MAILTOOL(1)

NAME
mailtool - SunView interface for the mail program

SYNOPSIS
mailtool [ -Mx ] [ -Mi interval ] [ generic-tool-arguments ]

AVAILABILITY
This command is available with the software installation option. Refer to for information on how to install optional software.

DESCRIPTION

mailtool is the standard SunView interface to mail(1). It provides a window and mouse-based interface for reading, storing, composing, and sending mail messages. Scrollable windows allow easy access to your mailbox and mail folders. Software “panel buttons” make frequently-used commands readily available. Less-used commands are accessible from menus, and keyboard accelerators are provided for the more experienced user.

The full editing capabilities of textedit(1) and the SunView selection service are available for modifying and composing mail. In addition, you can customize mailtool by setting various parameters with defaultsedit(1).

OPTIONS

-Mx Expert mode. Do not ask for confirmation after potentially damaging mail commands. This has the same effect as setting the expert variable.

-Mi interval
    Check for new mail every interval seconds. This has the same effect as specifying a value for the interval variable.

generic-tool-arguments
    mailtool accepts the generic tool arguments described in sunview(1).

USAGE
Users who are not familiar with the mail command should read For more information on text editing and the selection service, see the

mailtool comes up closed. You can open the tool by clicking on the icon with the LEFT mouse button. mailtool starts reading your system mailbox as it opens. Alternatively, the frame menu on the icon contains the Open pull-right item, which allows you to open mailtool to a selected folder, or open and Compose, or just open without performing any other operation.

  Subwindows

mailtool is composed of six parts. From top to bottom, they are:

frame header
    This is the broad stripe at the top of the tool, and it displays status information. The right side displays information about the most-recently executed command. The left side displays other information such as the name of the current folder. When involved in a lengthy operation, mailtool displays a message to that effect on the left side. While an operation is pending, the cursor takes on the shape of an hourglass; you must wait until it finishes.

header-list window
    This read-only text window contains a list of message headers from the current folder or mailbox. Initially, it shows the contents of your system mailbox (by default). Each header typically contains fields indicating who the message is from, its subject, and so forth. There is a scrollbar to the left that you can use to scroll through the headers.

control panel
    This panel contains a collection of software buttons corresponding to the most frequently used mail(1) commands. Clicking on one of these buttons starts the indicated operation for either the selected or the current message. Commands that require the name of a folder, such as Save, use the contents of the `File:' text item. You must enter the name of a file or folder in this space before clicking on the button.

    In addition to the panel buttons, other commands and variations are accessible through menus “behind” each panel button. To display a button menu, hold down the RIGHT mouse button over the panel button. See Command Menus, below, for details.

The message window
    This text window displays the current message (marked with `>' in the header window). You can edit this message, in which case the result replaces the original message in the mailbox or folder.

composition panel
    This panel contains software buttons for composing or replying to messages, and is visible only when you are composing a message or reply.

composition window
    This text window, in which you compose messages to send, appears in conjunction with the composition panel. It is normally displayed only when composing a message or reply. It is initially loaded with mail header lines such as `To:' and `Subject:', and perhaps, `Cc:'. After these labels come various text fields, such as |>recipients<|. You can move from field to field using CTRL-TAB. This advances to the next text field. If you supply input to the field, your input replaces its contents. Empty fields are deleted when the message is sent. You can continue to edit the message as you see fit until you click on Deliver, at which point the message is sent as is. (You normally cannot retrieve a message once it has been sent).

pop-up composition window
    While composing a message or reply, clicking again on Compose or Reply, opens another frame that contains a composition panel and window. The only limit on the number of such pop-up composition frames is the number of windows that a tool can support. These additional frames operate independently.

  Basic Mailtool Concepts

Choosing a message
    To choose a message, place the cursor anywhere in its header in the header window and click the LEFT mouse button. If there is no message chosen, mailtool applies operations to the current message.

Current message
    The message that is displayed in the message window, and flagged with a `>' in the header window.

Confirmation
    Some operations require confirmation, in which case an alert is displayed. You can then confirm or cancel the operation.

