diff --git a/wiki/source/email.md b/wiki/source/email.md index cf4956b..a3024a5 100644 --- a/wiki/source/email.md +++ b/wiki/source/email.md @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ author: category: tutorial --- -Your shiny, new tilde.club account comes with an email account. `alpine` is a command-line email application to use it, as is `mutt`. Good old-fashioned `mail` works too, although it's a little cryptic. +Your shiny, new tilde.club account comes with an email account. `alpine` is a command-line email application to use it, as is `mutt`. [Good old-fashioned `mail` works too](#using-traditional-unix-mail-program), once configured properly; although it's a little cryptic. `alpine` is menu driven, and the menus are self-explanatory; it's surprisingly easy to learn, and surprisingly powerful when you want to customize it. @@ -121,6 +121,75 @@ those emails would not produce notification. where people write Sieve filter to redirect unsolicited emails into Junk folder) +## Using Traditional Unix Mail Program + +A traditional Unix `mail` program provided on Tilde.club +is [Heirloom Mailx](https://heirloom.sourceforge.net/mailx.html). +In its default configuration, +it works for sending emails, +but not receiving; +due to the incoming [mailbox format](#mailbox-format) +used in Tilde.club +not being the old style system-wide centralized inbox folders +used in the olden days, +which the program expects by default. + +However, +for anyone who are soughting for a traditional Unix mail experience, +or is experimenting with Tilde.club using a real teleprinter; +Heirloom Mailx could be configured +to operate directly on your Tilde.club mailbox, +with some quirks, +by adding the following lines to your `~/.mailrc` +or create it with the following lines if not already existing +(substitute `USERNAME` part with your Tilde.club username): + + set MAIL=/home/USERNAME/.mail + set folder=.mail + set emptybox + set newfolders=maildir + set record=+.sent-mail + +Once you did so, +running `mail` would now show the list your emails +if you have any in your inbox. +(Type `q` and press Enter to quit) + +Tips: + +- Set your `PAGER` and `EDITOR` environment variables properly; + unless you really want to view your emails through `more` + and/or compose your emails through `ed`. + (Even if you are really using a teleprinter, + it is still a good idea to set these explicitly however) +- Type `?` and press Enter for in-program help. + Also read a manual + (`man mail` from the main system command line). +- Heirloom Mailx does not understand the Maildir++ subfolder structure; + so you will have to type the name of subdirectory + as seen in the filesystem + (including its dot prefix) + when changing folder. + For example, + use command: + + folder +.sent-mail + + to view the emails you have sent. + (See [mailbox format](#mailbox-format) + below for the default folders available) +- When changing to view mail folder other than inbox, + you nearly always want to prefix it with `+`; + which means the folder is a subdirectory of the main email folder. +- When changing to view the main inbox folder, + simply use `%` as folder name + without any prefix. +- Marking email as junk here + does not do a thing you would normally expect + from modern email clients + or webmails; + so don't do it. + ## Mailbox Format Tilde.club uses [Dovecot](https://www.dovecot.org/) as a local mail delivery agent