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The VMS MAIL Utility allows you to send and receive messages to and from other users on the TTU VAXcluster as well as users of computers at sites connected by wide-area networks such as BITNET, TECnet and the Internet.
In order to invoke MAIL on node TTUMIS, choose MAIL from the UTIL menu. The MAIL> prompt will appear. To exit MAIL, type exit at the MAIL> prompt.
?> mail
MAIL> exit
?>
MAIL will tell you if you have any unread messages when you enter the MAIL utility. To see a list of these new mail messages (which are located in the NEWMAIL folder), type dir or dir newmail at the MAIL> prompt.
?> mail
You have 2 new messages.
MAIL> dir
NEWMAIL
# From Date Subject
1 TTU::JQU1234 18-APR-1991 RE: Thesis Proposal
2 TTU::BLT3392 18-APR-1991 Results of Experiment
MAIL>
To read these new messages, you can do any of the following:
You can continue pressing the Return key to view subsequent new messages until MAIL tells you that you have no more new messages to read. Once you have read a new message and exited MAIL (or selected another folder), it is moved from the NEWMAIL folder to the MAIL folder. To view a list of your old messages, type dir mail.
MAIL> dir mail
MAIL
# From Date Subject
1 TTU::BLT3392 2-APR-1990 Help!
2 TTU::BLT3392 6-APR-1990 Problem solved
3 TTU::ABC4441 22-JUN-1990 RE: Assignment
4 IN%"FRED@UK.BITNET" 29-JUN-1990 Conference Details
5 TTU::BLT3392 3-JUL-1990 PHOTOLYSIS RESULTS
6 IN%"mwjones@uiucvmd 26-JUL-1990 VAX-to-Mac Connectivity
MAIL>
To read any message, type its message number.
MAIL> 2
#2 6-APR-1990 08:11:01.90 MAIL
From: TTU::BLT3392 "Brian Thompson"
To: DWM3387
CC:
Subj: Problem Solved
Thanks for your help. Your suggestion worked!
Brian
MAIL>
To send a message to another user, type send at the MAIL> prompt. At the To: prompt, type the e-mail address of the person to receive your message. If you are sending mail to someone who has an account on TTUMIS, that person's e-mail address is simply his username. If the recipient has an account at another site, it will be more complicated. Check with that person for her e-mail address, and then follow the appropriate example.
At the Subj: prompt, type a short title. Once you press Return, the EVE editor will be invoked, and you may type your message. (For more information about using EVE, consult Academic Computing Support). When you are finished typing your message, press GOLD. The GOLD key is located on the keypad to the right of the main keyboard. It is labelled as NUMLOCK or PF1 on most keyboards. Once you've pressed the GOLD key, press the 7 directly below it. At the resulting Command: prompt, type either exit to send the message, or quit to cancel without sending.
(Note: if pressing GOLD-7 does not give you a Command: prompt, press [CTRL-Z] to send the message, and then contact Academic Computing Support for help updating your terminal emulation package).
MAIL> send
To: dwm3387
Subj: Hello
Hi. I think I've figured out how to use mail! Please let me know
if you don't get this message.
[You then press GOLD-7 and type EXIT to send the message]
MAIL>
Here are some additional examples, showing the format required for various types of e-mail addresses.
MAIL> send
To: in%"clyde@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu"
Subj: Hello
MAIL> send
To: in%"jones@ukcc.bitnet"
Subj: Hello
MAIL> send
To: ttu::blt5071
Subj: Hello
There are two ways to send a message to more than one user at a time. One way is to just enter several usernames, separated by commas, after the To: prompt.
MAIL> send
To: dwm3387,jqu1234,in%"clyde@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu",abc3333
Another way is to use a distribution list. This method is especially useful if there is a group of people to whom you send mail on a regular basis. To create a distribution list, you'll need to use the EDIT command from the UTIL menu. Put one username on each line, and name your file with the extension dis.
?> EDIT
Enter the FULL name of your File > friends.dis
dwm3387
jqu1234
in%"clyde@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu"
abc3333
[You then press GOLD-7 and type EXIT to save the file]
Then, when you are using MAIL, at the To: prompt, type in an @ sign followed by the name of the distribution list without the extension.
MAIL> send
To: @friends
To send a text file to another user, type send filename.ext at the MAIL> prompt, where filename.ext is the name of the file you want to send. You can use the /noedit qualifier to send the file without invoking EVE.
