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diff --git a/doc/tech-notes.txt b/doc/tech-notes.txt new file mode 100644 index 00000000..443f26c4 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/tech-notes.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11840 @@ + + Alpine Technical Notes + + Version 2.10, January 2013 + +Table of Contents + + Introduction + + * Design Goals + * Alpine Components + + Background Details + + * Domain Names + * RFC 2822 Compliance + * SMTP and Sendmail + * Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) + * Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) + * Folder Collections + + Building and Installation + + * Compile-time Options + * Including LDAP Functionality + * Including Kerberos 5 Functionality + * Other Alpine Compile-time Options + * IMAPd Compile-time Options + * Building the Alpine Programs + * Installing Alpine and Pico on UNIX Platforms + * Installing PC-Alpine + * Installing IMAPd + * Support Files and Environment Variables: UNIX Alpine + * Support Files, Environment Variables, and Registry Values: PC-Alpine + + Command Line Arguments + + * Alpine + * Pico + * Pilot + + Configuration and Preferences + + * Alpine Configuration + * General Configuration Variables + * Configuration Features + * Hidden Config Variables and Features + * Retired Variables + * Tokens for Index and Replying + * Conditional Inclusion of Text for Reply-Leadin, Signatures, and + Templates + * Per Server Directory Configuration + * Color Configuration + * Index Line Color Configuration + * Role Configuration + * Filtering Configuration + * Scoring Configuration + * Other Rules Configuration + * Search Rules Configuration + * Patterns + * Configuring News + Configuration Notes + + Alpine in Function Key Mode + + Domain Settings + + Syntax for Collections + + Syntax for Folder Names + + Server Name Syntax + + Folder Namespaces + + What is a Mail Drop? + + Sorting a Folder + + Alternate Editor + + Signatures and Signature Placement + + Feature List Variable + + Configuration Inheritance + + Using Environment Variables + + SMTP Servers + + MIME.Types file + + Color Details + + S/MIME Overview + + Additional Notes on PC-Alpine + + Behind the Scenes + + * Address Books + * Remote Configuration + * Checkpointing + * Debug Files + * INBOX and Special Folders + * Internal Help Files + * International Character Sets + * Interrupted and Postponed Messages + * Message Status + * MIME: Reading a Message + * MIME: Sending a Message + * New Mail Notification + * NFS + * Printers and Printing + * Save and Export + * Sent Mail + * Spell Checker + * Terminal Emulation and Key Mapping + + Introduction + +Design Goals + + Throughout _Alpine_ development, we have had to strike a balance between the + need to include features which advanced users require and the need to keep + things simple for beginning users. To strike this balance, we have tried to + adhere to these design principles: + + - The model presented to the user has to be simple and clear. + Underlying system operation is hidden as much as possible. + - It's better to have a few easily understood commands that can be + repeated than to have some more sophisticated command that will do + the job all at once. + - Whenever the user has to select a command, file name, address, + etc., the user should be given (or can get) a menu from which to make + the selection. Menus need to be complete, small, organized and well + thought out. + - _Alpine_ must provide immediate feedback for the user with each + operation. + - _Alpine_ must be very tolerant of user errors. Any time a user is + about to perform an irreversible act (send a message, expunge + messages from a folder), _Alpine_ should ask for confirmation. + - Users should be able to learn by exploration without fear of doing + anything wrong. This is an important feature so the user can get + started quickly without reading any manuals and so fewer manuals are + required. + - The core set of _Alpine_ functions should be kept to a minimum so + new users don't feel "lost" in seemingly extraneous commands and + concepts. + + Just as there were goals relating to the look and feel of _Alpine_, there + were equally important goals having to do with _Alpine_'s structure-the + things that users never see but still rely on every time they use _Alpine_. + While _Alpine_ can be used as a stand-alone mail user agent, one of its + strongest assets is its use of the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) + for accessing remote email folders. In addition, _Pine_ (the predecessor of + _Alpine_) was one of the first programs to support the Multipurpose Internet + Mail Extensions (MIME) specification. With MIME, _Alpine_ users can reliably + send any binary file to any other person on the Internet who uses a MIME + compliant email program. + + The decision to use IMAP and MIME reflects the importance of + interoperability, standardization and robustness in _Alpine_. As you work + with _Alpine_ more, you will see other features which reflect the same + values. For example, _Alpine_ enforces strict compliance with RFC 2822, + implements a strong mail folder locking mechanism and verifies a process + before overwriting any files (e.g. addressbook, expunging messages). + +Alpine Components + + If you have picked up the _Alpine_ distribution, then you already know that + _Alpine_ comes in a few different pieces. They are: + + _Alpine_ + The main code from which the _Alpine_ program is compiled. + _Pico_ + _Pico_ is the name for the _Alpine_ composer. The _Pico_ code is used + in two ways: (1) it is compiled on its own to be a stand-alone editor + and, (2) it is compiled as a library for _Alpine_ to support + composition of messages within _Alpine_. _Pico_ is _Alpine_'s + internal editor invoked when users need to fill in header lines or + type the text of an email message. + _Imap_ + An API for IMAP. Includes the C-Client library, which is compiled + into _Alpine_, and the IMAP server _IMAPd_. C-Client implements the + IMAP protocol and also negotiates all access between _Alpine_ and the + mail folders it operates on, even if the folders are local. The + C-Client routines are used for email folder parsing and interpreting + MIME messages. _IMAPd_ is a separate server that handles IMAP + connections from any IMAP-compliant email program. When _Alpine_ + accesses a remote mailbox, the _Alpine_ program is the IMAP client + and the _IMAPd_ program is the IMAP server. Of course, _Alpine_ can + use any IMAP-compliant IMAP server, not just _IMAPd_. + + Background Details + +Domain Names + + Domain names are used to uniquely name each host on the Internet. A domain + name has a number of parts separated by periods. Each label represents a + level in the hierarchy. An example of a name is: + + olive.cac.washington.edu + + In this domain name the top-level label is _edu_, indicating it is at an + educational institution, the second-level label is _washington_, indicating + the University of Washington. _cac_ is a specific department within the + University of Washington, and _olive_ is the host name. The top-level names + are assigned by Internet organizations, and other names are assigned at the + appropriate level. The Domain Name Service, DNS, is the distributed database + used to look up these names. + + _Alpine_ relies on domain names in multiple places. A domain name is + embedded into the message-id line generated for each piece of email. A + domain name is needed to contact an IMAP server to get access to remote + INBOXes and folders. Most importantly, domain names are needed to construct + the From: line of your outgoing messages so that people on the Internet will + be able to get email back to you. + + On UNIX systems, you can set the domain via the user-domain variable in the + _Alpine_ configuration file, or rely on the file /etc/hosts which usually + sets the name of the local host. While _Alpine_ can often deliver email + without the domain name being properly configured, it is best to have this + set correctly. Problems can usually be solved by adjusting the system's + entry in the /etc/hosts file. The fully-qualified name should be listed + before any abbreviations. For example, + + 128.95.112.99 olive.cac.washington.edu olive + + is preferred over + + 128.95.112.99 olive olive.cac.washington.edu + + On PCs, the task of configuring the domain name is a bit different. Often + times PCs do not have domain names-they have _IP addresses_. IP addresses + are the numbers which uniquely identify a computer on the network. The way + you configure your IP address depends on the networking software which you + use on the PC. You can refer to the documentation which came with your + networking software or see the PC specific installation notes for help + configuring the IP address with your network software. + + With PCs, it is vital that users set the variable user-domain in the _Alpine_ + configuration file (PINERC). + + Details on configuring _Alpine_ with correct domain names can be found in + the Domain Settings section of this document. + _________________________________________________________________ + +RFC 2822 Compliance + + _Alpine_ tries to adhere to RFC 2822 fairly strictly. + + As far as outgoing email is concerned, _Alpine_ fully-qualifies addresses + whenever possible. They are even displayed in fully-qualified form on the + terminal as the user composes a message. This makes addresses more clear and + gives a hint to the user that the network extends beyond the local + organization. _Alpine_ implements fully-qualified domain names by tacking on + the local domain to all unqualified addresses which a user types in. Any + address which does not contain an "@" is considered unqualified. + + The format for addresses allows for spaces and special characters in the + full name of an address. For this reason, commas are required to separate + addresses. If any special characters as defined in RFC 2822 appear in the + full name, quotes are required around the address. _Alpine_ will insert the + quotes automatically if needed. The common cases where this happens are with + periods after initials and parentheses. + + _Alpine_ expects dates to be in the standard RFC 822 format which is + something like: + [www, ] dd mmm yy hh:mm[:ss] [timezone] + + It will attempt to parse dates that are not in this format. When an + unparsable date is encountered it is shown as question marks in the FOLDER + INDEX screen. + _________________________________________________________________ + +SMTP and Sendmail + + _Alpine_ is a _user agent_ not a _message transfer agent_ (MTA). In plain + English, that means _Alpine_ does not know how to interact with other + computers on the Internet to deliver or receive email. What _Alpine_ does + know how to do is help users read, organize and create email. The "dirty + work" of delivering and accepting email is handled by other programs. + + All outgoing email is delivered to an SMTP server or to a mail transfer + agent. A common mail transfer agent is sendmail. The usual method of + delivery used by _Alpine_ is to use either a local or a remote SMTP server. + + The selection of which MTA to use depends on the settings of smtp-server, + sendmail-path, and compile-time options. The first MTA specified in the + following list is used: + 1. _sendmail-path_ in /usr/local/lib/pine.conf.fixed + 2. _smtp-server_ in /usr/local/pine.conf.fixed + 3. _sendmail-path_ specified on the command line. + 4. _smtp-server_ specified on the command line. + 5. _sendmail-path_ in the user's .pinerc file. + 6. _smtp-server_ in the user's .pinerc file. + 7. _sendmail-path_ in /usr/local/lib/pine.conf + 8. _smtp-server_ in /usr/local/pine.conf + 9. DF_SENDMAIL_PATH defined at compile time. + 10. SENDMAIL and SENDMAILFLAGS defined at compile time. + + If the _sendmail-path_ form is used, a child process is forked, and the + specified command is executed with the message passed on standard input. + Standard output is then passed back and displayed for the user. _NOTE: The + program MUST read the message to be posted on standard input, AND operate in + the style of sendmail's "-t" option. This method is not recommended unless + there are special reasons you want to do this. _ + + If an _smtp-server_ is specified, _Alpine_ operates as an SMTP client. SMTP + stands for _Simple Mail Transfer Protocol_; it specifies the rules by which + computers on the Internet pass email to one another. In this case, _Alpine_ + passes outgoing email messages to a designated SMTP server instead of to a + mail transfer program on the local machine. A program on the server then + takes care of delivering the message. To make _Alpine_ operate as an SMTP + client, the smtp-server variable must be set to the IP address or host name + of the SMTP server within your organization. This variable accepts a comma + separated list of servers, so you can specify multiple alternate SMTP + servers. _PC-Alpine_ only runs as an SMTP client so the _smtp-server_ option + is mandatory. + + For UNIX _Alpine_, if neither _smtp-server_ or _sendmail-path_ is set, the + default sendmail program is invoked with the "-bs -odb -oem" flags, and the + message is sent using the SMTP protocol. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) + + IMAP is a remote access protocol for message stores. _Alpine_ uses IMAP to + get at messages and folders which reside on remote machines. With IMAP, + messages are kept on the server. An IMAP client (such as _Alpine_) can + request specific messages, headers, message structures, message parts, etc. + The client can also issue commands which delete messages from folders on the + server. IMAP's closest kin is POP, the Post Office Protocol, which works by + transferring an entire mailbox to the client where all the mail is kept. For + a comparison of IMAP and POP, see the paper "Comparing Two Approaches to + Remote Mailbox Access: IMAP vs. POP" by Terry Gray. A more detailed + exploration of message access may be found in the paper " Message Access + Paradigms and Protocols." + + IMAP Features: + * Allows access to mail folders from more than one client computer. + * Works well over low-bandwidth lines because information is sent in small + pieces as needed by the user. For example, only header information is + sent to build index lists, and if someone sends a large audio file via + MIME, you can choose when (or if) you want to get that part of the + message. + * Email can be delivered and stored on a well-maintained and reliable + server which is "always-up". + * Folders can be accessed and manipulated from anywhere on the Internet. + * Users can get to messages stored in different folders within the same + _Alpine_ session. + * Allows use of IMAP server for searching and parsing. + * The latest revision of IMAP (IMAP4) also provides for disconnected + operation, including resynchronization of message state between mail + servers and message caches on clients. _Alpine_ does not support this + capability, however. + + IMAP4rev1 is described in RFC 3501. Further information about IMAP may be + obtained from the University of Washington's IMAP Information Center. + + _Alpine_ is an IMAP4rev1 client. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) + + MIME is a way of encoding a multipart message structure into a standard + Internet email message. The parts may be nested and may be of seven + different types: Text, Audio, Image, Video, Message, Application and + Multipart (nested). The MIME specification allows email programs such as + _Alpine_ to reliably and simply exchange binary data (images, spreadsheets, + etc.). MIME includes support for international character sets, tagging each + part of a message with the character set it is written in, and providing + 7-bit encoding of 8-bit character sets. + + The MIME standard was officially published in June of 1992 as RFC 1341 and + subsequently revised in RFC 2045 when it became a full Internet Standard. + _Pine_ 3.0 was one of the first email programs to Implement MIME. Now, there + are dozens of commercial and freely available MIME-capable email programs. + In addition, MIME is being added to newsreaders so MIME messages can be + posted and read in USENET newsgroups. + + The MIME standard also includes support for non-ASCII text in message + headers through the extensions described in RFC 1342 and subsequently + revised in RFC 2047. + + An actual MIME message looks something like this: +Date: Tue, 12 Mar 1996 15:39:35 -0800 (PST) +From: David L Miller <dlm@cac.washington.edu> +To: David L Miller <dlm@cac.washington.edu> +Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Test_MIME_message_with_RFC-1522_headers_=28=E1?= =?i +so-8859-1?Q?=E2=E3=29?= +Message-Id: <Pine.ULT.3.92.960312150851.21583I-101000@shiva2.cac.washington.edu +> +Mime-Version: 1.0 +Content-Type: MULTIPART/MIXED; BOUNDARY="0-1737669234-826673975=:21583" +Content-Id: <Pine.ULT.3.92.960312153928.21583O@shiva2.cac.washington.edu> + + This message is in MIME format. The first part should be readable text, + while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without MIME-aware tools. + Send mail to mime@docserver.cac.washington.edu for more info. + +--0-1737669234-826673975=:21583 +Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII +Content-ID: <Pine.ULT.3.92.960312153104.21583L@shiva2.cac.washington.edu> + +The text of the message would go here. It is readable if +one doesn't mind wading around a little bit of the MIME +formatting. After this is a binary file in base 64 +encoding. + +|\ | |\/| David L. Miller dlm@cac.washington.edu (206) 685-6240 +|/ |_ | | Software Engineer, Pine Development Team (206) 685-4045 (FAX) +University of Washington, Networks & Distributed Computing, JE-20 +4545 15th Ave NE, Seattle WA 98105, USA + +--0-1737669234-826673975=:21583 +Content-Type: APPLICATION/ZIP; NAME="test.zip" +Content-Transfer-Encoding: BASE64 +Content-ID: <Pine.ULT.3.92.960312153638.21583N@shiva2.cac.washington.edu> +Content-Description: Test Attachment + +UEsDBBQAAAAIAGh8bCBbZKT4ygIAAHgFAAAEAAAAdGVzdIVUX2vbMBB/16c4 +9rSBNyjsYX1UHSUROLInycv2qNhKI5ZYxlLa5dvvpDRLw6CFgJF09/t3Rxo3 +WDBDD43rPJjJQpxMbw9m+h3AbyHuLLSDe7JTcPGUbtYm7NzwGP3wBYQnnT8c +7NQ5s4djsC8t4QbmYE6wsfjpLTy7uPPHCOPk/ATPk4vRDmS008GF4PzwPich +zY3m4LfxOQlPNy4GcEO3P/a2h2j/xGyp9ONpco+7CHf33+4/393ff4XNibzL +c1UVfXJXQIdIBRx877b4TYy9C3Fym2NEyzsX/pNDet8dD3aIJiagLbo2wwnG +4zT6cK66ZLK1NhH9J4tcZQEy7OxkNyd4nMwQbV9glP7JZb87E3O32fgnm7We +XQ8+us4SM47WTCkgMPt9enc2ZAW5c+Pj7o32l0IXXk/r8pSRE3A4jqOfIqqF +G+PFlSdRDOaQduXNESTwtDcYfJ8191gWXUjYmOJ43Oxdh11JTzRuSPcY37+B +vNqmf0O5RB1G27mt64rLCp4X8pW1L6BvxunCeYHNk3F7s9lb+GAwyvAhOyNE +Lxm0gv9gUnH9C+o5rKlacrHQtYAZV2VF+UoBrSp8kJIKzZkqgP1sJFMKagl8 +1VSczQqy5noJki2onIGuQS+5AlXPNfaxArgoq3aGwJDq6lZDxVdcU82RKMG/ +4JArTVKzYrJc4pE+8CoJpGIGc65FIp8jO4WGSs3LtqISmlY2tUKyVMUFETWw +H0xoUMvE8KbXB4aC6EPFzrDiF6iGlZxWBeFixiUrdXJb1kKx7y2C4hPM6Iou +WI4hdVyO6yXVqkZqiXmottLJ9lzWK1LVKttqk8oZ1TS1NrJGS5jqeslQI0aK +ieCvzNlgNZJqiccCc5WafLxmKdii4gsmSvYpISkteamzkRwXJiG5SoUpcERK +8xIE8QQ7o+eh5WAUy1qYRP8rioip/maI+OfyF1BLAQIUAxQAAAAIAGh8bCBb +ZKT4ygIAAHgFAAAEAAAAAAAAAAEAAACkgQAAAAB0ZXN0UEsFBgAAAAABAAEA +MgAAAOwCAAAAAA== +--0-1737669234-826673975=:21583-- + + For details about _Alpine_'s implementation of MIME, see the two MIME + sections "MIME: Reading a Message" and "MIME: Sending a Message" later in + this document. