a single Rmail file only; if you are
797 editing multiple Rmail files, each one can have its own summary buffer.
798 The summary buffer name is made by appending @samp{-summary} to the
799 Rmail buffer's name. Normally only one summary buffer is displayed at a
803 * Rmail Make Summary:: Making various sorts of summaries.
804 * Rmail Summary Edit:: Manipulating messages from the summary.
807 @node Rmail Make Summary
808 @subsection Making Summaries
810 Here are the commands to create a summary for the current Rmail file.
811 Once the Rmail file has a summary buffer, changes in the Rmail file
812 (such as deleting or expunging messages, and getting new mail)
813 automatically update the summary.
818 Summarize all messages (@code{rmail-summary}).
819 @item l @var{labels} @key{RET}
820 @itemx C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}
821 Summarize messages that have one or more of the specified labels
822 (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}).
823 @item C-M-r @var{rcpts} @key{RET}
824 Summarize messages that have one or more of the specified recipients
825 (@code{rmail-summary-by-recipients}).
826 @item C-M-t @var{topic} @key{RET}
827 Summarize messages that have a match for the specified regexp
828 @var{topic} in their subjects (@code{rmail-summary-by-topic}).
829 @item C-M-s @var{regexp}
830 Summarize messages whose headers and the subject line match the
831 specified regular expression @var{regexp}
832 (@code{rmail-summary-by-regexp}).
835 @kindex h @r{(Rmail)}
836 @findex rmail-summary
837 The @kbd{h} or @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{rmail-summary}) command fills the summary buffer
838 for the current Rmail file with a summary of all the messages in the file.
839 It then displays and selects the summary buffer in another window.
841 @kindex l @r{(Rmail)}
842 @kindex C-M-l @r{(Rmail)}
843 @findex rmail-summary-by-labels
844 @kbd{C-M-l @var{labels} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-labels}) makes
845 a partial summary mentioning only the messages that have one or more of the
846 labels @var{labels}. @var{labels} should contain label names separated by
849 @kindex C-M-r @r{(Rmail)}
850 @findex rmail-summary-by-recipients
851 @kbd{C-M-r @var{rcpts} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-recipients})
852 makes a partial summary mentioning only the messages that have one or more
853 of the recipients @var{rcpts}. @var{rcpts} should contain mailing
854 addresses separated by commas.
856 @kindex C-M-t @r{(Rmail)}
857 @findex rmail-summary-by-topic
858 @kbd{C-M-t @var{topic} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-topic})
859 makes a partial summary mentioning only the messages whose subjects have
860 a match for the regular expression @var{topic}.
862 @kindex C-M-s @r{(Rmail)}
863 @findex rmail-summary-by-regexp
864 @kbd{C-M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}} (@code{rmail-summary-by-regexp})
865 makes a partial summary which mentions only the messages whose headers
866 (including the date and the subject lines) match the regular
867 expression @var{regexp}.
869 Note that there is only one summary buffer for any Rmail file;
870 making any kind of summary discards any previous summary.
872 @vindex rmail-summary-window-size
873 @vindex rmail-summary-line-count-flag
874 The variable @code{rmail-summary-window-size} says how many lines to
875 use for the summary window. The variable
876 @code{rmail-summary-line-count-flag} controls whether the summary line
877 for a message should include the line count of the message.
879 @node Rmail Summary Edit
880 @subsection Editing in Summaries
882 You can use the Rmail summary buffer to do almost anything you can do
883 in the Rmail buffer itself. In fact, once you have a summary buffer,
884 there's no need to switch back to the Rmail buffer.
886 You can select and display various messages in the Rmail buffer, from
887 the summary buffer, just by moving point in the summary buffer to
888 different lines. It doesn't matter what Emacs command you use to move
889 point; whichever line point is on at the end of the command, that
890 message is selected in the Rmail buffer.