MAIL> send/noedit faulkner.essay
To: dwm3387
Subj: The Sound and the Fury
MAIL>
Note that you can only send text files through MAIL; non-text files (such as WordPerfect documents) must first be converted to an special text format using a program such as UUENCODE. Contact Academic Computing Support for more information.
To reply to the current message, type reply. MAIL will fill in the To: and Subj: lines for you, and place you in the EVE editor with the text of the original message quoted, ready for you to edit and type your reply.
MAIL> read/new
#1 6-APR-1990 08:11:01.90 MAIL
From: TTU::DWM3387 "D. W. Mattson"
To: JQU1234
Subj: Lunch
Where do you want to go for lunch? I'll need to be back by 1pm.
MAIL> reply
To: TTU::DWM3387
Subj: RE: Lunch
> From: TTU::DWM3387 "D. W. Mattson"
> To: JQU1234
> Subj: Lunch
>
> Where do you want to go for lunch? I'll need to be back by 1pm.
Why don't we check out the new Italian place?
[You then press GOLD-7 and type EXIT]
MAIL>
To forward the current message to another person, type forward at the MAIL> prompt. To forward without invoking the EVE editor, use the /noedit qualifier.
MAIL> read/new
#1 6-APR-1990 08:11:01.90 MAIL
From: TTU::BLT3392 "Brian Thompson"
To: BEG
Subj: Running ACSL in Batch
How do I run an ACSL program as a batch job?
MAIL> forward/noedit
To: pjt
Subj: Please help this person
To extract a message you are reading or have just read into a text file in your current directory, type: extract filename.ext where filename.ext is the name of the file you want to create. Once you have a copy of the file in your directory, you may view it on your terminal screen using the MOST command, or print it out by using the PRINT or RPRINT command, all available from the UTIL menu.
#25 20-SEP-1992 13:53:24.60 MAIL
From: TTU::JQU1854 "Jane User"
To: BLT3392
CC:
Subj: Creating binary files in FORTRAN
Hi.
I tried creating a binary file and found that FORTRAN prepends
one word (32 bits) of control information before each output record.
Jane
MAIL> extract suggestion.txt
%MAIL-I-CREATED, DISK$ADMINUSER:[BLT3392]SUGGESTION.TXT;1 created
MAIL> exit
?> most
Enter the FULL name of your File> suggestion.txt
#25 20-SEP-1992 13:53:24.60 MAIL
From: TTU::JQU1854 "Jane User"
To: BLT3392
CC:
Subj: Creating binary files in FORTRAN
Hi.
I tried creating a binary file and found that FORTRAN prepends
one word (32 bits) of control information before each output record.
Jane
If you want to include only the actual message text in your file, use the /noheader qualifier (e.g. extract/noheader suggestion.txt).
You can send a copy of your message to a printer attached to your terminal by extracting the message into a file, exiting MAIL, and then using the RPRINT command.
#25 16-FEB-1993 13:53:24.60 MAIL
From: TTU::ABS3333 "Andrew Smith"
To: DWM3387
CC:
Subj: Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Meeting
The next meeting will be Monday, February 22, at 1:30pm in our
regular location. Please be on time!!!!
Andrew
MAIL> extract meeting.txt
%MAIL-I-CREATED, DISK$ADMINUSER:[DWM3387]MEETING.TXT;1 created
MAIL> exit
?> rprint
Enter the FULL name of your File > meeting.txt
You can print a copy of a message you are reading on the system line printer by using the PRINT command. The messages you wish to print will begin printing after you exit MAIL.
MAIL> 25
#25 16-FEB-1993 13:53:24.60 MAIL
From: TTU::ABS3333 "Andrew Smith"
To: DWM3387
CC:
Subj: Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Meeting
The next meeting will be Monday, February 22, at 1:30pm in our
regular location. Please be on time!!!!
Andrew
MAIL> print
MAIL> exit
Job MAIL (queue AVAX_LPB0, entry 333) started on AVAX_LPB0
You should always delete mail messages from inside the MAIL utility. To delete a mail message you are currently reading, type delete. You can also delete a message by referring to its message number, i.e., delete #, where # is the number of the message.