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Folder Collections + + Folder Collections are _Alpine_'s way of dealing with more than a single + group of folders. + + For a more complete description of Folder Collections, see the section on + "Syntax for Collections." + + The _Alpine_ distribution is designed to require as little configuration and + effort at compile time as possible. Still, there are some _Alpine_ behaviors + which are set at the time you compile _Alpine_. For each of these, there is + a reasonable (our opinion) default built into the code, so most systems + administrators will have no need for these steps. + + Building and Installation + +Compile-time Options + + _Alpine_'s UNIX build environment is based on Autotools (the GNU Build + System). Once you've unpacked the source distribution find the file + configure in the top-level directory. You may look at the many options + available by typing + + ./configure --help + + or you could just try building with the command + + ./configure + + followed by + + make + + Note, while the UW IMAP Toolkit (whose c-client library _Alpine_ uses for + mailbox access) build is not based on Autotools, _Alpine_'s configure script + should set an appropriate make target and compilation options for most + systems. + + Some of the following can only be set when you build. Others, however, can + be overridden by command-line flags to _Alpine_ or settings in _Alpine_'s + user or system configuration files. Some of the options which can be set + when building: + + Including LDAP Functionality + + By default, the configure script will attempt to find the LDAP library + support for you. If you are having trouble with LDAP take a look at the + configure options + --with-ldap-dir=DIR + Specify the root of the LDAP lib/include path. + --with-ldap-include-dir=DIR + Specify the LDAP include path. + --with-ldap-lib-dir=DIR + Specify the LDAP library path. + --without-ldap + Disable LDAP support. + + _Alpine_ uses LDAPv3 protocol. When using the LDAPv3 protocol, the results + are assumed to be in the UTF-8 character set, which _Alpine_ handles well. + If the LDAP server returns non-ascii data which is not encoded as UTF-8 you + will probably run into problems. + + Including Kerberos 5 Functionality + + This works analogously to the LDAP build. By default, the configure script + will attempt to find the Kerberos library support for you. If you are having + trouble with Kerberos take a look at the configure options + --with-krb5-dir=DIR + Specify the root of the Kerberos lib/include path. + --with-krb5-include-dir=DIR + Specify the Kerberos include path. + --with-krb5-lib-dir=DIR + Specify the Kerberos library path. + --without-krb5 + Disable Kerberos support. + + Other Alpine Compile-time Options + + --disable-nls + Do not use Native Language Support. NLS refers to the use of GNU + gettext utilities to localize a program, in the sense that English is + translated to some other language. At the time this was written the + low-level support for NSL is included in _Alpine_ but no translations + have been done. If there is no translation available, that means that + disabling NLS will make no difference. If you have trouble building + which is due to gettext or libintl you could try this option, or one + of the following. + --with-libintl-prefix[=DIR] + --without-libintl-prefix + --with-ssl-dir=DIR + Specify the root of the SSL lib/include path (OpenSSL). + --with-ssl-include-dir=DIR + Specify the SSL include path. + --with-ssl-lib-dir=DIR + Specify the SSL library path. + --with-ssl-certs-dir=DIR + Specify the path to the SSL certificates directory. + --without-ssl + Disable SSL support. + --without-pthread + Do not test for nor build with POSIX thread support, which is used + only for the Busy-Cue in the status line at this time. + --without-smime + Disable S/MIME support. + --disable-debug + Never create debug files. + --with-smtp-msa=PATH + Local Mail Submission Agent (sendmail, by default). + --with-smtp-msa-flags=FLAGS + MSA flags for SMTP on stdin/stdout (-bs -odb -oem). + + There are many more options which you can see using the + + ./configure --help + + command. + + IMAPd Compile-time Options + + There are no options or settings required for the version of _IMAPd_ + distributed with _Alpine_. If you need to be doing more complex + modifications to IMAP, then you should pick up the IMAP development package + and work with that code. The developer's version of IMAP is available for + anonymous ftp from ftp.cac.washington.edu in the directory mail. The file is + called imap.tar.Z. Unless it has changed since _Alpine_ was released, the + directory imap in the _Alpine_ distribution is the IMAP development package. + + The c-client library has not been converted to use the GNU Build System's + autotools. The _Alpine_ configure script will try to correctly guess the + arguments needed for the c-client make command and will build the library, + but if you need to change anything you should take a look at imap/docs/BUILD + for more detailed instructions. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Building the Alpine Programs + + You may have already compiled _Alpine_ and tried it out. If so, great! If + not, you should be able to do it without too much trouble by following these + step-by-step instructions: + + 1. Make sure you're in the root of the _Alpine_ source. When you type ls + you should see the following files and directories (or something close + to it): +aclocal.m4 config.sub imap Makefile.am packages web +alpine configure include Makefile.in pico +build.bat configure.ac install-sh mapi pith +build.cmd contrib LICENSE missing po +config.guess depcomp ltmain.sh mkinstalldirs README +config.rpath doc m4 NOTICE VERSION + 2. Give the command ./configure Configure should grind away for a few + minutes. + 3. When configure is complete, give the command make. If make stops and + asks + + Do you want to build with IPv6 anyway? Type y or n please: + you should answer with a 'y'. The compiler should grind away for a few + minutes. The _Alpine_ binary will end up in .../alpine/alpine and the + Pico and Pilot binaries in .../pico/pico and .../pico/pilot. Other + binaries you may be interested in are .../alpine/rpdump and + .../alpine/rpload and c-client binaries in the directories + .../imap/imapd, .../imap/ipopd, .../imap/mailutil, and so on. + 4. If you need to try again, make sure you're getting a clean start by + giving the command make clean. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Installing Alpine and Pico on UNIX Platforms + + Installing _Alpine_ and _Pico_ is simple. You take the program files which + you have just transferred or built and you move them to the correct + directory on your system. Most often the binaries go in /usr/local/bin + though sometimes they are placed in /usr/bin. All the help text is compiled + into _Alpine_ so there are no _required_ auxiliary files. Instead of copying + the binaries manually, you may use make install to install them. + + There are three optional auxiliary files: /usr/local/lib/pine.info, + /usr/local/lib/pine.conf, and /usr/local/lib/pine.conf.fixed. The file + pine.info contains text on how to get further help on the local system. It + is part of the help text for the main menu and should probably refer to the + local help desk or the system administrator. If this file doesn't exist a + generic version which suggests ``talking to the computer support staff at + your site'' is shown. The file pine.conf is used to set system-wide default + configurations for _Alpine_. The file pine.conf.fixed is also used to set + system-wide default configurations for _Alpine_. The difference between + these two files is that configuration variables set in the pine.conf.fixed + file may not normally be over-ridden by a user. See the section on Alpine + Configuration later in this document for details about the pine.conf and + pine.conf.fixed files. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Installing PC-Alpine + + The PC-Alpine distribution comes as a .zip file. To install, unzip the files + to a directory where you would like the program to reside. Modern Windows + versions come with the capability of unzipping .zip files. Failing that, you + can use one of the many .zip file extractors out there. Following current + Windows conventions, a common directory into which the files could be + extracted would be C:\Program Files\PC-Alpine\. + + Having extracted PC-Alpine's .zip file to the directory of choice, you can + now run that directory's alpine.exe, which is the actual PC-Alpine program. + For convenience, you could place shortcuts to it on the task bar, start + menu, etc. + + Upon first running PC-Alpine, you may be asked where you would like to + access your Configuration file (called the _pinerc_). This is useful in + accessing already existing configuration files, and it does not matter where + this file gets created. If you are connecting to an IMAP server to access + your email, it is also possible to store this Configuration data on that + server, which facilitates accessing the same configuration from multiple + machines (in fact, your configuration may have already been set up this way + for use with other _Alpine_ programs). + + After having established the location of the configuration file, it may be + necessary to specify a few configuration settings before reading or sending + mail. You may be prompted for the following (which may also be edited from + the (S)etup (C)onfig screen from the Main Menu): + + Folder to open as inbox (or _inbox-path_) - This can be an inbox residing + on an IMAP or POP3 server, or one residing locally. An example of an INBOX + for an IMAP server is: {server.example.com}INBOX. + + User-id, Personal name, and host/domain, which are to be used as your + email address. + + SMTP server to forward message - You must enter your SMTP server before + you can send any messages. + + At this point, you will be able to read and send email messages. There are, + however, many more preferences that you can set in the Configuration screen. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Installing IMAPd + + When the _Alpine_ distribution is built on a UNIX system, the IMAP server + binary, imapd, is compiled. Installing imapd requires placing the binary in + the appropriate directory, usually /usr/etc, and adding entries to + /etc/services and /etc/inetd.conf or their counterparts. + + Instead of including installation instructions here we'll just include a + pointer to detailed instructions in the c-client distribution. Please take a + look at the file imap/docs/BUILD in the source tree. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Support Files and Environment Variables: UNIX Alpine + + This section lists the various files which _Alpine_ uses which are not email + folders. All of these are the default names of files, they may vary based on + _Alpine_'s configuration. + /usr/local/lib/pine.conf + Pine's global configuration file. + /usr/local/lib/pine.conf.fixed + Non-overridable global configuration file. + /usr/local/lib/pine.info + Local pointer to system administrator. + ~/.pinerc + Personal configuration file for each user. + ~/.pinercex + Personal exceptions configuration file for each user. + ~/.addressbook + Personal addressbook + ~/.newsrc + Personal USENET subscription list. This is shared with other + newsreading programs. + ~/.pine-debugX + The files created for debugging _Alpine_ problems. By default, there + are 4 .pine-debug files kept at any time. + ~/.signature + A signature file which will be included in all outgoing email + messages. + ~/.pine-interrupted-mail + The text of a message which was interrupted by some unexpected error + which _Alpine_ detected. + ~/mail/postponed-msgs + A folder of messages which the user chose to postpone. + /etc/mailcap + System-wide mail capabilities file. Only used if $MAILCAPS not set. + ~/.mailcap + Personal mail capabilities file. Combines with system-wide mailcap. + Only used if $MAILCAPS not set. + + The location of the following support files may be controlled by variables + in the personal or global _Alpine_ configuration file: signature, + addressbook and its index file, postponed messages, and newsrc. + + Unix _Alpine_ uses the following environment variables: + TERM + Tells _Alpine_ what kind of terminal is being used. + DISPLAY + Determines if _Alpine_ will try to display IMAGE attachments. + TMPDIR, TMP, or TEMP + Specifies location of temporary storage area, first one set wins + SHELL + If not set, default is /bin/sh + MAILCAPS + A semicolon delimited list of path names to mailcap files. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Support Files, Environment Variables, and Registry Settings: PC-Alpine + + This section lists the various files which _PC-Alpine_ uses which are not + normal mail folders. All of these are the default names of files, they may + vary based on _Alpine_'s configuration. + + $PINERC or <PineRC registry value> or $HOME\PINE\PINERC or <PINE.EXE + dir>\PINERC + Path to (required) personal configuration file. + $PINERCEX or $HOME\PINE\PINERCEX or <PINE.EXE dir>\PINERCEX + Path to personal exceptions configuration file. + $PINECONF + Path of optional global configuration file. + <PINERC directory>\ADDRBOOK + Personal addressbook + <PINERC directory>\PINEDEBG.TXT + Location of _Alpine_ debug file. + <PINERC directory>\MAILCAP and/or <PINE.EXE dir>\MAILCAP + These paths are only used if $MAILCAPS not set. + $HOME\NEWSRC or <PINERC directory>\NEWSRC + Personal USENET subscription list. This may be shared with other + newsreading programs. + $HOME\MAIL\INTRUPTD + The text of a message which was interrupted by some unexpected error + which _Alpine_ detected. + $HOME\MAIL\POSTPOND + A folder of messages which the user chose to postpone. + + Registry Values: + HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\University of Washington\Alpine\1.0 + _Pinedir_: The directory that contains the _Alpine_ executable. + _PineEXE_: The name of the _Alpine_ executable (most commonly + "alpine.exe"). + HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\University of Washington\Alpine\1.0 + _PineRC_: The path that points to the default pinerc to use. + HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Clients\Mail\Alpine + _DLLPath_: The path that points to _Alpine_'s pmapi32.dll. + HKLM\Software\Clients\Mail\Alpine\shell\open\command + _(Default)_: When set as the default mailer, this is the command that + is run by external programs. + HKLM\Software\Clients\Mail\Alpine\Protocols\Mailto\DefaultIcon + _(Default)_: This points to the icon to display in relation to + _Alpine_'s mailto URL rendering. + HKLM\Software\Clients\Mail\Alpine\Protocols\Mailto\shell\open\command + _(Default)_: This value is the command that gets run by external + programs when a mailto URL is run with _PC-Alpine_ set as the default + mailer. + HKLM\Software\Clients\News\Alpine\shell\open\command + _(Default)_: When set as the default newsreader, this is the command + that is run by external programs. + HKLM\Software\Clients\News\Alpine\Protocols\news\DefaultIcon + _(Default)_: This points to the icon to display in relation to + _Alpine_'s news URL rendering. + HKLM\Software\Clients\News\Alpine\Protocols\news\shell\open\command + _(Default)_: This value is the command that gets run by external + programs when a news URL is run with _Alpine_ set as the default + newsreader. + HKLM\Software\Clients\News\Alpine\Protocols\nntp\DefaultIcon + _(Default)_: This points to the icon to display in relation to + _Alpine_'s nntp URL rendering. + HKLM\Software\Clients\News\Alpine\Protocols\nntp\shell\open\command + _(Default)_: This value is the command that gets run by external + programs when a nntp URL is run with _Alpine_ set as the default + newsreader. + + _Alpine_'s personal configuration file may be in the same directory as the + executable, or if that is inconvenient because the executable is on a shared + or read-only drive, then it can be in a file named by the $PINERC + environment variable, or in $HOME\ALPINE\PINERC, where if not set, $HOME + defaults to the root of the current working drive. + + Most of the other support files key off of the location of the PINERC file. + However, in the case of the NEWSRC file, the path $HOME\NEWSRC is checked + first. Also, the postponed messages and interrupted message folders are + placed in the default folder collection, normally in the directory + $HOME\MAIL. + + The location of the following support files may be controlled by variables + in the personal or global _Alpine_ configuration file: signature, + addressbook (and its index file), postponed messages, and newsrc. + + _PC-Alpine_ uses the following environment variables: + PINERC + Overrides default path to pinerc file. + PINERCEX + Overrides default path to personal exceptions configuration file. + PINECONF + Optional path to global _Alpine_ config file. + HOME + If not set, _Alpine_ uses the root of the current drive, e.g. C: + TMPDIR, TMP, or TEMP + Specifies location of temporary storage area, first one set wins + COMSPEC + Specifies shell for external commands. + MAILCAPS + A semicolon delimited list of path names to mailcap files. + + Command Line Arguments + +Alpine + + _Alpine_ and _PC-Alpine_ can accept quite a few command-line arguments. Many + of these arguments overlap with variables in the _Alpine_ configuration + file. If there is a difference, then a flag set in the command line takes + precedence. Both _Alpine_ and _PC-Alpine_ expect command line arguments + (other than addresses) to be preceded by the "-" (dash) as normally used by + UNIX programs. + + _[addresses]_ + Send-to: If you give _Alpine_ an argument or arguments which do not + begin with a dash, _Alpine_ treats them as email addresses. _Alpine_ + will startup in the composer with a message started to the addresses + specified. Once the message is sent, the _Alpine_ session closes. + Standard input redirection is allowed. Separate multiple addresses + with a space between them. Addresses are placed in the "To" field + only. + < _file_ + _Alpine_ will startup in the composer with _file_ read into the body + of the message. Once the message is sent, the _Alpine_ session + closes. + -attach _file_ + Go directly into composer with given file attached. + -attachlist _file-list_ + Go directly into composer with given files attached. This must be the + last option on the command line. + -attach_and_delete _file_ + Go directly into composer with given file attached, delete when + finished. + -aux _local_directory_ + _PC-Alpine_ only. This tells _PC-Alpine_ the local directory to use + for storing auxiliary files, like debug files, address books, and + signature files. The pinerc may be local or remote. + -nosplash + _PC-Alpine_ only. This tells _PC-Alpine_ to not display the splash + screen upon startup. This may be helpful for certain troubleshooting + or terminal server scenarios. + -bail + If the personal configuration file doesn't already exist, exit. This + might be useful if the configuration file is accessed using some + remote filesystem protocol. If the remote mount is missing this will + cause _Alpine_ to quit instead of creating a new pinerc. + -c _n_ + When used with the -f option, apply the _n_th context. This is used + when there are multiple folder collections (contexts) and you want to + open a folder not in the primary collection. + -conf + Configuration: Prints a sample system configuration file to the + screen or standard output. To generate an initial system + configuration file, execute + alpine -conf > /usr/local/lib/pine.conf + To generate a system configuration file using settings from an old + system configuration file, execute + alpine -P old-pine.conf -conf > /usr/local/lib/pine.conf + A system configuration file is not required. + -convert_sigs _-p pinerc_ + Convert signatures contained in signature files into literal + signatures. + -copy_abook _<local_abook_file> <remote_abook_folder>_ + Copy an address book file to a remote address book folder. If the + remote folder doesn't exist, it will be created. If it exists but the + first message in the folder isn't a remote address book header + message, the copy will be aborted. This flag will not usually be used + by a user. Instead, the user will create a remote address book from + within _Alpine_ and copy entries from the local address book by using + aggregate Save in the address book screen. + -copy_pinerc _<local_pinerc_file> <remote_pinerc_folder>_ + Copy a pinerc configuration file to a remote pinerc folder. If the + remote folder doesn't exist, it will be created. If it exists but the + first message in the folder isn't a remote pinerc header