892 Almost all Rmail commands work in the summary buffer as well as in the
893 Rmail buffer. Thus, @kbd{d} in the summary buffer deletes the current
894 message, @kbd{u} undeletes, and @kbd{x} expunges. (However, in the
895 summary buffer, a numeric argument to @kbd{d}, @kbd{C-d} and @kbd{u}
896 serves as a repeat count. A negative argument reverses the meaning of
897 @kbd{d} and @kbd{C-d}.) @kbd{o} and @kbd{C-o} output the current
898 message to a file; @kbd{r} starts a reply to it. You can scroll the
899 current message while remaining in the summary buffer using @key{SPC}
902 The Rmail commands to move between messages also work in the summary
903 buffer, but with a twist: they move through the set of messages included
904 in the summary. They also ensure the Rmail buffer appears on the screen
905 (unlike cursor motion commands, which update the contents of the Rmail
906 buffer but don't display it in a window unless it already appears).
907 Here is a list of these commands:
911 Move to next line, skipping lines saying `deleted', and select its
914 Move to previous line, skipping lines saying `deleted', and select
917 Move to next line and select its message.
919 Move to previous line and select its message.
921 Move to the last line, and select its message.
923 Move to the first line, and select its message.
926 Select the message on the current line (ensuring that the RMAIL buffer
927 appears on the screen). With argument @var{n}, select message number
928 @var{n} and move to its line in the summary buffer; this signals an
929 error if the message is not listed in the summary buffer.
930 @item M-s @var{pattern} @key{RET}
931 Search through messages for @var{pattern} starting with the current
932 message; select the message found, and move point in the summary buffer
933 to that message's line.
936 @vindex rmail-redisplay-summary
937 Deletion, undeletion, and getting new mail, and even selection of a
938 different message all update the summary buffer when you do them in the
939 Rmail buffer. If the variable @code{rmail-redisplay-summary} is
940 non-@code{nil}, these actions also bring the summary buffer back onto
943 @kindex Q @r{(Rmail summary)}
944 @findex rmail-summary-wipe
945 @kindex q @r{(Rmail summary)}
946 @findex rmail-summary-quit
947 When you are finished using the summary, type @kbd{Q}
948 (@code{rmail-summary-wipe}) to delete the summary buffer's window. You
949 can also exit Rmail while in the summary: @kbd{q}
950 (@code{rmail-summary-quit}) deletes the summary window, then exits from
951 Rmail by saving the Rmail file and switching to another buffer.
954 @section Sorting the Rmail File
955 @cindex sorting Rmail file
956 @cindex Rmail file sorting
959 @findex rmail-sort-by-date
960 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-date
961 Sort messages of current Rmail file by date.
963 @findex rmail-sort-by-subject
964 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-subject
965 Sort messages of current Rmail file by subject.
967 @findex rmail-sort-by-author
968 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-author
969 Sort messages of current Rmail file by author's name.
971 @findex rmail-sort-by-recipient
972 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-recipient
973 Sort messages of current Rmail file by recipient's names.
975 @findex rmail-sort-by-correspondent
976 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-correspondent
977 Sort messages of current Rmail file by the name of the other
980 @findex rmail-sort-by-lines
981 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-lines
982 Sort messages of current Rmail file by size (number of lines).
984 @findex rmail-sort-by-keywords
985 @item M-x rmail-sort-by-keywords @key{RET} @var{labels} @key{RET}
986 Sort messages of current Rmail file by labels. The argument
987 @var{labels} should be a comma-separated list of labels. The order of
988 these labels specifies the order of messages; messages with the first
989 label come first, messages with the second label come second, and so on.
990 Messages which have none of these labels come last.
993 The Rmail sort commands perform a @emph{stable sort}: if there is no
994 reason to prefer either one of two messages, their order remains
995 unchanged. You can use this to sort by more than one criterion. For
996 example, if you use @code{rmail-sort-by-date} and then
997 @code{rmail-sort-by-author}, messages from the same author appear in
1000 With a numeric argument, all these commands reverse the order of
1001 comparison. This means they sort messages from newest to oldest, from
1002 biggest to smallest, or in reverse alphabetical order.
