32v 1m mail

MAIL(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual MAIL(1)

NAME

    mail  -  send or receive mail among users

SYNOPSIS

    mail [ + ] [ -i ] [ person ] ...
    mail [ + ] [ -i ] -f file

DESCRIPTION

    _M_a_i_l with no argument prints a user's mail, message-by-
    message, in last-in, first-out order; the optional argument
    + causes first-in, first-out order.  For each message, it
    reads a line from the standard input to direct disposition
    of the message.

    newline
         Go on to next message.

    d    Delete message and go on to the next.

    p    Print message again.

    -    Go back to previous message.

    s [ _f_i_l_e ] ...
         Save the message in the named _f_i_l_e_s (`mbox' default).

    w [ _f_i_l_e ] ...
         Save the message, without a header, in the named _f_i_l_e_s
         (`mbox' default).

    m [ _p_e_r_s_o_n ] ...
         Mail the message to the named _p_e_r_s_o_n_s (yourself is
         default).

    EOT (control-D)
         Put unexamined mail back in the mailbox and stop.

    q    Same as EOT.

    !_c_o_m_m_a_n_d
         Escape to the Shell to do _c_o_m_m_a_n_d.

    *    Print a command summary.

    An interrupt normally causes termination of the command; the
    mail file is unchanged.  The optional argument -i causes
    _m_a_i_l to continue after interrupts.

    When _p_e_r_s_o_n_s are named, _m_a_i_l takes the standard input up to
    an end-of-file (or a line with just `.') and adds it to each
    _p_e_r_s_o_n'_s `mail' file.  The message is preceded by the
    sender's name and a postmark.  Lines that look like
    postmarks are prepended with `>'.  A _p_e_r_s_o_n is usually a
    user name recognized by _l_o_g_i_n(1).  To denote a recipient on
    a remote system, prefix _p_e_r_s_o_n by the system name and excla-
    mation mark (see _u_u_c_p(1)).

    The -f option causes the named file, e.g. `mbox', to be
    printed as if it were the mail file.

    When a user logs in he is informed of the presence of mail.

FILES

    /etc/passwd            to identify sender and locate persons
    /usr/spool/mail/*      incoming mail for user *
    mbox                   saved mail
    /tmp/ma*               temp file
    /usr/spool/mail/*.lock lock for mail directory
    dead.letter            unmailable text

SEE ALSO

    write(1), uucp(1), uux(1)

BUGS

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

    Normally anybody can read your mail.  An installation can
    overcome this by making _m_a_i_l a set-user-id command that owns
    the mail directory.