BINMAIL(1)                                                          BINMAIL(1)


NAME
       binmail - send or receive mail among users

SYNOPSIS
       /bin/mail [ + ] [ -i ] [ person ] ...
       /bin/mail [ + ] [ -i ] -f file


DESCRIPTION
       Note:  This is the old version 7 UNIX system mail program.  The default
       _m_a_i_l command is described in _M_a_i_l(1), and its binary is in  the  direc‐
       tory _/_u_s_r_/_u_c_b.

       _m_a_i_l  with  no  argument  prints  a user’s mail, message-by-message, in
       last-in, first-out order; the optional argument  +  displays  the  mail
       messages  in  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  terminates  the _m_a_i_l command; the mail file is
       unchanged.  The optional argument  −−i  tells  _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  exclamation  mark
       (see _u_u_c_p(1C)).

       The -f option causes the named file, for example, ‘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
       Mail(1), write(1), uucp(1C), uux(1C), xsend(1), sendmail(8)

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

       Normally anybody can read your mail, unless it is sent by _x_s_e_n_d(1).  An
       installation  can  overcome  this  by making _m_a_i_l a set-user-id command
       that owns the mail directory.


7th Edition                     April 29, 1985                      BINMAIL(1)