1005 @section Display of Messages
1007 Rmail reformats the header of each message before displaying it for
1008 the first time. Reformatting hides uninteresting header fields to
1009 reduce clutter. You can use the @kbd{t} command to show the entire
1010 header or to repeat the header reformatting operation.
1014 Toggle display of complete header (@code{rmail-toggle-header}).
1017 @vindex rmail-ignored-headers
1018 @vindex rmail-nonignored-headers
1019 Reformatting the header involves deleting most header fields, on the
1020 grounds that they are not interesting. The variable
1021 @code{rmail-ignored-headers} holds a regular expression that specifies
1022 which header fields to hide in this way---if it matches the beginning
1023 of a header field, that whole field is hidden. However, the variable
1024 @code{rmail-nonignored-headers} provides a further override: a header
1025 matching that regular expression is shown even if it matches
1026 @code{rmail-ignored-headers} too.
1028 @kindex t @r{(Rmail)}
1029 @findex rmail-toggle-header
1030 Rmail saves the complete original header before reformatting; to see
1031 it, use the @kbd{t} command (@code{rmail-toggle-header}). This
1032 discards the reformatted headers of the current message and displays
1033 it with the original header. Repeating @kbd{t} reformats the message
1034 again, which shows only the interesting headers according to the
1035 current values of those variable. Selecting the message again also
1036 reformats it if necessary.
1038 When the @kbd{t} command has a prefix argument, a positive argument
1039 means to show the reformatted header, and a zero or negative argument
1040 means to show the full header.
1042 @vindex rmail-highlighted-headers
1043 When the terminal supports multiple fonts or colors, Rmail
1044 highlights certain header fields that are especially interesting---by
1045 default, the @samp{From} and @samp{Subject} fields. The variable
1046 @code{rmail-highlighted-headers} holds a regular expression that
1047 specifies the header fields to highlight; if it matches the beginning
1048 of a header field, that whole field is highlighted.
1050 If you specify unusual colors for your text foreground and
1051 background, the colors used for highlighting may not go well with
1052 them. If so, specify different colors by setting the variable
1053 @code{rmail-highlight-face} to a suitable face. To turn off
1054 highlighting entirely in Rmail, set @code{rmail-highlighted-headers}
1057 You can highlight and activate URLs in incoming messages by adding
1058 the function @code{goto-address-mode} to the hook
1059 @code{rmail-show-message-hook}. Then you can browse these URLs by
1060 clicking on them with @kbd{Mouse-2} (or @kbd{Mouse-1} quickly) or by
1061 moving to one and typing @kbd{C-c @key{RET}}. @xref{Goto Address
1062 mode, Activating URLs, Activating URLs}.
1065 @section Rmail and Coding Systems
1067 @cindex decoding mail messages (Rmail)
1068 Rmail automatically decodes messages which contain non-@acronym{ASCII}
1069 characters, just as Emacs does with files you visit and with subprocess
1070 output. Rmail uses the standard @samp{charset=@var{charset}} header in
1071 the message, if any, to determine how the message was encoded by the
1072 sender. It maps @var{charset} into the corresponding Emacs coding
1073 system (@pxref{Coding Systems}), and uses that coding system to decode
1074 message text. If the message header doesn't have the @samp{charset}
1075 specification, or if @var{charset} is not recognized,
1076 Rmail chooses the coding system with the usual Emacs heuristics and
1077 defaults (@pxref{Recognize Coding}).
1079 @cindex fixing incorrectly decoded mail messages
1080 Occasionally, a message is decoded incorrectly, either because Emacs
1081 guessed the wrong coding system in the absence of the @samp{charset}
1082 specification, or because the specification was inaccurate. For
1083 example, a misconfigured mailer could send a message with a
1084 @samp{charset=iso-8859-1} header when the message is actually encoded
1085 in @code{koi8-r}. When you see the message text garbled, or some of
1086 its characters displayed as empty boxes, this may have happened.
1088 @findex rmail-redecode-body
1089 You can correct the problem by decoding the message again using the
1090 right coding system, if you can figure out or guess which one is
1091 right. To do this, invoke the @kbd{M-x rmail-redecode-body} command.
