BINMAIL(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual 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 directory /_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. Printed 11/26/99 April 29, 1985 1 BINMAIL(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual BINMAIL(1) 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 post- marks 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 exclama- tion 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. Printed 11/26/99 April 29, 1985 2