Folders
    When mailtool starts up, it normally reads your system mailbox. However, you can select another “folder” (file containing mail messages) from which to read.

Committing Changes
    Some operations change the state of your system mailbox or the current folder. These changes are not finalized until you commit them. For instance, you can “undelete” messages that were deleted, provided that you have not yet done an operation that commits your changes. If the mailtool session is interrupted, pending changes to the mailbox or folder do not take effect. The Done button commits changes, as does the Quit button, which also exits from mailtool. To deliberately exit without committing, use the pop-up menu behind the Quit button.

  Control Panel

Except for the Next and Undelete buttons, mailtool commands operate on the selected message or the current message only. You cannot specify a list or range of messages as with mail(1). The control panel buttons and items are (in alphabetical order):

Compose
    Open a composition panel and window to compose a message.

Delete
    Delete the selected or current message.

Done
    Commit changes, close mailtool, and read new mail on next Open.

File:
    This is a text item in which to enter the name of a folder for the Save, Copy, and Folder commands. This name can be a full pathname, a pathname relative to the current directory (the directory mailtool was started from), or a filename prefixed with a `+' to refer to a file in the “folder” directory.

Folder
    Commit changes and switch to the file or folder specified in the `File:' text item.

Misc
    Display a pop-up panel to change the current directory of mailtool. Other miscellaneous operations are available on the menu behind this button.

New Mail
    If you are examining your system mailbox, retrieve new mail without committing changes. If your are examining a folder, commit any changes to the folder, switch back to system mailbox, and retrieve any new mail in the process.

Next
    Display the message following the current message in the message window.

Print
    Print the corresponding message on a hardcopy printer.

Reply
    Open a composition window to reply to the selected or current message.

Save
    Save the current or selected message in the folder specified in the `File:' text field, and delete it from your system mailbox or current folder.

Show
    Display the chosen or current message in the message window.

  The Composition Panel

This panel contains four buttons and a cycle-item. The cycle-item controls the behavior of the composition window when it becomes inactive — when the user delivers or cancels a message. Items in the cycle are:

Disappear
    Remove the composition window and panel from display. This is the default.

Stay Up
    Clear the window, but leave it displayed.

Close
    Close a pop-up composition frame.

The panel buttons are:

Cancel
    Abort the message being composed.

Deliver
    Send the message being composed to the indicated recipients.

Include
    Insert the corresponding message into the composition window at the caret. This operation can be performed repeatedly, to include various messages.

Re-address
    Insert the appropriate `To:', `Subject:' and `Cc:' fields at the top of the composition window.

  Command Menus

All panel buttons have menus behind them. The first item on the menu is the default command; choosing this item is the same as clicking on the panel button.

Some menu items are pull-right to menus of related commands. You can browse the button menus to discover what additional commands are available, and what their accelerators are, if any. The following commands are particularly useful.

Change Directory
    Display a pop-up panel to change the current directory.

Commit Changes
    Commit changes. This item is behind the New Mail button when viewing a folder.

Commit Changes and Quit
    Behind the Done button. Commit changes and exit mailtool(1). This is the same as choosing Quit from the frame menu.

Commit Changes and Retrieve New Mail
    Behind the New Mail button. Commit changes and retrieve new mail, switching to the system mail box if in a folder. This is the default when viewing a folder.

Copy
    Behind the Save button. Copy the selected message to the file or folder specified in the `File:' text item, without deleting it from the mailbox or folder.

Deliver, Leave Window Intact
    Behind the Deliver button. Deliver the message, but do not undisplay, close, or clear the message composition window.

Include, Indented
    Behind the Include button. Include the indicated message, setting it off by indentation rather than bracketing it with `--- Begin Included Message ---' and `--- End Included Message ---' lines.

Previous
    Behind the Next button. Display the previous message in the message window.

Quit without Committing Changes
    Behind the Done button. Exit mailtool without committing changes.

Show Full Header
    Behind the Show button. Display the complete message in the message window, including header lines that are normally ignored.

Source .mailrc
    Behind the Misc button. Read in your .mailrc file to acquire new variables and settings. Note: this operation does not “forget” the previous option settings; only changes to boolean variables take effect.