message, the + copy will be aborted. This flag may be useful to users who already + have a local pinerc file and would like to convert it to a remote + pinerc folder and use that instead. This gives a way to bootstrap + that conversion without having to manually reset all of the variables + in the remote pinerc folder. + -d _debug-level_ + Debug Level: Sets the level of debugging information written by + _Alpine_. _Debug-level_ can be set to any integer 0-9. A debug level + of 0 turns off debugging for the session. (Actually there are some + levels higher than 9, but you probably don't want to see them. + Sensitive authentication information is hidden at levels less than + 10.) + -d _keywords_ + You may use a more detailed version of the debugging flag to set the + debug level in separate parts of _Alpine_. The possibilities are + flush, timestamp, imap=0..4, tcp, numfiles=0..31, and verbose=0..9. + _Flush_ causes debugging information to be flushed immediately to the + debug file as it is written. _Verbose_ is the general debugging + verbosity level. _Timestamp_ causes timestamps to be added to the + debug file, which is useful when you are trying to figure out what is + responsible for delays. _Numfiles_ sets the number of debug files + saved. _Imap_ sets the debug level for the debugging statements + related to the conversation with the IMAP server, and more generally, + for the debugging related to _Alpine_'s interaction with the C-Client + library. If _imap_ is set higher than 4, sensitive authentication + information will be included in the debug file. _Tcp_ adds more + TCP/IP debugging information. + -f _folder_ + Startup folder: _Alpine_ will open this folder in place of the + standard INBOX. + -F _file_ + Open named text file for viewing and forwarding. + -h + Help: Prints the list of available command-line arguments to the + screen. + -i + _Alpine_ will start up in the FOLDER INDEX screen instead of the MAIN + MENU. + Configuration equivalent: _initial-keystroke-list=i_. + -I _a,b,c,..._ + Initial Keystrokes: _Alpine_ will execute this comma-separated + sequence of commands upon startup. This allows users to get _Alpine_ + to start in any of its menus/screens. You cannot include any input to + the composer in the initial keystrokes. The key <Return> is + represented by a ``CR'' in the keystroke list; the spacebar is + designated by the letters ``SPACE''. Control keys are two character + sequences beginning with ``^'', such as ``^I''. A tab character is + ``TAB''. Function keys are ``F1'' - ``F12'' and the arrow keys are + ``UP'', ``DOWN'', ``LEFT'', and ``RIGHT''. A restriction is that you + can't mix function keys and character keys in this list even though + you can, in some cases, mix them when running _Alpine_. A user can + always use only _character_ keys in the startup list even if he or + she is using _function_ keys normally, or vice versa. If an element + in this list is a string of characters surrounded by double quotes + (") then it will be expanded into the individual characters in the + string, excluding the double quotes. + Configuration equivalent: _initial-keystroke-list_ + -install + For _PC-Alpine_ only, this option prompts for some basic setup + information, then exits. + -k + Function-Key Mode: When invoked in this way, _Alpine_ expects the + input of commands to be function-keys. Otherwise, commands are linked + to the regular character keys. + Configuration equivalent: _use-function-keys_ included in + _feature-list_. + -n _n_ + Message-Number: When specified, _Alpine_ starts up in the FOLDER + INDEX screen with the current message being the specified message + number. + -nowrite_password_cache + This tells _Alpine_ to use the local password cache if there is one, + but to never offer writing new passwords to the cache. + -o _folder_ + Opens the INBOX (or a folder specified via the -f argument) ReadOnly. + -p _pinerc_ + Uses the named file as the personal configuration file instead of + _~/.pinerc_ or the default PINERC search sequence _PC-Alpine_ uses. + Pinerc may be either a local file or a remote configuration folder. + -P _pinerc_ + Uses the named file as the system wide configuration file instead of + _/usr/local/lib/pine.conf_ on UNIX, or nothing on _PC-Alpine_. Pinerc + may be either a local file or a remote configuration folder. + -passfile _passfile_ + This tells _Alpine_ what file should be used as the password file. + This should be a fully-qualified filename. + -pinerc _file_ + Output fresh pinerc configuration to _file_, preserving the settings + of variables that the user has made. Use _file_ set to ``-'' to make + output go to standard out. + -r + Restricted Mode: For UNIX _Alpine_ only. _Alpine_ in restricted mode + can only send email to itself. Save and export are limited. + -registry _cmd_ + For _PC-Alpine_ only, this option affects the values of _Alpine_'s + registry entries. Possible values for _cmd_ are set, noset, clear, + clearsilent, and dump. _Set_ will always reset _Alpine_'s registry + entries according to its current settings. _NoSet_ will never set any + values in the registry, but it will still use the values already set + in the registry. _Clear_ will clear the registry values. _Clearsilent_ + will silently clear the registry values. _Dump_ will display the + values of current registry settings. Note that the dump command is + currently disabled. Without the -registry option, _PC-Alpine_ will + write values into the registry only if there currently aren't any + values set. + -sort _key_ + Sort-Key: Specifies the order messages will be displayed in for the + FOLDER INDEX screen. _Key_ can have the following values: arrival, + date, subject, orderedsubj, thread, from, size, score, to, cc, + arrival/reverse, date/reverse, subject/reverse, orderedsubj/reverse, + thread/reverse, from/reverse, size/reverse, score/reverse, + to/reverse, and cc/reverse. The default value is "arrival". The _key_ + value reverse is equivalent to arrival/reverse. + Configuration equivalent: _sort-key_. + -supported + Some options may or may not be supported depending on how _Alpine_ + was compiled. This is a way to determine which options are supported + in the particular copy of _Alpine_ you are using. + -install + For _PC-Alpine_ only, this option removes references to Alpine in + Windows settings. The registry settings are removed and the password + cache is cleared. + -url _url_ + Open the given URL. + -v + Version: Print version information to the screen. + -version + Version: Print version information to the screen. + -x _exceptions_config_ + Configuration settings in the exceptions config override your normal + default settings. _Exceptions_config_ may be either a local file or a + remote pinerc folder. + -z + Enable Suspend: When run with this flag, the key sequence ctrl-z will + suspend the _Alpine_ session. + Configuration equivalent: _enable-suspend_ included in + _feature-list_. + -_option_=_value_ + Assign _value_ to the config option _option_. For example, + _-signature-file=sig1_ or _-feature-list=signature-at-bottom_. (Note: + feature-list values are additive and features may be preceded with + no- to turn them off). + +Pico + + The following command line options are supported in _Pico_: + + +_n_ + Causes _Pico_ to be started with the cursor located _n_ lines into + the file. (Note: no space between "+" sign and number) + + -a + Display all files and directories, including those beginning with a + period (.). + + -b + Enable the option to Replace text matches found using the "Where is" + command. This now does nothing. Instead, the option is always turned + on (as if the -b flag had been specified). + + -d + Rebind the "delete" key so the character the cursor is on is rubbed + out rather than the character to its left. + + -e + Enable file name completion. + + -f + Use function keys for commands. _This option supported only in + conjunction with UW Enhanced NCSA telnet._ + + -g + Enable "Show Cursor" mode in file browser. Cause cursor to be + positioned before the current selection rather than placed at the + lower left of the display. + + -k + Causes "Cut Text" command to remove characters from the cursor + position to the end of the line rather than remove the entire line. + + -m + Enable mouse functionality. This only works when _Pico_ is run from + within an X Window System "xterm" window. + + -n_n_ + The -n_n_ option enables new mail notification. The _n_ argument is + optional, and specifies how often, in seconds, your mailbox is + checked for new mail. For example, -n60 causes _Pico_ to check for + new mail once every minute. The default interval is 180 seconds, + while the minimum allowed is 30. (Note: no space between "n" and the + number) + + -o _dir_ + Sets operating directory. Only files within this directory are + accessible. Likewise, the file browser is limited to the specified + directory subtree. + + -p + Preserve the "start" and "stop" characters, typically Ctrl-Q and + Ctrl-S, which are sometimes used in communications paths to control + data flow between devices that operate at different speeds. + + -q + TermdefWins. Termcap or terminfo escape sequences are used in + preference to default escape sequences. + + -Q _quotestr_ + Set the quote string. Especially useful when composing email, setting + this allows the quote string to be checked for when Justifying + paragraphs. A common quote string is "> ". + + -r_n_ + Sets column used to limit the "Justify" command's right margin. + + -t + Enable "tool" mode. Intended for when _Pico_ is used as the editor + within other tools (e.g., Elm, Pnews). _Pico_ will not prompt for + save on exit, and will not rename the buffer during the "Write Out" + command. + + -v + View the file only, disallowing any editing. + + -version + Print version information. + + -w + Disable word wrap (thus allow editing of long lines). + + _Note: Pico will break any lines over 255 characters when reading a + file, regardless of word wrapping._ + + -x + Disable keymenu at the bottom of the screen. + + -z + Enable ^Z suspension of _Pico_. + +Pilot + + The following command line options are supported in _Pilot_: + + -a + Display all files including those beginning with a period (.). + + -f + Use function keys for commands. _This option supported only in + conjunction with UW Enhanced NCSA telnet._ + + -g + Enable "Show Cursor" mode. Cause cursor to be positioned before the + current selection rather than placed at the lower left of the + display. + + -m + Enable mouse functionality. This only works when _Pilot_ is run from + within an X Window System "xterm" window. + + -n_n_ + The -n_n_ option enables new mail notification. The _n_ argument is + optional, and specifies how often, in seconds, your mailbox is + checked for new mail. For example, -n60 causes _Pilot_ to check for + new mail once every minute. The default interval is 180 seconds, + while the minimum allowed is 30. (Note: no space between "n" and the + number) + + -o _dir_ + Sets operating directory. Only files within the specified directory + are accessible and browsing is limited to the specified directory + subtree. + + -v + Enable single vertical column display. + + -x + Disable keymenu at the bottom of the screen. + + -z + Enable ^Z suspension of _Pilot_. + + Configuration and Preferences + +Alpine Configuration + + There is very little in _Alpine_ which _requires_ compile-time + configuration. In most cases, the compiled-in preferences will suit users + and administrators just fine. When running _Alpine_ on a UNIX system, the + default built-in configuration can be changed by setting variables in the + system configuration files, /usr/local/lib/pine.conf or + /usr/local/lib/pine.conf.fixed. (Actually, these files can be changed using + the configure arguments --with-system-pinerc=VALUE or + --with-system-fixed-pinerc=VALUE.) The location of the pine.conf file can be + changed with the -P command line argument. Both _Alpine_ and _PC-Alpine_ + also use personal (user-based) configuration files. On UNIX machines, the + personal configuration file is the file ~/.pinerc. For _PC-Alpine_ systems, + the personal configuration file is in $PINERC or <PineRC registry value> or + ${HOME}\ALPINE\PINERC or <ALPINE.EXE dir>\PINERC. Or the personal + configuration file can be specified with the -p command line argument. + + All of these configuration files, other than the fixed system config + pine.conf.fixed on UNIX systems, may optionally be remote configuration + files instead of local files. This is discussed further in the following + section and in Remote Configuration. + + After the personal configuration, _Alpine_ may optionally use a personal + exceptions configuration file which is specified with the command line + option "-x exceptions_config". "Exceptions_config" may also be either a + local file or a remote configuration folder. For Unix _Alpine_, if you don't + have a "-x" command line option, _Alpine_ will look for the file ".pinercex" + in the same local directory that the regular config file is located in. If + the regular config file is remote then Unix _Alpine_ looks in the home + directory for ".pinercex". + + For _PC-Alpine_, if you don't have a "-x" command line option, _PC-Alpine_ + will use the value of the environment variable $PINERCEX. If that is not + set, _PC-Alpine_ will look for the local file "PINERCEX" in the same local + directory that the regular config file is located in. If the regular config + file is remote then _PC-Alpine_ looks in the local directory specfied by the + "-aux local_directory" command line argument, or the directory + ${HOME}\ALPINE, or in <ALPINE.EXE directory>. + + The syntax of a non-list configuration variable is this: + + <variable> = <value> + + If the value is absent then the variable is unset. To set a variable to the + empty value two double quotes (""). This is equivalent to an absent value + except that it overrides any system-wide default value that may be set. + Quotes may be used around any value. All values are strings and end at the + end of the line or the closing quote. Leading and trailing space is ignored + unless it is included in the quotes. There is one variable, + _use-only-domain-name_, for which the only appropriate values are _yes_ and + _no_. That's because it is a variable from the early days of _Alpine_ before + features existed. + + There is also a second type of variable, lists. A list is a comma-separated + list of values. The syntax for a list is: + + <variable> = <value> [, <value> , ... ] + + A list can be continued on subsequent lines by beginning the line with + white-space. Both the per-user and global configuration files may contain + comments which are lines beginning with a #. + + For UNIX _Alpine_, there are five ways in which each variable can be set. In + decreasing order of precedence they are: + 1. the system-wide _fixed_ configuration file + 2. a command line argument + 3. the personal exceptions file + 4. the personal configuration file + 5. the system-wide configuration file. + + If the variable is not set in any of those places, there is a default + setting in the source code. + + So, system-wide fixed settings always take precedence over command line + flags, which take precedence over per-user exception settings, which take + precedence over per-user settings, which take precedence over system-wide + configuration settings. _PC-Alpine_ has the same list, except that it does + not use a system-wide _fixed_ configuration file. This can be modified + slightly by using inheritance, which is covered below. + + You may get a sample/fresh copy of the system configuration file by running + _alpine -conf_. The result will be printed on the standard output with very + short comments describing each variable. (The online help in the Setup + screens provides much longer comments.) If you need to fix some of the + configuration variables, you would use the same template for the fixed + configuration file as for the regular system-wide configuration file. (If it + isn't clear, the purpose of the fixed configuration file is to allow system + administrators to restrict the configurability of _Alpine_. It is by no + means a bullet-proof method.) _Alpine_ will automatically create the + personal configuration file the first time it is run, so there is no need to + generate a sample. _Alpine_ reads and writes the personal configuration file + occasionally during normal operation. Users will not normally look at their + personal configuration file, but will use the Setup screens from within + _Alpine_ to set the values in this file. If a user does add additional + comments to the personal configuration file they will be retained. + + References to environment variables may be included in the _Alpine_ + configuration files. The format is $variable or ${variable}. The character ~ + will be expanded to the $HOME environment variable. For a more complete + explanation of how environment variables work, see the section Using + Environment Variables. + + When environment variables are used for _Alpine_ settings which take lists, + you must have an environment variable set for each member of the list. That + is, _Alpine_ won't properly recognize an environment variable which is set + equal to a comma-delimited list. It is OK to reference unset environment + variables in the _Alpine_ configuration file, which will expand to nothing. + + Remote and Local Configuration + + There are two types of storage for configuration information. _Local_ + configuration files are used by default. These are just regular files on the + UNIX system or on the PC. _Remote_ configuration folders are stored on an + IMAP server. The advantage of using a remote configuration is that the same + information may be accessed from multiple platforms. For example, if you use + one computer at work and another at home, the same configuration could be + used from both places. A configuration change from one place would be seen + in both places. Technical information about remote configuration is in + Remote Configuration. + + Generic and Exceptional Configuration + + If you use _Alpine_ from more than one platform it may be convenient to + split your configuration information into two pieces, a generic piece and + exceptions which apply to a particular platform. For example, suppose you + use _Alpine_ from home and from work. Most of your configuration settings + are probably the same in both locations, so those settings belong in the + generic settings configuration. However, you may use a different SMTP server + and INBOX from home than you do from work. The "smtp-server" and + "inbox-path" variables could be part of your exceptional configuration so + that they could be different in the two places. + + You can use the command line option "-x config" to split your configuration + into generic and exceptional pieces. Config may be either local or remote. + + For most people, splitting the configuration information into two pieces is + only going to be useful if the generic information is accessed remotely. If + you already have a local pinerc file with settings you like you may find + that the command Setup/RemoteConfigSetup will be useful in helping you + convert to a remote configuration. The command line flag copy_pinerc may + also be useful. + + Configuration Inheritance + + Configuration inheritance is a power user feature. It is confusing and not + completely supported by the configuration user interface. + + For configuration variables which are lists, like "smtp-server" or + "incoming-folders", the inheritance mechanism makes it possible to _combine_ + the values of options from different configuration locations instead of + _replacing_ the value. Configuration Inheritance has more information about + how inheritance is used. + _________________________________________________________________ + +General Configuration Variables + + The following is a list of all _Alpine_ configuration variables, in + alphabetical order. Note that not all variables apply to all versions of + _Alpine_ and that some variables