MAIL> dir
# From Date Subject
1 TTU::BLT3392 2-APR-1990 Help!
2 TTU::BLT3392 6-APR-1990 Problem solved
3 TTU::ABC4441 22-JUN-1990 RE: Assignment
4 IN%"FRED@UK.BITNET" 29-JUN-1990 Conference Details
5 TTU::BLT3392 3-JUL-1990 PHOTOLYSIS RESULTS
6 IN%"mwjones@uiucvmd 26-JUL-1990 VAX-to-Mac Connectivity
MAIL> delete 3
MAIL> dir
# From Date Subject
1 TTU::BLT3392 2-APR-1990 Help!
2 TTU::BLT3392 6-APR-1990 Problem solved
3 (Deleted)
4 IN%"FRED@UK.BITNET" 29-JUN-1990 Conference Details
5 TTU::BLT3392 3-JUL-1990 PHOTOLYSIS RESULTS
6 IN%"mwjones@uiucvmd 26-JUL-1990 VAX-to-Mac Connectivity
MAIL>
You can delete more than one message at a time as well. For example, delete 1,4-6 will delete messages 1, 4, 5 and 6. If you accidentally delete a message, you can recover it before you exit MAIL by moving it from the WASTEBASKET folder back to your MAIL folder.
MAIL> dir wastebasket
WASTEBASKET
# From Date Subject
1 TTU::ABC4441 22-JUN-1990 RE: Assignment
MAIL> 1
[message not shown here to save space]
MAIL> move mail
MAIL>
If you receive many messages, it is useful to file them into folders. You have three default folders in VMS MAIL: a NEWMAIL folder where new messages reside, a MAIL folder where messages you have already read are stored, and a WA STEBASKET folder where messages you have deleted are retained until you exit MAIL. You can create your own folders and move messages into them with the MOVE command.
MAIL> 5
[message not shown in this example]
MAIL> move recipes
Folder RECIPES does not exist.
Do you want to create it (Y/N, default is N)? y
%MAIL-I-NEWFOLDER, folder RECIPES created
MAIL> 6
[message not shown in this example]
MAIL> move recipes
MAIL> dir recipes
RECIPES
# From Date Subject
1 IN%"holland@CX3COM.E 27-JAN-1993 Good Pasta Dishes
2 IN%"rp31@ukcc.BITNET 27-JAN-1993 Lentils with Rishta
MAIL>
As shown in the above example, typing the command dir followed by the name of the folder will select that folder and list the messages in it. To get a list of all your folders, type the following command at the MAIL> prompt: dir/folder
MAIL> dir/folder
Listing of folders in USER:[BLT3392.MAIL]MAIL.MAI;1
Press CTRL/C to cancel listing
BGRASS-L CHEMISTRY
DISSPLA-L MACINTOSH
MAIL NET-TRAIN
NEWMAIL RECIPES
SIGUCCS
MAIL>
When you delete all the messages in a folder, the folder is automatically deleted also.
You can invoke the spelling checker while editing your message by pressing GOLD-7, and at the resulting Command: prompt, typing spell.
Many people like to include information such as an e-mail address and phone number at the bottom of every message. If you would like MAIL to automatically include your signature, use the EDIT command to create a file named signature.txt in your top-level directory. In that file, include the information you want automatically appended to all your mail messages. Limit the signature file to a maximum of four lines. When you are finished creating your signature file, exit the editor by pressing GOLD-7 and then typing exit.
To set MAIL to automatically send you a copy of every message you send, type this command at the MAIL> prompt: set copy_self send
There is an on-line help facility in MAIL for more information. To use it, type help at the MAIL> prompt.
Listed below and on the next page is a summary of MAIL commands covered in this handout.
?> MAIL Enter the MAIL facility.
MAIL> READ Allows you to read new mail messages.
MAIL> [RETURN] Also, allows you to read new mail messages.
MAIL> READ/NEW Allows you to read new mail if you are already
in the mail utility.
MAIL> REPLY Sends a message to the sender of the current
message.
MAIL> SEND Initiates sending a mail message.
To: Enter username to whom you are sending.
Subj: Enter subject of the mail. Then, enter the
message.
[GOLD-7] EXIT Sends the message.
[GOLD-7] QUIT Interrupts and cancels the mail message.
MAIL> SEND fn.ext Initiates sending a file.
To: Enter username to whom you are sending.
Subj: Enter subject of the mail.
MAIL> FORWARD Forward the message you are reading to
To: another user. You can provide your own
Subj: information on the SUBJECT line.
MAIL> DIR Directory of mail messages in the currently
selected folder.
MAIL> DIR foldername Selects specified folder and gives directory
of mail messages in it.
MAIL> DELETE # Deletes message number # from your directory.
MAIL> EXTRACT fn.ext Copies a message you are reading to a file in
your current working directory.
MAIL> PRINT Prints the message on the system line printer.
MAIL> MOVE foldername Moves the current message to specified folder.
MAIL> HELP Provides information about using MAIL.
MAIL> EXIT Leave the MAIL facility.
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