1092 It reads the name of a coding system, and then redecodes the message
1093 using the coding system you specified. If you specified the right
1094 coding system, the result should be readable.
1097 @section Editing Within a Message
1099 Most of the usual Emacs commands are available in Rmail mode, though a
1100 few, such as @kbd{C-M-n} and @kbd{C-M-h}, are redefined by Rmail for
1101 other purposes. However, the Rmail buffer is normally read only, and
1102 most of the letters are redefined as Rmail commands. If you want to
1103 edit the text of a message, you must use the Rmail command @kbd{e}.
1107 Edit the current message as ordinary text.
1110 @kindex e @r{(Rmail)}
1111 @findex rmail-edit-current-message
1112 The @kbd{e} command (@code{rmail-edit-current-message}) switches from
1113 Rmail mode into Rmail Edit mode, another major mode which is nearly the
1114 same as Text mode. The mode line indicates this change.
1116 In Rmail Edit mode, letters insert themselves as usual and the Rmail
1117 commands are not available. You can edit message body and header
1118 fields. When you are finished editing the message, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
1119 to switch back to Rmail mode. Alternatively, you can return to Rmail
1120 mode but cancel all the editing that you have done, by typing @kbd{C-c
1123 @vindex rmail-edit-mode-hook
1124 Entering Rmail Edit mode runs the hook @code{text-mode-hook}; then
1125 it runs the hook @code{rmail-edit-mode-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}).
1126 Returning to ordinary Rmail mode adds the attribute @samp{edited} to
1127 the message, if you have made any changes in it.
1130 @section Digest Messages
1131 @cindex digest message
1134 A @dfn{digest message} is a message which exists to contain and carry
1135 several other messages. Digests are used on some moderated mailing
1136 lists; all the messages that arrive for the list during a period of time
1137 such as one day are put inside a single digest which is then sent to the
1138 subscribers. Transmitting the single digest uses much less computer
1139 time than transmitting the individual messages even though the total
1140 size is the same, because the per-message overhead in network mail
1141 transmission is considerable.
1143 @findex undigestify-rmail-message
1144 When you receive a digest message, the most convenient way to read it is
1145 to @dfn{undigestify} it: to turn it back into many individual messages.
1146 Then you can read and delete the individual messages as it suits you.
1147 To do this, select the digest message and type the command @kbd{M-x
1148 undigestify-rmail-message}. This extracts the submessages as separate
1149 Rmail messages, and inserts them following the digest. The digest
1150 message itself is flagged as deleted.
1153 @section Reading Rot13 Messages
1156 Mailing list messages that might offend some readers are sometimes
1157 encoded in a simple code called @dfn{rot13}---so named because it
1158 rotates the alphabet by 13 letters. This code is not for secrecy, as it
1159 provides none; rather, it enables those who might be offended to avoid
1160 seeing the real text of the message.
1162 @findex rot13-other-window
1163 To view a buffer which uses the rot13 code, use the command @kbd{M-x
1164 rot13-other-window}. This displays the current buffer in another window
1165 which applies the code when displaying the text.
1168 @section @code{movemail} program
1169 @cindex @code{movemail} program
1171 When invoked for the first time, Rmail attempts to locate the
1172 @code{movemail} program and determine its version. There are two
1173 versions of @code{movemail} program: the native one, shipped with GNU
1174 Emacs (the ``emacs version'') and the one included in GNU mailutils
1175 (the ``mailutils version,'' @pxref{movemail,,,mailutils,GNU
1176 mailutils}). They support the same command line syntax and the same
1177 basic subset of options. However, the Mailutils version offers
1178 additional features.
1180 The Emacs version of @code{movemail} is able to retrieve mail from
1181 usual UNIX mailbox formats and from remote mailboxes using the POP3
1184 The Mailutils version is able to handle a wide set of mailbox
1185 formats, such as plain UNIX mailboxes, @code{maildir} and @code{MH}
1186 mailboxes, etc. It is able to retrieve remote mail using POP3 or
1187 IMAP4 protocol, and can retrieve mail from them using a TLS encrypted
1188 channel. It also accepts mailbox argument in the @acronym{URL} form.