are only applicable in a system + configuration file and some are only applicable in a personal configuration + file. These are configuration _variables_. Configuration Features are in a + separate section. + + _addrbook-sort-rule_ + This variable sets up the default address book sorting. Currently, + _Alpine_ will accept the values _dont-sort_, + _fullname-with-lists-last_, _fullname_, _nickname-with-lists-last_, and + _nickname_. The default is to sort by fullname with lists last. If + you use an address book from more than one computer and those + computers sort the address book differently then the sort order will + be the order where the last change to the address book was made. + There are two reasons the sorting might be different on different + systems. First, the addrbook-sort-rule may be set differently in the + two places. Second, the collation rules on the two computers may be + different. For example, one system might ignore special characters + while the other doesn't or one may sort upper and lower case letters + together while the other doesn't. In any case, the order you see is + the order on the system where the last change was made, for example + by an address book edit or a Take Address command. + This option is displayed as "Addressbook Sort Rule". + _address-book_ + A list of personal address books. Each entry in the list is an + optional nickname followed by a pathname or file name relative to the + home directory. The nickname is separated from the rest of the line + with whitespace. Instead of a local pathname or file name, a remote + folder name can be given. This causes the address book to be a Remote + address book. Remote folder syntax is discussed in Syntax for Remote + Folders. This list of address books will be combined with the + global-address-book list to arrive at the complete set of address + books. + _addressbook-formats_ + This option specifies the format that address books are displayed in. + By default, address books are displayed with the nicknames in the + first column, the fullnames in the second column, and addresses in + the third column. The system figures out reasonable defaults for the + widths of the columns. An address book may be given a different + format by listing special tokens in the order you want them to + display. The possible tokens are NICKNAME, FULLNAME, ADDRESS, FCC, + and COMMENT. More details are included in the online help for this + variable. + _alt-addresses_ + This option provides a place for you to list alternate email + addresses you may have. Each address in the list should be the actual + email address part of an address, without the full name field or the + angle brackets. For example: + + user@example.com + The matching is case-insensitive, so this would match any of + User@example.com, user@Example.Com, or USER@EXAMPLE.COM as well. + If set, the option affects the behavior of the Reply command and the + "+" symbol in the MESSAGE INDEX, which denotes that a message has + been addressed specifically to you. + In the default INDEX display the personal name (or email address) of + the person listed in the message's "From:" header field is usually + displayed except when that address is yours or one of your alternate + addresses. In that case you will usually see the name of the first + person specified in the message's "To:" header field with the prefix + "To: " prepended. + With respect to Reply, the reply-to-all option will exclude addresses + listed here. + The feature copy-to-address-to-from-if-it-is-us is somewhat related + to this option. + In addition to a list of actual addresses, you may use regular + expressions (as used with egrep with the ignore case flag) to + describe the addresses you want to match. _Alpine_ will somewhat + arbitrarily interpret your entry as a regular expression if it + contains any of the characters *, |, +, ?, {, [, ^, $, or \. + Otherwise, it will be treated literally. The feature + disable-regular-expression-matching-for-alternate-addresses may be + used to turn off regular expression processing regardless of whether + or not special characters appear in the entry. + A description of how regular expressions work is beyond the scope of + this help text, but some examples follow. + The entry + + .*@example.com + in the alt-addresses list would mean that any address with a domain + name of example.com (such as fred@example.com or wilma@example.com) + will be considered one of your alternate addresses. Strictly + speaking, the dot in example.com ought to be escaped with a + backslash, as in example\.com, and a dollar sign anchor ought to come + at the end of the expression to prevent a match of example.com.org. + Complicating things further, the dollar sign is special in the + _Alpine_ configuration (it signifies environment variable expansion) + so the dollar sign should be doubled or backslash escaped for + _Alpine_'s sake. Quotes around the whole expression will not escape the + dollar sign successfully. So this example should look like + + .*@example\.com$$ + The entry + + ^fred[0-9]*@example.com$$ + would match fred3@example.com or fred17@example.com as well as + fred@example.com. + You could match all addresses that look like fred+stuff@example.com + for any value of stuff with the entry + + ^fred\+.*@example.com$$ + Notice that you have to escape the plus sign with a backslash because + plus is a special character in regular expressions. If you wanted to + match plain fred as well as fred+stuff the expression + + ^fred(()|\+.*)@example.com$$ + would do it, but it would be easier to just add fred@example.com as a + separate entry. + One more example, a match of all first-level subdomains, is given by + + ^fred@[[:alnum:]_-]*\.example\.com$$ + Because the regular expression matching is based on an old library + (hs_regex) the regular expressions might not work exactly as you + expect, but they should be close. + This option is displayed as "Alternate Addresses". + _bugs-additional-data_ + System-wide configuration files only. Program/Script used by _Report + Bug_ command. Output from the program/script is captured and attached + to the bug report. + _bugs-fullname_, _bugs-address_, _local-fullname_, _local-address_, + _suggest-fullname_, and _suggest-address_ + System-wide configuration files only. These are used by the bug + report commands which can be accessed from some of the Help screens. + _busy-cue-rate_ + When _Alpine_ is delayed for some reason it usually shows that + something is happening with a small animated display in the status + message line near the bottom of the screen. This option sets how + frequently the characters (for example, a spinning bar) in the active + status message lines are updated. At most, it can be set to be + udpated 20 times per second. + Setting this value to zero will prevent display of the animations + altogether. + The option busy-cue-spinner-only can be used to remove the randomness + from this animated display. + _character-set_ + This is now obsolete, replaced by three separate variables: + _display-character-set_, _keyboard-character-set_, and + _posting-character-set_. See the section on International Character + Sets for more details. + _color-style_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only (color is automatically on with _PC-Alpine_). If + the terminal or terminal emulator you are using is capable of + displaying colors, this variable controls whether or not color will + be used in _Alpine_. If you turn color on and things are set up + correctly, you should see color appear on the screen immmediately. + Modern terminal emulators are usually capable of displaying colors. + This variable may be set to any of the following values: + + no-color + Don't use color. + + use-termdef + In order to decide if your terminal is capable of color, + _Alpine_ looks in the terminal capabilities database, TERMINFO + or TERMCAP, depending on how _Alpine_ was compiled. This is a + good option to choose if you switch between a color and a + non-color terminal with the same _Alpine_ configuration. + _Alpine_ will know to use color on the color terminal because it + is described in the termcap entry, and _Alpine_ will know to + use black and white on the non-color terminal. Color Details + has more information about configuring a termcap entry for + color. This is usually something a system administrator does. + + force-ansi-8color + Because setting up a termcap entry is confusing and because the + terminal capabilities database is often not correctly + configured for color, this choice and the next may be easier + for you to use. If your terminal emulator responds to ANSI + color escape sequences, which many do, this option will cause + _Alpine_ to believe your terminal will respond to the escape + sequences which produce eight different foreground and + background colors. The escape sequences used to set the + foreground colors are + + ESC [ 3 <color_number> m + + where the color_number is an ASCII digit between 0 and 7. The + numbers 0 through 7 should correspond to the colors black, red, + green, yellow, blue, magenta, cyan, and white. Some terminal + emulators use a pre-ANSI scheme which swaps the colors blue and + red and the colors yellow and cyan. This will cause the default + colors to be different, but other than that things should work + fine. There is also a 9th color available, the last one shown, + which is the default color from the terminal emulator. When + used as a background color some people refer to this color as + "transparent", which is why the letters "TRAN" are shown in the + color swatch of the SETUP COLOR screen. The foreground + transparent color is shown as the color of the "TRAN" text. + (The transparent color will not work correctly in a PC-Alpine + configuration.) The escape sequences used to set the background + colors are the same as for the foreground colors except a "4" + replaces the "3". + + Note: With the Tera Term terminal emulator this setting works + well. You should also have the Tera Term "Full color" option + turned OFF. You may find the "Full color" option in Tera Term's + "Setup" menu, in the "Window" submenu. + + force-ansi-16color + Many terminal emulators know about the same eight colors above + plus eight more. This option attempts to use all 16 colors. The + same escape sequences as for the eight-color terminal are used + for the first eight colors. The escape sequences used to set + foreground colors 8-15 are the same as for 0-7 except the "3" + is replaced with a "9". The background color sequences for + colors 8-15 are the same as for 0-7 except the "4" is replaced + with "10". You can tell if the 16 colors are working by turning + on this option and then going into one of the color + configuration screens, for example, the configuration screen + for Normal Color. If you see 16 different colors to select from + (plus a 17th for the transparent color), it's working. + + force-xterm-256color + Some versions of xterm (and some other terminal emulators) have + support for 256 colors. The escape sequences used to set the + foreground colors are + + ESC [ 38 ; 5 ; <color_number> m + + where the color_number is an ASCII digit between 0 and 255. + Background colors are the same with the 38 replaced with a 48. + The numbers 0 through 15 are probably similar to the 16 color + version above, then comes a 6x6x6 color cube, followed by 24 + colors of gray. The terminal default (transparent) color is the + 257th color at the bottom. Some terminal emulators will + misinterpret these escape sequences causing the terminal to + blink or overstrike characters or to do something else + undesirable. + + The PuTTY terminal emulator has an option called "Allow + terminal to use xterm 256-colour mode" which allows PuTTY to + work well with this 256-color setting. + + There are two other possible color values which may be useful in some + situations. In the color configuration screens there will sometimes + be a color which has the label "NORM" inside its color swatch. If + this is selected the corresponding foreground or background Normal + Color will be used. Another similar color is the one that has the + label "NONE" inside its color swatch. The meaning of this setting is + that no color changing will be done. This NONE color is only useful + in contexts where _Alpine_ is already coloring the text some color + other than the Normal Color. For example, if the Reverse Color is set + then the current line in the MESSAGE INDEX will be colored. If one of + the index symbols (for example, the Index-to-me Symbol) has the NONE + color as its background then the symbol's foreground color will be + used to draw the actual text but the background color will be the + same as whatever the background color already was. The color values + which end up in the configuration file for these special values are + the 11-character words "norm-padded", "none-padded", and + "transparent". + The normal default is "no-color". + Once you've turned on color you may set the colors of many objects on + the screen individually. The Color Configuration section has more + information, or you may just try it by running the "Setup" command + and typing "K" for Kolor to enter the color configuration screen + (Kolor instead of Color because C means Config). Most categories of + color which _Alpine_ supports are configurable there. Index line + color is configured separately. + _composer-word-separators_ + This option affects how a "word" is defined in the composer. The + definition of a word is used when using the Forward Word and Backward + Word commands in the composer, as well as when using the spell + checker. Whitespace is always considered a word separator. + Punctuation (like question marks, periods, commas, and so on) is + always a word separator if it comes at the end of a word. By default, + a punctuation character which is in the middle of a word does not + break up that word as long as the character before and the character + after it are both alphanumeric. If you add a character to this option + it will be considered a word separator even when it occurs in the + middle of an alphanumeric word. For example, if you want to skip + through each part of an address instead of skipping the whole address + at once you might want to include"@" and "." in this list. If you + want the word-skipper to stop on each part of a UNIX filename you + could add "/" to the list. The equal sign and dash are other + possibilities you might find helpful. + _composer-wrap-column_ + This option specifies an aspect of _Alpine_'s Composer. This gives + the maximum width that auto-wrapped lines will have. It's also the + maximum width of lines justified using the ^J Justify command. The + normal default is _74_. The largest allowed setting is normally _80_ + in order to prevent very long lines from being sent in outgoing mail. + When the mail is actually sent, trailing spaces will be stripped off + of each line. + _current-indexline-style_ + current-indexline-style. + _customized-hdrs_ + You may add your own custom headers to outgoing messages. Each header + you specify here must include the header tag (Reply-To:, Approved:, + etc.) and may optionally include a value for that header. If you want + to see these custom headers each time you compose a message, you must + add them to your default-composer-hdrs list, otherwise they become + part of the rich header set which you only see when you press the + rich header command. (If you are looking for a way to change which + headers are _displayed_ when you view a message, take a look at the + viewer-hdrs option instead.) Here's an example which shows how you + might set your From address + + From: Full Name <user@example.com> + and another showing how you might set a Reply-To address + + Reply-To: user@example.com + You may also set non-standard header values here. For example, you + could add + + Organization: My Organization Name + or even + + X-Favorite-Colors: Purple and Gold + If you include a value after the colon then that header will be + included in your outgoing messages unless you delete it before + sending. If a header in the Customized-Headers list has only a tag + but no value, then it will not be included in outgoing messages + unless you edit a value in manually. For example, if + + Reply-To: + is in the list, then the Reply-To header will be available for + editing but won't be included unless a value is added while in the + composer. + It's actually a little more complicated than that. The values of + headers that you set with the Customized-Headers option are defaults. + If the message you are about to compose already has a value for a + header, that value is used instead of a value from your + Customized-Headers. For example, if you are Replying to a message the + Subject field will already be filled in. In that case, if the + Customized-Headers list contains a Subject line, the custom subject + will _NOT_ be used. The subject derived from the subject of the + message you are Replying to will be used instead. + It is also possible to make header setting even more complicated and + more automatic by using Roles, but if all you want to do is set a + default value for a header, you don't need to think about Roles. + If you change your From address you may also find it useful to add + the changed From address to the alt-addresses configuration option. + Limitation: Because commas are used to separate the list of + Customized-Headers, it is not possible to have the value of a header + contain a comma. Nor is there currently an "escape" mechanism + provided to make this work. + This option is displayed as "Customized Headers". + _dead-letter-files_ + This option affects _Alpine_'s behavior when you cancel a message + being composed. _Alpine_'s usual behavior is to write the canceled + message to a file named "dead.letter" in your home directory, or + "DEADLETR" when using _PC-Alpine_, overwriting any previous message. + If you set this option to a value higher than one, then that many + copies of dead letter files will be saved. For example, if you set + this option to "3" then you may have files named "DEADLETR", + "DEADLETR2", and "DEADLETR3"; or "dead.letter", "dead.letter2", and + "dead.letter3". In this example, the most recently cancelled message + will be in "dead.letter", and the third most recently cancelled + message will be in "dead.letter3". The fourth most recently cancelled + message will no longer be saved. + If you set this option to zero, then NO record of canceled messages + is maintained. + If the feature Quell-Dead-Letter-On-Cancel is set, that overrides + whatever you set for this option. If this option had existed at the + time, then the Quell feature would not have been added, but it is + still there for backwards compatibility. So, in order for this option + to have the desired effect, make sure the Quell feature is turned + off. + _default-composer-hdrs_ + You can control which headers you want visible when composing + outgoing email using this option. You can specify any of the regular + set, any Rich Header, or any Customized-Hdrs which you have already + defined. If you use this setting at all, you must specify all the + headers you want to see, you can't just add to the regular header + set. The default set is To:, Cc:, Attchmnt:, and Subject:. + Note that the "Newsgroups:" header will be abbreviated in the + Composer display, but should be spelled out in full here. + This option is displayed as "Default Composer Headers". + _default-fcc_ + The name of the folder to which all outgoing mail goes is set here. + The compiled-in default is _sent-mail_ (UNIX) or _sentmail_ (PC). It + can be set to "" (two double quotes with nothing between them) to + turn off saving copies of outgoing mail. If _default-fcc_ is a + relative file name, then it is relative to your default collection + for saves (see folder-collections). + This option is displayed as "Default Fcc (File carbon copy)". + _default-saved-msg-folder_ + This option determines the default folder name for _Saves_... If this + is not a path name, it will be in the default collection for saves. + Any valid folder specification, local or IMAP, is allowed. This + default folder only applies when the saved-msg-name-rule doesn't + override it. Unix _Alpine_ default is normally _saved-messages_ in + the default folder collection. _PC-Alpine_ default is _SAVEMAIL_ + (normally stored as _SAVEMAIL.MTX_). + This option is displayed as "Default Saved Message Folder". + _disable-these-authenticators_ + This variable is a list of SASL (Simple Authentication and Security + Layer) authenticators which will be disabled. SASL is a mechanism for + authenticating to IMAP, POP3, SMTP, and other network servers. + _Alpine_ matches its list of supported authenticators with the server + to determine the most secure authenticator that is supported by both. + If no matching authenticators are found, _Alpine_ will revert to + plaintext login (or, in the case of SMTP, will be unable to + authenticate at all). + The candidates for disabling are listed below. There may be more if + you compile _Alpine_ with additional authenticators and/or a newer + version of the c-client library. + + GSSAPI + + CRAM-MD5 + + PLAIN + + LOGIN + Normally, you will not disable any authenticators. There are two + exceptions: + 1. You use a broken server that advertises an authenticator, but does + not actually implement it. + 2. You have a Kerberos-capable version of _Alpine_ and the server is + also Kerberos-capable, but you can not obtain Kerberos credentials + on the server machine, thus you desire to disable GSSAPI (which in + turn disables _Alpine_'s Kerberos support). + It is never necessary to disable authenticators, since _Alpine_ will + try other authenticators before giving up. However, disabling the + relevant authenticator avoids annoying error messages. + _disable-these-drivers_ + This variable is a list of mail drivers which will be disabled. The + candidates for disabling are listed below. There may be more in the + future if you compile _Alpine_ with a newer version of the c-client + library. + + mbox + + mbx + + mh + + mix + + mmdf + + mtx + + mx + + news + + phile + + tenex + + unix + The _mbox_ driver enables the following behavior: if there is a file + called mbox in your home directory, and if that file is either empty + or in Unix mailbox format, then every time you open _INBOX_ the _mbox_ + driver will automatically transfer mail from the system mail spool + directory into the mbox file and delete it from the spool directory. + If you disable the _mbox_ driver, this will not happen. + It is not recommended to disable the driver which supports the system + default mailbox format. On most non-SCO systems, that driver is the + _unix_ driver. On most SCO systems, it is the _mmdf_ driver. The + system default driver may be configured to something else on your + system; check with your system manager for additional information. + It is most likely not very useful for you to disable any of the + drivers other than possibly _mbox_. You could disable some of the + others if you know for certain that you don't need them but the + performance gain in doing so is very modest. + _display-character-set_ + See the discussion in International Character Sets for details. + _display-filters_ + This option defines a list of text-filtering commands (programs or + scripts) that may be used to filter text portions of received + messages prior to their use (e.g., presentation in the "Message Text" + display screen). For security reasons, the full path name of the + filter command must be specified. + Display filters do not work with _PC-Alpine_. + The command is executed and the message is piped into its standard + input. The standard output of the command is read back by _Alpine_. + The __TMPFILE__ token (see below) overrides this default behavior. + The filter's use is based on the configured _trigger_ string. The + format of a filter definition is: + + <trigger> <command> <arguments> + You can specify as many filters as you wish, separating them with a + comma. Each filter can have only one trigger and command. Thus, two + trigger strings which invoke the same command require separate filter + specifications. + The _trigger_ is simply text that, if found in the message, will + invoke the associated command. If the trigger contains any space + characters, it must be placed within quotes. Likewise, should you + wish a filter to be invoked unconditionally, define the trigger as + the null string, "" (two consecutive double-quote characters). If the + trigger string is found anywhere in the text of the message the + filter is invoked. Placing the trigger text within the tokens defined + below changes where within the text the trigger must be before + considering it a match. + Trigger Modifying Tokens: + + __CHARSET(string)__ + This token tells _Alpine_ to invoke the supplied command if the + text is in a character set matching string (e.g., ISO-8859-2 or + ISO-2022-JP). + + __LEADING(string)__ + This token tells _Alpine_ to invoke the supplied command if the + enclosed string is found to be the first non-whitespace text. + NOTE: Quotes are necessary if string contains the space + character. + + __BEGINNING(string)__ + This token tells _Alpine_ to invoke the supplied command if the + enclosed string is found at the beginning of any line in the + text. + NOTE: Quotes are necessary if string contains the space + character. + + The "command" and "arguments" portion is simply the command line to + be invoked if the trigger string is found. Below are tokens that + _Alpine_ will recognize and replace with special values when the + command is actually invoked. + Command Modifying Tokens: + + __TMPFILE__ + When the command is executed, this token is replaced with the + path and name of the temporary file containing the text to be + filtered. _Alpine_ expects the filter to replace this data with + the filter's result. NOTE: Use of this token implies that the + text to be filtered is not piped into standard input of the + executed command and its standard output is ignored. _Alpine_ + restores the tty modes before invoking the filter in case the + filter interacts with the user via its own standard input and + output. + + __RESULTFILE__ + When the command is executed, this token is replaced with the + path and name of a temporary file intended to contain a status + message from the filter. _Alpine_ displays this in the message + status field. + + __DATAFILE__ + When the command is executed, this token is replaced with the + path and name of a temporary file that _Alpine_ creates once + per session and deletes upon exit. The file is intended to be + used by the filter to store state information between instances + of the filter. + + __PREPENDKEY__ + When the command is executed, this token indicates that a + random number will be passed down the input stream before the + message text. This number could be used as a session key. It + does not appear as a command-line argument. It is sent in this + way to improve security. The number is unique to the current + _Alpine_ session and is only generated once per session. + + The feature disable-terminal-reset-for-display-filters is related. + Performance caveat/considerations: + Testing for the trigger and invoking the filter doesn't come for + free. There is overhead associated with searching for the trigger + string, testing for the filter's existence and actually piping the + text through the filter. The impact can be reduced if the Trigger + Modifying Tokens above are employed. + Limitation: + If Header Colors are being used, the sequences of bytes which + indicate color changes will be contained in the text which is passed + to the display-filter. If this causes problems you'll need to turn + off Header Colors. The thirteen bytes which indicate a color change + are the character \377 followed by \010 for a foreground color or + \011 for a background color. Then comes eleven characters of RGB data + which looks something like 255, 0,255, depending on the particular + color, of course. + _download-command_ + This option affects the behavior of the _Export_ command. It + specifies a Unix program name, and any necessary command line + arguments, that _Alpine_ can use to transfer the exported message to + your personal computer's disk. + _download-command-prefix_ + This option is used in conjunction with the _download-command_ + option. It defines text to be written to the terminal emulator (via + standard output) immediately prior to starting the download command. + This is useful for integrated serial line file transfer agents that + permit command passing (e.g., Kermit's APC method). + _editor_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. Sets the name of the alternate editor for + composing mail (message text only, not headers). It will be invoked + with the "^_" command or it will be invoked automatically if the + enable-alternate-editor-implicitly feature is set. + _empty-header-message_ + When sending, if both the To and Cc fields are empty and you are + sending the message to a Bcc, _Alpine_ will put a special address in + the To line. The default value is "undisclosed-recipients: ;". The + reason for this is to avoid embarrassment caused by some Internet + mail transfer software that interprets a "missing" To: header as an + error and replaces it with an Apparently-to: header that may contain + the addresses you entered on the Bcc: line, defeating the purpose of + the Bcc. You may change the part of this message that comes before + the ": ;" by setting the _empty-header-message_ variable to something + else. + _fcc-name-rule_ + Determines default folder name for fcc when composing. Currently, + _Alpine_ will accept the values _default-fcc_, _by-recipient_, or + _last-fcc-used_. If set to _default-fcc_, then _Alpine_ will use the + value defined in the default-fcc variable (which itself has a + default) for the Fcc header field. If set to _by-recipient_, then + _Alpine_ will use the name of the recipient as a folder name for the + fcc. The relevant recipient is the first address in the To field. If + set to "last-fcc-used", then _Alpine_ will offer to Fcc to whatever + folder you used previously. In all cases, the field can still be + edited after it is initially assigned. If the fcc field in the + address book is set for the first To address, that value over-rides + any value derived from this rule. + _feature-list_ + This is a list of the many features (options) which may be turned on + or off. There is a separate section titled Configuration Features + which explains each of the features. There is some additional + explanation about the _feature-list_ variable itself in Feature List + Variable. + _file-directory_ + _PC-Alpine_ only. This value affects the Composer's "^J Attach" + command, the Attachment Index Screen's "S Save" command, and the + Message Index's "E Export" command. + Normally, when a filename is supplied that lacks a leading "path" + component, _Alpine_ assumes the file exists in the user's home + directory. Under Windows operating systems, this definition isn't + always clear. This feature allows you to explictly set where _Alpine_ + should look for files without a leading path. + NOTE: this feature's value is ignored if either use-current-dir + feature is set or the PINERC has a value for the operating-dir + variable. + _folder-collections_ + This is a list of one or more collections where saved mail is stored. + See the sections describing folder collections and collection syntax + for more information. The first collection in this list is the + default collection for _Save_s, including default-fcc's. + _folder-extension_ + _PC-Alpine_ only. File extension used for local folder names. This is + .MTX by default. + _folder-reopen-rule_ + _Alpine_ normally checks for new mail in the currently open folder + and in the INBOX every few minutes. + There are some situations where automatic new-mail checking does not + work. For example, if a mail folder is opened using the POP protocol + or a newsgroup is being read using the NNTP protocol, then new-mail + checking is disabled. + It may be possible to check for new mail in these cases by reopening + the folder. _Alpine_ does not do this for you automatically, but you + may do the commands manually to cause this to happen. You reopen by + going back to the folder list screen from the message index screen + with the "<" command, and then going back into the message index + screen with the ">" command. (Actually, any method you would normally + use to open a folder will work the same as the "<" followed by ">" + method. For example, the GoTo Folder command will work, or you may + use L to go to the Folder List screen and Carriage Return to reopen + the folder.) + There are some cases where _Alpine_ knows that reopening the folder + should be useful as a way to discover new mail. At the time of this + writing, connections made using the POP protocol, news reading using + the NNTP protocol, local news reading, and local ReadOnly folders + which are in the traditional UNIX or the MMDF format all fall into + this category. There are other cases where it _may_ be a way to + discover new mail, but _Alpine_ has no way of knowing, so it might + also just be an exercise in futility. All remote, ReadOnly folders + other than those listed just above fall into this category. The + setting of this option together with the type of folder controls how + _Alpine_ will react to the apparent attempt to reopen a folder. + If you don't reopen, then you will just be back in the message index + with no change. You left the index and came back, but the folder + remained "open" the whole time. However, if you do reopen the folder, + the folder is closed and then reopened. In this case, the current + state of the open folder is lost. The New status, Important and + Answered flags, selected state, Zoom state, collapsed or expanded + state of threads, current message number, and any other temporary + state is all lost when the reopen happens. For POP folders (but not + NNTP newsgroups) the Deleted flags are also lost. + In the possibilities listed below, the text says "POP/NNTP" in + several places. That really implies the case where _Alpine_ knows it + is a good way to discover new mail, which is more than just POP and + NNTP, but POP and NNTP are the cases of most interest. This option + probably has more possible values than it deserves. They are: + + Always reopen + _Alpine_ will not ask whether you want to reopen but will just + do the reopen whenever you type a command that implies a + reopen, regardless of the access method. In other words, it is + assumed you would always answer Yes if asked about reopening. + + Yes for POP/NNTP, Ask about other remote [Yes] + _Alpine_ will assume a Yes answer if the access method is POP + or NNTP, but will ask you whether to reopen other remote + folders, with a default answer of Yes. + + Yes for POP/NNTP, Ask about other remote [No] + _Alpine_ will assume a Yes answer if the access method is POP + or NNTP, but will ask you whether to reopen other remote + folders, with a default answer of No. + + Yes for POP/NNTP, No for other remote + _Alpine_ will assume a Yes answer if the access method is POP + or NNTP, and will assume a No answer for all other remote + folders. + + Always ask [Yes] + _Alpine_ will not differentiate based on access method. It will + always ask for all remote folders, with a default answer of + Yes. + + Always ask [No] + _Alpine_ will not differentiate based on access method. It will + always ask for all remote folders, with a default answer of No. + + Ask about POP/NNTP [Yes], No for other remote + _Alpine_ will ask if the access method is POP or NNTP, with a + default answer of Yes. It will never attempt to reopen other + remote folders. + + Ask about POP/NNTP [No], No for other remote + This is the default. _Alpine_ will ask if the access method is + POP or NNTP, with a default answer of No. It will never attempt + to reopen other remote folders. + + Never reopen + _Alpine_ will never attempt to reopen already open folders. + + Remember, wherever it says POP or NNTP above it really means POP or + NNTP or any of the other situations where it is likely that reopening + is a good way to discover new mail. + There is an alternative that may be of useful in some situations. + Instead of manually checking for new mail you can set up a Mail Drop + and automatically check for new mail. + _folder-sort-rule_ + This option controls the order in which folder list entries will be + presented in the FOLDER LIST screen. Choose one of the following: + + _Alphabetical_ + sort by alphabetical name independent of type + + _Alpha-with-dirs-last_ + sort by alphabetical name grouping directory entries to the end + of the list + + _Alpha-with-dirs-first_ + sort by alphabetical name grouping directory entries to the + start of the list + + The normal default is _Alphabetical_. + _font-name_ + Winsock version of _PC-Alpine_ only. + _font-size_ + Winsock version of _PC-Alpine_ only. + _font-style_ + Winsock version of _PC-Alpine_ only. + _forced-abook-entry_ + System-wide _Alpine_ configuration files only. Force these address + book entries into all writable personal address books. This is a list + variable. Each item in the list has the form: + + Nickname | Fullname | Address + with optional whitespace in all the obvious places. + _form-letter-folder_ + A Form Letter Folder is a mail folder that is intended to contain + messages that you have composed and that are intended to be sent in + their original form repeatedly. + Setting this variable will alter _Alpine_'s usual behavior when you + execute the Compose command. Normally, _Alpine_ offers a chance to + continue a postponed or interrupted message should one or the other + exist. When this variable is set to a folder name that exists, + _Alpine_ will also offer the chance to select a message from the + folder to insert into the composer, much like when continuing a + postponed message. The difference, however, is that _Alpine_ will not + automatically delete the selected message from the Form Letter + Folder. + Setting this variable will also affect _Alpine_'s behavior when you + Postpone a message from the composer. Normally, _Alpine_ simply + stashes the message away in your Postponed-Folder. Regardless of the + specified folder's existence, _Alpine_ will ask which folder you + intend the message to be stored in. Choose the "F" option to store + the message in your Form Letter Folder. This is the most common way + to add a message to the folder. + Another method of adding messages to the folder is via the _Alpine_ + composer's Fcc: field. If you are sending a message that you expect + to send in the same form again, you can enter the Form Letter + Folder's name in this field. _Alpine_, as usual, will copy the + message as it's sent. Note, when you later select this message from + your Form Letter Folder, it will have the same recipients as the + original message. + To delete a message from the Form Letter Folder, you can either + select the folder from a suitable FOLDER LIST screen, or use the + Delete command in the MESSAGE INDEX offered when selecting from the + folder as part of the Compose command. You can delete a Form Letter + Folder just as any other folder from a suitable FOLDER LIST screen. + You may find that the Roles facility can be used to replace the Form + Letter Folder. + _global-address-book_ + A list of shared address books. Each entry in the list is an optional + nickname followed by a pathname or file name relative to the home + directory. A SPACE character separates the nickname from the rest of + the line. Instead of a local pathname or file name, a remote folder + name can be given. This causes the address book to be a Remote + address book. Remote folder syntax is discussed in Syntax for Remote + Folders. This list will be added to the address-book list to arrive + at the complete set of address books. Global address books are + defined to be ReadOnly. + _goto-default-rule_ + This value affects _Alpine_'s behavior when using the _Goto_ command. + There are five possible values for this option: + + _folder-in-first-collection_ + _Alpine_ will offer the most recently visited folder in the + default collection found in the "Collection List" screen as the + default. + + _inbox-or-folder-in-first-collection_ + If the current folder is _INBOX_, _Alpine_ will offer the most + recently visited folder in the default collection found in the + "Collection List" screen. If the current folder is other than + _INBOX_, _INBOX_ is offered as the default. + + _inbox-or-folder-in-recent-collection_ + This is _Alpine_'s default behavior. If the current folder is + _INBOX_, _Alpine_ will offer the last open folder as the + default. If the current folder is other than _INBOX_, _INBOX_ + is offered as the default. + + _first-collection-with-inbox-default_ + Instead of offering the most recently visited folder in the + default collection, the default collection is offered but with + _INBOX_ as the default folder. If you type in a folder name it + will be in the default collection. If you simply accept the + default, however, your _INBOX_ will be opened. + + _most-recent-folder_ + The last accepted value simply causes the most recently opened + folder to be offered as the default regardless of the currently + opened folder. + + NOTE: The default while a newsgroup is open remains the same; the + last open newsgroup. + _header-general-background-color_ + _header-general-foreground-color_ + Header Colors. + _image-viewer_ + This variable names the program to call for displaying parts of a + MIME message that are of type IMAGE. If your system supports the + _mailcap_ system, you don't need to set this variable. + _inbox-path_ + This specifies the name of the folder to use for the _INBOX_. By + default this is unset and the system's default is used. The most + common reason for setting this is to open an IMAP mailbox for the + _INBOX_. For example, _{imap5.u.example.edu}inbox_ will open the + user's standard _INBOX_ on the mail server, _imap5_. + _incoming-archive-folders_ + This is like read-message-folder, only more general. This is a list + of folder pairs, with the first separated from the second in the pair + by a space. The first folder in a pair is the folder you want to + archive, and the second folder is the folder that read messages from + the first should be moved to. Depending on how you define the + auto-move-read-msgs feature, you may or may not be asked when you + leave the first folder if you want read messages to be moved to the + second folder. In either case, moving the messages means they will be + deleted from the first folder. + If these are not path names, they will be in the default collection + for _Save_s. Any valid folder specification, local or remote (via + IMAP), is allowed. There is no default. + _incoming-check-interval_ + This option has no effect unless the feature + enable-incoming-folders-checking is set, which in turn has no effect + unless incoming-folders is set. + This option specifies, in seconds, how often _Alpine_ will check for + new mail and state changes in Incoming Folders when Incoming Folders + Checking is turned on. The default is 3 minutes (180). This value + applies only to folders that are local to the system that _Alpine_ is + running on or that are accessed using the IMAP protocol. The similar + option incoming-check-interval-secondary applies to all other + monitored folders. + _incoming-check-interval-secondary_ + This option has no effect unless the feature + enable-incoming-folders-checking is set, which in turn has no effect + unless incoming-folders is set. + This option together with the option incoming-check-interval + specifies, in seconds, how often _Alpine_ will check for new mail and + state changes in Incoming Folders when Incoming Folders Checking is + turned on. The default for this option is 3 minutes (180). For + folders that are local to this system or that are accessed using the + IMAP protocol the value of the option incoming-check-interval is + used. For all other monitored folders, the value of this option is + used. + The reason there are two separate options is because it is usually + less expensive to check local and IMAP folders than it is to check + other types, like POP or NNTP folders. You may want to set this + secondary value to a higher number than the primary check interval. + _incoming-check-list_ + This option has no effect unless the feature + enable-incoming-folders-checking is set, which in turn has no effect + unless incoming-folders is set. + When monitoring the Incoming Message Folders for Unseen messages + Alpine will normally monitor all Incoming Folders. You may use this + option to restrict the list of monitored folders to a subset of all + Incoming Folders. + _incoming-check-timeout_ + This option has no effect unless the feature + enable-incoming-folders-checking is set, which in turn has no effect + unless incoming-folders is set. + Sets the time in seconds that Alpine will attempt to open a network + connection used for monitoring for Unseen messages in Incoming + Folders. The default is 5. If a connection has not completed within + this many seconds Alpine will give up and consider it a failed + connection. + _incoming-folders_ + This is a list of one or more folders other than _INBOX_ that may + receive new messages. This list is slightly special in that it is + always expanded in the folder lister. In the future, it may become + more special. For example, it would be nice if _Alpine_ would monitor + the folders in this list for new mail. + _incoming-startup-rule_ + This rule affects _Alpine_'s behavior when opening the _INBOX_ or + another folder from the "INCOMING MESSAGE FOLDERS". This rule tells + _Alpine_ which message to make the current message when an incoming + folder is opened. There are seven possible values for this option: + + _first-unseen_ + The current message will be the first unseen message which has + not been marked deleted, or the last message if all of the + messages have been seen. This is the default setting. + + _first-recent_ + This is similar to _first-unseen_. Instead of first unseen it + is the first recent message. A message is considered to be + recent if it arrived since the last time the folder was open + (by any mail client, not just the current one). So this option + causes the current message to be set to the first + undeleted-recent message, or the last message if none is both + undeleted and recent. + + _first-important_ + This will result in the current message being set to the first + message marked Important (but not Deleted). If no messages are + marked Important, then it will be the last message. + + _first-important-or-unseen_ + This selects the minimum of the first unseen and the first + important messages. + + _first-important-or-recent_ + This selects the first of the first recent and the first + important messages. + + _first_ + Set the current message to the first undeleted message unless + all are deleted. In that case set it to the last message. + + _last_ + Set the current message to the last undeleted message unless + all are deleted. In that case set it to the last message. + + _incoming-unseen-background-color_ + _incoming-unseen-foreground-color_ + Incoming Unseen Color. + _index-answered-background-color_ + _index-answered-foreground-color_ + _index-arrow-background-color_ + _index-arrow-foreground-color_ + _index-deleted-background-color_ + _index-deleted-foreground-color_ + _index-from-background-color_ + _index-from-foreground-color_ + _index-highpriority-background-color_ + _index-highpriority-foreground-color_ + _index-important-background-color_ + _index-important-foreground-color_ + _index-lowpriority-background-color_ + _index-lowpriority-foreground-color_ + _index-new-background-color_ + _index-new-foreground-color_ + _index-opening-background-color_ + _index-opening-foreground-color_ + _index-recent-background-color_ + _index-recent-foreground-color_ + _index-subject-background-color_ + _index-subject-foreground-color_ + _index-to-me-background-color_ + _index-to-me-foreground-color_ + _index-unseen-background-color_ + _index-unseen-foreground-color_ + Index Colors. + _index-format_ + This option is used to customize the content of lines in the MESSAGE + INDEX screen. Each line is intended to convey some amount of + immediately relevant information about each message in the current + folder. + _Alpine_ provides a pre-defined set of informational fields with + reasonable column widths automatically computed. You can, however, + replace this default set by listing special tokens in the order you + want them displayed. + The list of available tokens is here. + Spaces are used to separate listed tokens. Additionally, you can + specify how much of the screen's width the taken's associated data + should occupy on the index line by appending the token with a pair of + parentheses enclosing either a number or percentage. For example, + "SUBJECT(13)" means to allocate 13 characters of space to the subject + column, and "SUBJECT(20%)" means to allocate 20% of the available + space to the subjects column, while plain "SUBJECT" means the system + will attempt to figure out a reasonable amount of space. + There is always one space between every pair of columns, so if you + use fixed column widths (like 13) you should remember to take that + into account. Several of the fields are virtually fixed-width, so it + doesn't make much sense to specify the width for them. The fields + STATUS, FULLSTATUS, IMAPSTATUS, MSGNO, the DATE fields, SIZE, and + DESCRIPSIZE all fall into that category. You _may_ specify widths for + those if you wish, but you're probably better off letting the system + pick those widths. + The default is equivalent to: + +index-format=STATUS MSGNO SMARTDATETIME24 FROMORTO(33%) SIZENARROW SUBJKEY(6 + 7%) + This means that the four fields without percentages will be allocated + first, and then 33% and 67% of the _remaining_ space will go to the + from and subject fields. If one of those two fields is specified as a + percentage and the other is left for the system to choose, then the + percentage is taken as an absolute percentage of the screen, not of + the space remaining after allocating the first four columns. It + doesn't usually make sense to do it that way. If you leave off all + the widths, then the subject and from fields (if both are present) + are allocated space in a 2 to 1 ratio, which is almost exactly the + same as the default. + What you are most likely to do with this configuration option is to + specify which fields appear at all, which order they appear in, and + the percentage of screen that is used for the from and subject fields + if you don't like the 2 to 1 default. + If you want to retain the default format that _Pine_ 4.64 had, use + + Index-Format=STATUS MSGNO DATE FROMORTO(33%) SIZE SUBJKEY(67%) + _and_ set the feature Disable-Index-Locale-Dates. + _initial-keystroke-list_ + This is a comma-separated list of keystrokes which _Alpine_ executes + on startup. Items in the list are usually just characters, but there + are some special values. _SPACE,_ _TAB,_ and _CR_ mean a space + character, tab character, and a carriage return, respectively. _F1_ + through _F12_ stand for the twelve function keys. _UP, DOWN, LEFT, + _and_ RIGHT _stand for the arrow keys. Control characters are + represented with _^<char>_. A restriction is that you can't mix + function keys and character keys in this list even though you can, in + some cases, mix them when running _Alpine_. A user can always use + only _character_ keys in the startup list even if he or she is using + _function_ keys normally, or vice versa. If an element in this list is + a string surrounded by double quotes (") then it will be expanded + into the individual characters in the string, excluding the double + quotes. + _kblock-passwd-count_ + System-wide _Alpine_ configuration files only. Number of times a user + will have to enter a password when they run the keyboard lock command + in the main menu. + _keyboard-character-set_ + See the discussion in International Character Sets for details. + _keylabel-background-color_ + _keylabel-foreground-color_ + KeyLabel Color. + _keyname-background-color_ + _keyname-foreground-color_ + KeyName Color. + _keywords_ + You may define your own set of keywords and optionally set them on a + message by message basis. These are similar to the "Important" flag + which the user may set using the Flag command. The difference is that + the Important flag is always present for each folder. User-defined + keywords are chosen by the user. You may set up the list of possible + keywords here, or you may add keywords from the Flag Details screen + that you can get to after typing the Flag (*) command. After the + keywords have been defined, then you use the Flag command to set or + clear the keywords in each message. The behavior of the flag command + may be modified by using the Enable-Flag-Screen-Implicitly option or + the Enable-Flag-Screen-Keyword-Shortcut option. + Keywords may be used when Selecting messages (Select Keyword). + Keywords may also be used in the Patterns of Rules (Filters, + Indexcolors, etc). Filter rules may be used to set keywords + automatically. Keywords may be displayed as part of the Subject of a + message by using the SUBJKEY or SUBJKEYINIT tokens in the + Index-Format option. The Keyword-Surrounding-Chars option may be used + to modify the display of keywords using SUBJKEY and SUBJKEYINIT + slightly. Keywords may also be displayed in a column of their own in + the MESSAGE INDEX screen by using the KEY or KEYINIT tokens. It is + also possible to color keywords in the index using the Setup/Kolor + screen (Keyword Colors). Keywords are not supported by all mail + servers. + You may give keywords nicknames if you wish. If the keyword + definition you type in contains a SPACE character, then the actual + value of the keyword is everything after the last SPACE and the + nickname for that keyword is everything before the last SPACE. For + example, suppose you are trying to interoperate with another email + program which uses a particular keyword with an unpleasant name. + Maybe it uses a keyword called + + VendorName.SoftwareName.08 + but for you that keyword means that the message is work-related. You + could define a keyword to have the value + + Work VendorName.SoftwareName.08 + and then you would use the name "Work" when dealing with that keyword + in _Alpine_. If you defined it as + + My Work VendorName.SoftwareName.08 + the nickname would be everything before the last SPACE, that is the + nickname would be "My Work". + Some commonly used keywords begin with dollar signs. This presents a + slight complication, because the dollar sign is normally used to + signify environment variable expansion in the _Alpine_ configuration. + In order to specify a keyword which begins with a dollar sign you + must precede the dollar sign with a second dollar sign to escape its + special meaning. For example, if you want to include the keyword + + $Label1 + as one of your possible keywords, you must enter the text + + $$Label1 + instead. + _keyword-surrounding-chars_ + This option controls a minor aspect of _Alpine_'s MESSAGE INDEX and + MESSAGE TEXT screens. If you have modified the Index-Format option so + that either the "SUBJKEY" or "SUBJKEYINIT" tokens are used to display + keywords or their initials along with the Subject; then this option + may be used to modify the resulting display slightly. By default, the + keywords or initials displayed for these tokens will be surrounded + with curly braces ({ and }) and a trailing space. For example, if + keywords "Work" and "Now" are set for a message, the "SUBJKEY" token + will normally look like + + {Work Now} actual subject + and the SUBJKEYINIT token would look like + + {WN} actual subject + The default character before the keywords is the left brace ({) and + the default after the keywords is the right brace followed by a space + (} ). + This option allows you to change that. You should set it to two + values separated by a space. The values may be quoted if they include + space characters. So, for example, the default value could be + specified explicitly by setting this option to + + Keyword-Surrounding-Chars="{" "} " + The first part wouldn't need to be quoted (but it doesn't hurt). The + second part does need the quotes because it includes a space + character. If you wanted to change the braces to brackets you could + use + + Keyword-Surrounding-Chars="[" "] " + Inside the quotes you can use backslash quote to mean quote, so + + Keyword-Surrounding-Chars="\"" "\" " + would produce + + "Work Now" actual subject + It is also possible to color keywords in the index using the + Setup/Kolor screen (Keyword Colors). + It is not possible to change the fact that a space character is used + to separate the keywords if more than one keyword is set for a + message. It is also not possible to change the fact that there are no + separators between the keyword initials if more than one keyword is + set. + This option is displayed as "Keyword Surrounding Characters". + _last-time-prune-questioned_ + Personal configuration file only. This variable records the month the + user was last asked if his or her _sent-mail_ folders should be + pruned. The format is _yy.mm_. This is automatically updated by + _Alpine_ when the the pruning is done or declined. If a user wanted to + make _Alpine_ stop asking this question he or she could set this time + to something far in the future. This may not be set in the + system-wide configuration files. Note: The _yy_ year is actually the + number of years since 1900, so it will be equal to 101 in the year + 2001. + _last-version-used_ + Personal configuration file only. This is set automatically by + _Alpine_. It is used to keep track of the last version of _Alpine_ + that was run by the user. Whenever the version number increases, a + new version message is printed out. This may not be set in the + system-wide configuration files. + _ldap-servers_ + This is only available if _Alpine_ was linked with an LDAP library + when it was compiled. This variable is normally managed by _Alpine_ + though it can be set in the system-wide configuration files as well + as the personal configuration. It is a list variable. Each item in + the list contains quite a bit of extra information besides just the + server name. To put this into a system-wide config file the easiest + thing to do is to configure a personal _Alpine_ for the LDAP server + then copy the configuration line into the system-wide config file. + Each item in the list looks like: + + server_name[:port] "quoted stuff" + The server_name is just a hostname and it is followed by an optional + colon and port number. The default port is 389. Following the server + name is a single SPACE character followed by a bunch of characters + inside double quotes. The part inside the quotes is a set of _tag_ = + _value_ pairs. Each tag is preceded by a slash (/) and followed by an + equal sign. The value for that tag is the text up to the next slash. + An example of some quoted stuff is: + + "/base=o=University of Washington, c=US/impl=0/.../nick=My Server" + This would set the search base for this server to o=University of + Washington, c=US, set the implicit bit to zero, and set the nickname + for the server to My Server. All of the tags correspond directly to + items in the Setup/Directory screen so experiment with that if you + want to see what the possible tags and values are. + _literal-signature_ + With this option your actual signature, as opposed to the name of a + file containing your signature, is stored in the _Alpine_ + configuration file. If this is defined it takes precedence over the + _signature-file_ option. + This is simply a different way to store the signature data. The + signature is stored inside your _Alpine_ configuration file instead + of in a separate signature file. Tokens