Undelete
    Behind the Delete button. Undelete the most recently deleted message(s) — this may be used repeatedly. It is inactive when there are no deleted messages.

There are two special menus for use with the `File:' text item. Choosing a name from either of these menus replaces the contents of this item. The menu behind the `File:' item holds the most recently used folder names of the current session. It is be initialized by the filemenu variable. The menu behind the Folder button displays all folders in the “folder” directory, which is specified by the folder variable (described in mail(1)). Folders can be organized into subdirectories within the folder directory. Files in these subdirectories appear in a hierarchy of pull-right menus.

To switch to a folder, choose it from one of the file menus, or type it in directly, and click on the Folder button. To return to your system mailbox, use the New Mail button.

  Mailtool Variables

In addition to the variables recognized by mail(1), mailtool recognizes those listed below. They can be set by using defaultsedit(1), or by editing your .mailrc file directly. Unless otherwise noted, the default for the following variables is off.

allowreversescan
    When set, allows you to step through messages in latest-first oldest-first order if you choose. The next message depends on the order of travel.

alwaysusepopup
    Never split the message window to compose or reply; always use pop-up composition windows.

askbcc
    Prompt for the `Bcc:' field when composing or replying.

autoprint
    Display the next message when the current message is deleted or saved.

bell
    The number of times to ring the bell when new mail arrives. The default is 0.

disablefields
    Do not use text fields in the composition window. The default is to use text fields.

editmessagewindow
    Request confirmation before the first editing operation to a message in the message window (as opposed to composing a reply). The default is not to request confirmation of the first edit.

expert
    Set expert mode in which no confirmations are requested.

filemenu
    A list of files from which to initialize the `File:' menu. These can be absolute pathnames, pathnames relative to the working directory for mailtool (typically your home directory), or filenames prefixed with a `+', which are taken as relative to the directory specified in the folder variable (see mail(1)).

filemenusize
    Specifies the maximum size of the `File:' menu. The default is 10.

flash
    The number of times to flash the window or icon when new mail arrives. The default is 0.

headerlines
    The number of lines in header window. The default is 10.

interval
    The interval in seconds to check for new mail. The default is 300.

maillines
    The number of lines in mail message window. The default is 30.

moveinputfocus
    Move the input focus into the composition window for Compose and Reply. This only works for click-to-type.

pop-uplines
    The number of lines in pop-up message composition window. The default is 30.

msgpercent
    The percent of the message window to remain visible during Compose or Reply. The default is 50.

printmail
    The command to use to print a message. The default is `lpr -p'.

trash
    The name of trash bin, which may be accessed just like any other folder. If set, all deleted messages are moved to the trash bin. The trash bin is emptied when you commit changes.

  Conditional Settings

You can make your .mailrc set variables conditionally, depending on whether it is running in the tty environment or the window environment. See for details.

ENVIRONMENT

The environment variables LC_CTYPE, LANG, and LC_default control the character classification throughout mailtool. On entry to mailtool, these environment variables are checked in the following order: LC_CTYPE, LANG, and LC_default. When a valid value is found, remaining environment variables for character classification are ignored. For example, a new setting for LANG does not override the current valid character classification rules of LC_CTYPE. When none of the values is valid, the shell character classification defaults to the POSIX.1 “C” locale.

FILES
/var/spool/mail/*
    system mailboxes
~/.mailrc
    startup file for mail and mailtool

SEE ALSO
bin-mail(1), defaultsedit(1), mail(1), sunview(1), textedit(1) aliases(5), locale(5), newaliases(8), sendmail(8)

BUGS

If mail(1) receives an error, then mailtool may hang, in which case you must kill it.

New mail status is only approximate, therefore the presence of new mail is not always accurately reflected in the icon image or tool frame header.

Mouse input may be lost while mailtool switches to iconic state.

When notifying you of new mail, mailtool will not flash the window or icon without beeping (ringing the audible bell). Thus, the number of flashes is limited by the number of beeps you set.

Unlike mail(1), mailtool retains unsaved messages in the system mailbox by default; that is, the hold variable is initially set.