1189 The detailed description of mailbox @acronym{URL}s can be found in
1190 @ref{URL,,,mailutils,Mailbox URL Formats}. In short, a @acronym{URL}
1194 @var{proto}://[@var{user}[:@var{password}]@@]@var{host-or-file-name}
1198 where square brackets denote optional elements.
1202 Specifies the @dfn{mailbox protocol}, or @dfn{format} to
1203 use. The exact semantics of the rest of @acronym{URL} elements depends
1204 on the actual value of @var{proto} (see below).
1207 User name to access the remote mailbox.
1210 User password to access the remote mailbox.
1212 @item host-or-file-name
1213 Hostname of the remote server for remote mailboxes or file name of a
1218 @var{Proto} can be one of:
1222 Usual UNIX mailbox format. In this case, neither @var{user} nor
1223 @var{pass} are used, and @var{host-or-file-name} denotes the file name of
1224 the mailbox file, e.g., @code{mbox://var/spool/mail/smith}.
1227 A local mailbox in the @acronym{MH} format. @var{User} and
1228 @var{pass} are not used. @var{Host-or-file-name} denotes the name of
1229 @acronym{MH} folder, e.g., @code{mh://Mail/inbox}.
1232 A local mailbox in the @acronym{maildir} format. @var{User} and
1233 @var{pass} are not used, and @var{host-or-file-name} denotes the name of
1234 @code{maildir} mailbox, e.g., @code{maildir://mail/inbox}.
1237 Any local mailbox format. Its actual format is detected automatically
1241 A remote mailbox to be accessed via POP3 protocol. @var{User}
1242 specifies the remote user name to use, @var{pass} may be used to
1243 specify the user password, @var{host-or-file-name} is the name or IP
1244 address of the remote mail server to connect to; e.g.,
1245 @code{pop://smith:guessme@@remote.server.net}.
1248 A remote mailbox to be accessed via IMAP4 protocol. @var{User}
1249 specifies the remote user name to use, @var{pass} may be used to
1250 specify the user password, @var{host-or-file-name} is the name or IP
1251 address of the remote mail server to connect to;
1252 e.g., @code{imap://smith:guessme@@remote.server.net}.
1255 Alternatively, you can specify the file name of the mailbox to use.
1256 This is equivalent to specifying the @samp{file} protocol:
1259 /var/spool/mail/@var{user} @equiv{} file://var/spool/mail/@var{user}
1262 @vindex rmail-movemail-program
1263 @vindex rmail-movemail-search-path
1264 The variable @code{rmail-movemail-program} controls which version of
1265 @code{movemail} to use. If that is a string, it specifies the
1266 absolute file name of the @code{movemail} executable. If it is
1267 @code{nil}, Rmail searches for @code{movemail} in the directories
1268 listed in @code{rmail-movemail-search-path} and @code{exec-path}, then
1269 in @code{exec-directory}.
1271 @node Remote Mailboxes
1272 @section Retrieving Mail from Remote Mailboxes
1275 Some sites use a method called POP for accessing users' inbox data
1276 instead of storing the data in inbox files. The @code{Emacs
1277 movemail} can work with POP if you compile it with the macro
1278 @code{MAIL_USE_POP} defined. (You can achieve that by specifying
1279 @samp{--with-pop} when you run @code{configure} during the
1280 installation of Emacs.)
1282 The Mailutils @code{movemail} by default supports POP, unless it was
1283 configured with @samp{--disable-pop} option.
1285 Both versions of @code{movemail} only work with POP3, not with older
1288 @cindex @env{MAILHOST} environment variable
1289 @cindex POP mailboxes
1290 No matter which flavor of @code{movemail} you use, you can specify
1291 POP inbox by using POP @dfn{URL} (@pxref{Movemail}). A POP
1292 @acronym{URL} is a ``file name'' of the form
1293 @samp{pop://@var{username}@@@var{hostname}}, where
1294 @var{hostname} is the host name or IP address of the remote mail
1295 server and @var{username} is the user name on that server.
1296 Additionally, you may specify the password in the mailbox @acronym{URL}:
1297 @samp{pop://@var{username}:@var{password}@@@var{hostname}}. In this
1298 case, @var{password} takes preference over the one set by
1299 @code{rmail-remote-password}. This is especially useful if you have
1300 several remote mailboxes with different passwords.
1302 For backward compatibility, Rmail also supports two alternative ways
1303 of specifying remote POP mailboxes. First, specifying an inbox name
1304 in the form @samp{po:@var{username}:@var{hostname}} is equivalent to
1305 @samp{pop://@var{username}@@@var{hostname}}. Alternatively, you may
1306 set a ``file name'' of @samp{po:@var{username}} in the inbox list of
1307 an Rmail file. @code{movemail} will handle such a name by opening a
1308 connection to the POP server. In this case, the @env{MAILHOST}
1309 environment variable specifies the machine on which to look for the
1312 @cindex IMAP mailboxes
1313 Another method for accessing remote mailboxes is IMAP. This method is
1314 supported only by the Mailutils @code{movemail}. To specify an IMAP
1315 mailbox in the inbox list, use the following mailbox @acronym{URL}:
1316 @samp{imap://@var{username}[:@var{password}]@@@var{hostname}}. The
1317 @var{password} part is optional, as described above.
1319 @vindex rmail-remote-password
1320 @vindex rmail-remote-password-required
1321 @vindex rmail-pop-password
1322 @vindex rmail-pop-password-required
1323 Accessing a remote mailbox may require a password. Rmail uses the
1324 following algorithm to retrieve it:
1328 If the @var{password} is present in mailbox URL (see above), it is
1331 If the variable @code{rmail-remote-password} is non-@code{nil}, its
1334 Otherwise, if @code{rmail-remote-password-required} is non-@code{nil},
1335 then Rmail will ask you for the password to use.
1337 Otherwise, Rmail assumes no password is required.
1340 For compatibility with previous versions, the variables
1341 @code{rmail-pop-password} and @code{rmail-pop-password-required} may
1342 be used instead of @code{rmail-remote-password} and
1343 @code{rmail-remote-password-required}.
1345 @vindex rmail-movemail-flags
1346 If you need to pass additional command-line flags to @code{movemail},
1347 set the variable @code{rmail-movemail-flags} a list of the flags you
1348 wish to use. Do not use this variable to pass the @samp{-p} flag to
1349 preserve your inbox contents; use @code{rmail-preserve-inbox} instead.
1351 @cindex Kerberos POP authentication
1352 The @code{movemail} program installed at your site may support
1353 Kerberos authentication. If it is
1354 supported, it is used by default whenever you attempt to retrieve
1355 POP mail when @code{rmail-pop-password} and
1356 @code{rmail-pop-password-required} are unset.
1358 @cindex reverse order in POP inboxes
1359 Some POP servers store messages in reverse order. If your server does
1360 this, and you would rather read your mail in the order in which it was
1361 received, you can tell @code{movemail} to reverse the order of
1362 downloaded messages by adding the @samp{-r} flag to
1363 @code{rmail-movemail-flags}.
1365 @cindex TLS encryption (Rmail)
1366 Mailutils @code{movemail} supports TLS encryption. If you wish to
1367 use it, add the @samp{--tls} flag to @code{rmail-movemail-flags}.
1369 @node Other Mailbox Formats
1370 @section Retrieving Mail from Local Mailboxes in Various Formats
1372 If your incoming mail is stored on a local machine in a format other
1373 than UNIX mailbox, you will need the Mailutils @code{movemail} to
1374 retrieve it. @xref{Movemail}, for the detailed description of
1375 @code{movemail} versions. For example, to access mail from a inbox in
1376 @code{maildir} format located in @file{/var/spool/mail/in}, you would
1377 include the following in the Rmail inbox list:
1380 maildir://var/spool/mail/in
1384 arch-tag: 034965f6-38df-47a2-a9f1-b8bc8ab37e23