contained in the signature + work the same way they do with the regular signature-file. + The Setup/Signature command in _Alpine_'s Main Menu will edit the + _literal-signature_ by default. However, if no _literal-signature_ is + defined and the file named in the _signature-file_ option exists, + then the latter will be used instead. Compose (Reply, Forward, ...) + will default to using the _literal-signature_ if defined, otherwise + it will use the contents of the file named in _signature-file_. + The _Alpine_ composer is used to edit the literal-signature. The + result of that edit is first converted to a C-style string before it + is stored in the configuration file. In particular, the two character + sequence \n (backslash followed by the character "n") will be used to + signify a line-break in the signature. You don't have to enter the + \n, but it will be visible in the SETUP CONFIGURATION window after + you are done editing the signature. + _mail-check-interval_ + This option specifies, in seconds, how often _Alpine_ will check for + new mail. If set to zero, new-mail checking is disabled. (You can + always manually force a new-mail check by typing ^L (Ctrl-L), which + is also the command to refresh the screen, or by typing the Next + command when the current message is the last message of the folder.) + There is a minimum value for this option, normally 15 seconds. The + default value is normally 150 seconds. The higher you set this + option, the easier it is on the server. + There are some situations where automatic new-mail checking does not + work. See the discussion about new-mail checking in + folder-reopen-rule. + The new-mail checking will not happen exactly at the frequency that + you specify. For example, _Alpine_ may elect to defer a non-INBOX + mail check if you are busy typing. Or, it may check more frequently + than you have specified if that is thought to be necessary to keep + the server from closing the connection to the folder due to + inactivity. If _Alpine_ checks for new mail as a side effect of + another command, it will reset the timer, so that new-mail checking + may seem to happen irregularly instead of every X seconds like + clockwork. + If you are anxious to know about new mail as soon as possible, set + the check interval low, and you'll know about the new mail by + approximately that amount of time after it arrives. If you aren't so + worried about knowing right away, set this option to a higher value. + That will save the server some processing time and may save you some + of the time you spend waiting for new-mail checks to happen if you + are dealing with a slow server or slow network connection. + If you suspect that new-mail checking is causing slow downs for you, + you may want to look into the options + Quell-Mailchecks-Composing-Except-Inbox, + Quell-Mailchecks-Composing-InboxandMail-Check-Interval-Noncurrent, + which refine when mail checking is done. + If the mailbox being check uses a Mail Drop then there is a minimum + time (maildrop-check-minimum) between new-mail checks. Because of + this minimum you may notice that new mail does not appear promptly + when you expect it. The reason for this is to protect the server from + over-zealous opening and closing of the Mail Drop folder, since that + is a costly operation. + A side effect of disabling mail checking is that there will be + situations in which the user's IMAP connection will be broken due to + inactivity timers on the server. Another side effect is that the + user-input-timeout option won't work. + _mail-check-interval-noncurrent_ + This option is closely related to the Mail-Check-Interval option, as + well as the Quell-Mailchecks-Composing-Except-Inbox and + Quell-Mailchecks-Composing-Inbox options. If the + "Mail-Check-Interval" option is set to zero, then automatic new-mail + checking is disabled and this option will have no effect. + Normally this option is set to zero, which means that the value used + will be the same as the value for the "Mail-Check-Interval". If you + set this option to a value different from zero (usually larger than + the value for "Mail-Check-Interval") then that is the check interval + that will be used for folders which are not the currently open folder + or the INBOX. You may not even have any folders that are noncurrent + and not the INBOX. If you do, it is likely that they are due to + Stay-Open-Folders you have configured. This option also affects the + rate of mail checking done on cached connections to folders you + previously had open but are no longer actively using. You aren't + expected to understand that last sentence, but if you are interested + take a look at Max-Remote-Connections, and the related options. + _mail-directory_ + This variable was more important in previous versions of _Alpine_. + Now it is used only as the default for storing personal folders (and + only if there are no folder-collections defined). The default value + is _~/mail_ on UNIX and _${HOME}\MAIL_ on a PC. + _mailcap-search-path_ + This variable is used to replace _Alpine_'s default mailcap file + search path. It takes one or more file names (full paths must be + specified) in which to look for mail capability data. + _maildrop-check-minimum_ + New-mail checking for a Mail Drop is a little different from new mail + checking for a regular folder. One of the differences is that the + connection to the Mail Drop is not kept open and so the cost of + checking (delay for you and additional load for the server) may be + significant. Because of this additional cost we set a minimum time + that must pass between checks. This minimum only applies to the + automatic checking done by _Alpine_. If you force a check by typing + ^L (Ctrl-L) or by typing the Next command when you are at the end of + a folder index, then the check is done right away. + This option specifies, in seconds, the _minimum_ time between Mail + Drop new-mail checks. You may want to set this minimum high in order + to avoid experiencing some of the delays associated with the checks. + Note that the time between checks is still controlled by the regular + Mail-Check-Interval option. When _Alpine_ is about to do an automatic + check for new mail (because the Mail-Check-Interval has expired) then + if the time since the last new-mail check of any open Mail Drops has + been greater than the MailDrop-Check-Minimum, the Mail Drop is + checked for new mail as well. Therefore, it is only useful to set + this option to a value that is higher than the Mail-Check-Interval. + If this option is set to zero, automatic Mail Drop new-mail checking + is disabled. There is a minimum value, normally 60 seconds. The + default value is normally 60 seconds as well. This applies to the + INBOX and to the currently open folder if that is different from the + INBOX. + _max-remote-connections_ + This option affects low-level behavior of _Alpine_. The default value + for this option is _2_. If your INBOX is accessed using the IMAP + protocol from an IMAP server, that connection is kept open throughout + the duration of your _Alpine_ session, independent of the value of + this option. The same is true of any Stay-Open-Folders you have + defined. This option controls _Alpine_'s behavior when connecting to + remote IMAP folders other than your INBOX or your Stay-Open-Folders. + It specifies the maximum number of remote IMAP connections (other + than those mentioned above) that _Alpine_ will use for accessing the + rest of your folders. If you set this option to zero, you will turn + off most remote connection re-use. It's difficult to understand + exactly what this option does, and it is usually fine to leave it set + to its default value. It is probably more likely that you will be + interested in setting the Stay-Open-Folders option instead of + changing the value of this option. A slightly longer explanation of + what is going on with this option is given in the next paragraphs. + There are some time costs involved in opening and closing remote IMAP + folders, the main costs being the time you have to wait for the + connection to the server and the time for the folder to open. Opening + a folder may involve not only the time the server takes to do its + processing but time that _Alpine_ uses to do filtering. These times + can vary widely. They depend on how loaded the server is, how large + the folder being opened is, and how you set up filtering, among other + things. Once _Alpine_ has opened a connection to a particular folder, + it will attempt to keep that connection open in case you use it + again. In order to do this, _Alpine_ will attempt to use the + Max-Remote-Connections (the value of this option) IMAP connections + you have alloted for this purpose. + For example, suppose the value of this option is set to "2". If your + INBOX is accessed on a remote server using the IMAP protocol, that + doesn't count as one of the remote connections but it is always kept + open. If you then open another IMAP folder, that would be your first + remote connection counted as one of the Max-Remote-Connections + connections. If you open a third folder the second will be left open, + in case you return to it. You won't be able to tell it has been left + open. It will appear to be closed when you leave the folder but the + connection will remain in the background. Now suppose you go back to + the second folder (the first folder after the INBOX). A connection to + that folder is still open so you won't have to wait for the startup + time to open it. Meanwhile, the connection to the third folder will + be left behind. Now, if you open a fourth folder, you will bump into + the Max-Remote-Connections limit, because this will be the third + folder other than INBOX and you have the option set to "2". The + connection that is being used for the third folder will be re-used + for this new fourth folder. If you go back to the third folder after + this, it is no longer already connected when you get there. You'll + still save some time since _Alpine_ will re-use the connection to the + fourth folder and you have already logged in on that connection, but + the folder will have to be re-opened from scratch. + If a folder is large and the startup cost is dominated by the time it + takes to open that folder or to run filters on it, then it will pay + to make the value of this option large enough to keep it open. On the + other hand, if you only revisit a handful of folders or if the + folders are small, then it might make more sense to keep this number + small so that the reconnect time (the time to start up a new + connection and authenticate) is eliminated instead. + You may also need to consider the impact on the server. On the + surface, a larger number here may cause a larger impact on the + server, since you will have more connections open to the server. On + the other hand, not only will _you_ be avoiding the startup costs + associated with reopening a folder, but the _server_ will be avoiding + those costs as well. + When twenty five minutes pass without any active use of an IMAP + connection being saved for possible re-use, that connection will be + shut down, + This option is displayed as "Maximum Remote Connections". + _meta-message-background-color_ + _meta-message-foreground-color_ + Meta-message Color. + _mimetype-search-path_ + This variable is used to replace _Alpine_'s default mime.types file + search path. It takes one or more file names (full paths must be + specified) in which to look for file-name-extension to MIME type + mapping data. See the Config Notes for details on _Alpine_'s usage of + the MIME.Types File. + _new-version-threshold_ + When a new version of _Alpine_ is run for the first time it offers a + special explanatory screen to the user upon startup. This option + helps control when and if that special screen appears for users that + have previously run _Alpine_. It takes as its value a _Alpine_ + version number. _Alpine_ versions less than the specified value will + supress this special screen while versions equal to or greater than + that specified will behave normally. + _newmail-fifo-path_ + This option is only available in UNIX _Alpine_. However, there is a + very similar feature built in to _PC-Alpine_. In _PC-Alpine_'s Config + menu at the top of the screen is an option called "New Mail Window". + You may have _Alpine_ create a FIFO special file (also called a named + pipe, see mkfifo(3) and fifo(4)) where it will send a one-line + message each time a new message is received in the current folder, + the INBOX, or any open Stay-Open-Folders. To protect against two + different _Alpine_s both writing to the same FIFO, _Alpine_ will only + create the FIFO and write to it if it doesn't already exist. + A possible way to use this option would be to have a separate window + on your screen running the command + + cat filename + where "filename" is the name of the file given for this option. + Because the file won't exist until after you start _Alpine_, you must + _first_ start _Alpine_ and _then_ run the "cat" command. You may be + tempted to use "tail -f filename" to view the new mail log. However, + the common implementations of the tail command will not do what you + are hoping. + The width of the messages produced for the FIFO may be altered with + the NewMail-Window-Width option. + On some systems, fifos may only be created in a local filesystem. In + other words, they may not be in NFS filesystems. This requirement is + not universal. If the system you are using supports it, it should + work. (It is often the case that your home directory is in an NFS + filesystem. If that is the case, you might try using a file in the + "/tmp" filesystem, which is usually a local filesytem.) Even when it + is possible to use an NFS-mounted filesystem as a place to name the + fifo (for example, your home directory), it will still be the case + that the reader (probably the "cat" command) and the writer + (_Alpine_) of the fifo must be running on the same system. + _newmail-window-width_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + This option is only useful if you have turned on the + NewMail-FIFO-Path option. That option causes new mail messages to be + sent to a fifo file. Those messages will be 80 characters wide by + default. You can change the width of the messages by changing this + option. For example, if you are reading those messages in another + window you might want to set this width to the width of that other + window. + For UNIX _Alpine_, this option is only useful if you have turned on + the NewMail-FIFO-Path option. That option causes new mail messages to + be sent to a fifo file. Those messages will be 80 characters wide by + default. You can change the width of those messages by changing this + option. For example, if you are reading those messages in another + window you might want to set this width to the width of that other + window. + If you are using _PC-Alpine_, it has an option in the Config menu to + turn on the "New Mail Window". The present option also controls the + width of that window. + _news-active-file-path_ + This option tells _Alpine_ where to look for the "active file" for + newsgroups when accessing news locally, rather than via NNTP. The + default path is usually /usr/lib/news/active. + _news-collections_ + This is a list of collections where news folders are located. See the + section describing collections for more information. + _news-spool-directory_ + This option tells _Alpine_ where to look for the "news spool" for + newsgroups when accessing news locally, rather than via NNTP. The + default path is usually /usr/spool/news. + _newsrc-path_ + This option overrides the default name _Alpine_ uses for your + "newsrc" news status and subscription file. If set, _Alpine_ will + take this value as the full pathname for the desired newsrc file. + _nntp-range_ + This option applies only to newsgroups accessed using the NNTP + protocol. It does not, for example, apply to newsgroups accessed + using an IMAP-to-NNTP proxy. + When you open a connection to a News server using the NNTP protocol, + you normally have access to all of the articles in each newsgroup. If + a server keeps a large backlog of messages it may speed performance + some to restrict attention to only the newer messages in a group. + This option allows you to set how many article numbers should be + checked when opening a newsgroup. You can think of "nntp-range" as + specifying the maximum number of messages you ever want to see. For + example, if you only ever wanted to look at the last 500 messages in + each newsgroup you could set this option to 500. In actuality, it + isn't quite that. Instead, for performance reasons, it specifies the + range of article numbers to be checked, beginning with the highest + numbered article and going backwards from there. If there are + messages that have been canceled or deleted their article numbers are + still counted as part of the range. + So, more precisely, setting the "nntp-range" will cause article + numbers + + last_article_number - nntp-range + 1 through last_article_number + to be considered when reading a newsgroup. The number of messages + that show up in your index will be less than or equal to the value of + "nntp-range". + The purpose of this option is simply to speed up access when reading + news. The speedup comes because _Alpine_ can ignore all but the last + nntp-range article numbers, and can avoid downloading any information + about the ignored articles. There is a cost you pay for this speedup. + That cost is that there is no way for you to see those ignored + articles. The articles that come before the range you specify are + invisible to you and to _Alpine_, as if they did not exist at all. + There is no way to see those messages using, for example, an + unexclude command or something similar. The only way to see those + articles is to set this option high enough (or set it to zero) and + then to reopen the newsgroup. + If this option is set to 0 (which is also the default), then the + range is unlimited. This option applies globally to all NNTP servers + and to all newsgroups on those servers. There is no way to set + different values for different newsgroups or servers. + _nntp-server_ + One or more NNTP servers (host name or IP address) which _Alpine_ + will use for reading and posting news. If you read and post news to + and from a single NNTP server, you can get away with only setting the + _nntp-server_ variable and leaving the _news-collections_ variable + unset. + When you define an NNTP server, _Alpine_ implicitly defines a news + collection for you, assuming that server as the news server and + assuming that you will use the NNTP protocol and a local newsrc + configuration file for reading news. See also Configuring News. + Your NNTP server may offer NNTP "AUTHINFO SASL" or "AUTHINFO USER" + authentication. It may even require it. If your NNTP server does + offer such authentication you may specify a user name parameter to + cause _Alpine_ to attempt to authenticate. The same is true for the + server name in a folder collection which uses NNTP. This parameter + requires an associated value, the username identifier with which to + establish the server connection. An example might be: + + nntpserver.example.com/user=katie + If authentication is offered by the server, this will cause _Alpine_ + to attempt to use it. If authentication is not offered by the server, + this will cause _Alpine_ to fail with an error similar to: + + Error: NNTP authentication not available + For more details about the server name possibilities see Server Name + Syntax. + _normal-background-color_ + _normal-foreground-color_ + Normal Color. + _opening-text-separator-chars_ + This option controls a minor aspect of _Alpine_'s MESSAGE INDEX + screen. With some setups the text of the subject is followed by the + opening text of the message if there is any room available in the + index line. If you have configured your Index-Format option to + include one of the Subject tokens which causes this behavior + (SUBJECTTEXT, SUBJKEYTEXT, or SUBJKEYINITTEXT), then this option may + be used to modify what is displayed slightly. By default, the Subject + is separated from the opening text of the message by the three + characters space dash space; + + " - " + Use this option to set it to something different. The value must be + quoted if it includes any space characters. For example, the default + value could be specified explicitly by setting this option to + + Opening-Text-Separator-Chars=" - " + This option is displayed as "Opening Text Separator Characters". + _operating-dir_ + System-wide _Alpine_ configuration files only. This names the root of + the tree to which the user is restricted when reading and writing + folders and files. It is usually used in the _fixed_ configuration + file. + _patterns-filters2_ + Matching patterns and their corresponding actions are stored in this + variable. These patterns are used with Filtering. This variable is + normally maintained through the Setup/Rules/Filters configuration + screen. It is a list variable. Each member of the list is a single + pattern/action pair, or it can be a file which contains zero or more + lines of pattern/action pairs. The only way to create a filters file + is to use the InsertFile command in the Setup/Rules/Filters screen + with a filename which doesn't yet exist. Then use the Shuffle command + to move existing filter patterns into the file. This isn't very + convenient but it isn't thought that many users will need this + functionality. The purpose of filter files is for sharing filters. + This option is displayed as "Patterns Filters". + _patterns-indexcolors_ + Matching patterns and their corresponding actions are stored in this + variable. These patterns are used for Index Line Colors. This + variable is normally maintained through the Setup/Rules/Indexcolor + configuration screen. It is a list variable. Each member of the list + is a single pattern/action pair, or it can be a file which contains + zero or more lines of pattern/action pairs. The only way to create a + indexcolor file is to use the InsertFile command in the + Setup/Rules/Indexcolor screen with a filename which doesn't yet + exist. Then use the Shuffle command to move existing patterns into + the file. This isn't very convenient but it isn't thought that many + users will need this functionality. The purpose of indexcolor files + is for sharing indexcolors. + _patterns-other_ + Matching patterns and their corresponding actions are stored in this + variable. These patterns are used with Miscellaneous Rules + configuration. This variable is normally maintained through the + Setup/Rules/Other configuration screen. It is a list variable. Each + member of the list is a single pattern/action pair, or it can be a + file which contains zero or more lines of pattern/action pairs. The + only way to create a rules file is to use the InsertFile command in + the Setup/Rules/Other screen with a filename which doesn't yet exist. + Then use the Shuffle command to move existing rules into the file. + This isn't very convenient but it isn't thought that many users will + need this functionality. + _patterns-roles_ + Matching patterns and their corresponding actions are stored in this + variable. These patterns are used with Roles. This variable is + normally maintained through the Setup/Rules/Roles configuration + screen. It is a list variable. Each member of the list is a single + pattern/action pair, or it can be a file which contains zero or more + lines of pattern/action pairs. The only way to create a roles file is + to use the InsertFile command in the Setup/Rules/Roles screen with a + filename which doesn't yet exist. Then use the Shuffle command to + move existing roles into the file. This isn't very convenient but it + isn't thought that many users will need this functionality. The + purpose of role files is for sharing roles. + _patterns-scores2_ + Matching patterns and their corresponding actions are stored in this + variable. These patterns are used with Scoring. This variable is + normally maintained through the Setup/Rules/SetScores configuration + screen. It is a list variable. Each member of the list is a single + pattern/action pair, or it can be a file which contains zero or more + lines of pattern/action pairs. The only way to create a scores file + is to use the InsertFile command in the Setup/Rules/SetScores screen + with a filename which doesn't yet exist. Then use the Shuffle command + to move existing scoring patterns into the file. This isn't very + convenient but it isn't thought that many users will need this + functionality. The purpose of scoring files is for sharing scoring + rules. + This option is displayed as "Patterns Scores". + _patterns-search_ + Matching patterns for use with the Select command are stored in this + variable. These patterns are used with Search Rules configuration. + This variable is normally maintained through the Setup/Rules/searCh + configuration screen. It is a list variable. Each member of the list + is a single pattern, or it can be a file which contains zero or more + lines of patterns. The only way to create a rules file is to use the + InsertFile command in the Setup/Rules/searCh screen with a filename + which doesn't yet exist. Then use the Shuffle command to move + existing rules into the file. This isn't very convenient but it isn't + thought that many users will need this functionality. + _personal-name_ + Personal configuration file only. User's full personal name. On UNIX + systems, the default is taken from the accounts data base + (/etc/passwd). The easiest way to change the full From address is + with the customized-hdrs variable. + _personal-print-category_ + Personal configuration file only. This is the category that the + default print command belongs to. There are three categories. + Category 1 is an attached printer which uses the ANSI escape + sequence, category 2 is the standard system print command, and + category 3 is the set of custom printer commands defined by the user. + This just helps _Alpine_ figure out where to put the cursor when the + user runs the _Setup/Printer_ command. This is not used by + _PC-Alpine_. + _personal-print-command_ + Personal configuration file only. This corresponds to the third + category in the printer menu, the personally selected print commands. + This variable contains the list of custom commands that the user has + entered in the _Setup/Printer_ screen. This is not used by + _PC-Alpine_. + _posting-character-set_ + See the discussion in International Character Sets for details. + _postponed-folder_ + The folder where postponed messages are stored. The default is + _postponed-msgs_ (Unix) or _POSTPOND_ (PC). + _print-font-name_ + Winsock version of _PC-Alpine_ only. + _print-font-size_ + Winsock version of _PC-Alpine_ only. + _print-font-style_ + Winsock version of _PC-Alpine_ only. + _printer_ + Personal configuration file only. This is the current setting for a + user's printer. This variable is set from _Alpine_'s _Setup/Printer_ + screen. + _prompt-background-color_ + _prompt-foreground-color_ + Prompt Color. + _pruned-folders_ + This variable allows you to define a list of one or more folders that + _Alpine_ will offer to prune for you in the same way it automatically + offers to prune your "sent-mail" folder each month. Each folder in + this list must be a folder in your default folder collection (the + first folder collection if you have more than one), and it is just + the relative name of the folder in the collection, not the + fully-qualified name. It is similar to sent-mail. Instead of + something like + + pruned-folders={servername}mail/folder + the correct value to use would be + + folder + There is an assumption here that your first collection is the folders + in + + {servername}mail + Once a month, for each folder listed, _Alpine_ will offer to move the + contents of the folder to a new folder of the same name but with the + previous month's date appended. _Alpine_ will then look for any such + date-appended folder names created for a previous month, and offer + each one it finds for deletion. + If you decline the first offer, no mail is moved and no new folder is + created. + The new folders will be created in your default folder collection. + _pruning-rule_ + By default, _Alpine_ will ask at the beginning of each month whether + or not you want to rename your sent-mail folder to a name like + sent-mail-month-year. (See the feature prune-uses-yyyy-mm to change + the format of the folder to sent-mail-yyyy-mm.) It will also ask + whether you would like to delete old sent-mail folders. If you have + defined read-message-folder or pruned-folders _Alpine_ will also ask + about pruning those folders. With this option you may provide an + automatic answer to the rename questions and you may tell _Alpine_ to + not ask about deleting old folders. + _quote1-background-color_ + _quote1-foreground-color_ + _quote2-background-color_ + _quote2-foreground-color_ + _quote3-background-color_ + _quote3-foreground-color_ + Quote Colors. + _quote-replace-string_ + This option specifies what string to use as a quote when _viewing_ a + message. The standard way of quoting messages when replying is the + string "> " (quote space). With this variable set, viewing a message + will replace occurrences of "> " with the replacement string. This + setting works best when Reply-Indent-String or the equivalent setting + in your correspondents' mail programs is set to the default "> ", but + it will also work fine with the Reply-Indent-String set to ">". + Enable the feature Quote-Replace-Nonflowed to also have + quote-replacement performed on non-flowed messages. + Setting this option will replace ">" and "> " with the new setting. + This string may include trailing spaces. To preserve those spaces + enclose the full string in double quotes. + No padding to separate the text of the message from the quote string + is added. This means that if you do not add trailing spaces to the + value of this variable, text will be displayed right next to the + quote string, which may be undesirable. This can be avoided by adding + a new string separated by a space from your selection of quote string + replacement. This last string will be used for padding. For example, + setting this variable to ">" " " has the effect of setting ">" as the + quote-replace-string, with the text padded by a space from the last + quote string to make it more readable. + One possible setting for this variable could be " " (four spaces + wrapped in quotes), which would have the effect of indenting each + level of quoting four spaces and removing the ">"'s. Different levels + of quoting could be made more discernible by setting colors for + quoted text. + Replying to or forwarding the viewed message will preserve the + original formatting of the message, so quote-replacement will not be + performed on messages that are being composed. + _quote-suppression-threshold_ + This option should be used with care. It will cause some of the + quoted text to be eliminated from the display when viewing a message + in the MESSAGE TEXT screen. For example, if you set the + Quote-Suppression-Threshold to the value "5", this will cause quoted + text that is longer than five lines to be truncated. Quoted text of + five or fewer consecutive lines will be displayed in its entirety. + Quoted text of more than six lines will have the first five lines + displayed followed by a line that looks something like + + [ 12 lines of quoted text hidden from view ] + As a special case, if exactly one line of quoted text would be + hidden, the entire quote will be shown instead. So for the above + example, quoted text which is exactly six lines long will will be + shown in its entirety. (In other words, instead of hiding a single + line and adding a line that announces that one line was hidden, the + line is just shown.) + If the sender of a message has carefully chosen the quotes that he or + she includes, hiding those quotes may change the meaning of the + message. For that reason, _Alpine_ requires that when you want to set + the value of this variable to something less than four lines, you + actually have to set it to the negative of that number. So if you + want to set this option to "3", you actually have to set it to "-3". + The only purpose of this is to get you to think about whether or not + you really want to do this! If you want to delete all quoted text you + set the value of this option to the special value "-10". + The legal values for this option are + + 0 Default, don't hide anything + -1,-2,-3 Suppress quote lines past 1, 2, or 3 lines + 4,5,6,... Suppress if more than that many lines + -10 Suppress all quoted lines + If you set this option to a non-default value you may sometimes wish + to view the quoted text that is not shown. When this is the case, the + HdrMode (Header Mode) command may be used to show the hidden text. + Typing the "H" command once will show the hidden text. Typing a + second "H" will also turn on Full Header mode. The presence or + absence of the HdrMode command is determined by the + "Enable-Full-Header-Cmd" Feature-List option in your _Alpine_ + configuration, so you will want to be sure that is turned on if you + use quote suppression. + For the purposes of this option, a quote is a line that begins with + the character ">". + Quotes are only suppressed when displaying a message on the screen. + The entire quote will be left intact when printing or forwarding or + something similar. + _read-message-folder_ + If set, mail in the _INBOX_ that has been read but not deleted is + moved here, or rather, the user is asked whether or not he or she + wants to move it here upon quitting _Alpine_. + _remote-abook-history_ + Sets how many extra copies of remote address book data will be kept + in each remote address book folder. The default is three. These extra + copies are simply old versions of the data. Each time a change is + made a new copy of the address book data is appended to the folder. + Old copies are trimmed, if possible, when _Alpine_ exits. An old copy + can be put back into use by deleting and expunging newer versions of + the data from the folder. Don't delete the first message from the + folder. It is a special header message for the remote address book + and it must be there. This is to prevent regular folders from being + used as remote address book folders and having their data destroyed. + _remote-abook-metafile_ + Personal configuration file only. This is usually set by _Alpine_ and + is the name of a file that contains data about remote address books + and remote configuration files. + _remote-abook-validity_ + Sets the minimum number of minutes that a remote address book will be + considered up to date. Whenever an entry contained in a remote + address book is used, if more than this many minutes have passed + since the last check the remote server will be queried to see if the + address book has changed. If it has changed, the local copy is + updated. The default value is five minutes. The special value of -1 + means never check. The special value of zero means only check when + the address book is first opened. + No matter what the value, the validity check is always done when the + address book is about to be changed by the user. The check can be + initiated manually by typing _^L_ (Ctrl-L) while in the address book + maintenance screen for the remote address book. + _reply-indent-string_ + This variable specifies an aspect of _Alpine_'s _Reply_ command. When + a message is replied to and the text of the message is included, the + included text usually has the string "> " prepended to each line + indicating it is quoted text. + This option specifies a different value for that string. If you wish + to use a string which begins or ends with a space, enclose the string + in double quotes. + Besides simple text, the prepended string can be based on the message + being replied to. The following tokens are substituted for the + message's corresponding value: + + _FROM_ + This token gets replaced with the message sender's "username". + At most six characters are used. + + _NICK_ + This token gets replaced with the nickname of the message + sender's address as found in your addressbook. If no + addressbook entry is found, Pine replaces the characters + "_NICK_" with nothing. At most six characters are used. + + _INIT_ + This token gets replaced with the initials of the sender of the + message. + + When the enable-reply-indent-string-editing feature is enabled, you + are given the opportunity to edit the string, whether it is the + default or one automatically generated using the above tokens. + _reply-leadin_ + This option is used to customize the content of the introduction line + that is included when replying to a message and including the + original message in the reply. The normal default (what you will get + if you delete this variable) looks something like: + + On Sat, 24 Oct 1998, Fred Flintstone wrote: + where the day of the week is only included if it is available in the + original message. You can replace this default with text of your own. + The text may contain tokens that are replaced with text that depends + on the message you are replying to. For example, the default is + equivalent to: + + On _DAYDATE_, _FROM_ wrote: + Since this variable includes regular text mixed with special tokens + the tokens have to be surrounded by underscore characters. For + example, to use the token "PREFDATE" you would need to use + "_PREFDATE_", not "PREFDATE". + The list of available tokens is here. + By default, the text is all on a single line and is followed by a + blank line. If your _Reply-Leadin_ turns out to be longer than 80 + characters when replying to a particular message, it is shortened. + However, if you use the token + + _NEWLINE_ + anywhere in the value, no end of line or blank line is appended, and + no shortening is done. The _NEWLINE_ token may be used to get rid of + the blank line following the text, to add more blank lines, or to + form a multi-line _Reply-Leadin_. To clarify how _NEWLINE_ works + recall that the default value is: + + On _DAYDATE_, _FROM_ wrote: + That is equivalent to + + On _DAYDATE_, _FROM_ wrote:_NEWLINE__NEWLINE_ + In the former case, two newlines are added automatically because no + _NEWLINE_ token appears in the value of the option (for backwards + compatibility). In the latter case, the newlines are explicit. If you + want to remove the blank line that follows the _Reply-Leadin_ text + use a single _NEWLINE_ token like + + On _DAYDATE_, _FROM_ wrote:_NEWLINE_ + Because of the backwards compatibility problem, it is not possible to + remove all of the ends of lines, because then there will be no + _NEWLINE_ tokens and that will cause the automatic adding of two + newlines! If you want, you may embed newlines in the middle of the + text, as well, producing a multi-line _Reply-Leadin_. + By default, no attempt is made to localize the date. If you prefer a + localized form you may find that one of the tokens _PREFDATE_ or + _PREFDATETIME_ is a satisfactory substitute. If you want more control + one of the many other date tokens, such as _DATEISO_, might be + better. + For the adventurous, there is a way to conditionally include text + based on whether or not a token would result in specific replacement + text. For example, you could include some text based on whether or + not the _NEWS_ token would result in any newsgroups if it was used. + It's explained in detail here. + In the very unlikely event that you want to include a literal token + in the introduction line you must precede it with a backslash + character. For example, + + \_DAYDATE_ = _DAYDATE_ + would produce something like + + _DAYDATE_ = Sat, 24 Oct 1998 + It is not possible to have a literal backslash followed by an + expanded token. + _reverse-background-color_ + _reverse-foreground-color_ + Reverse Color. + _rsh-command_ + Sets the format of the command used to open a UNIX remote shell + connection. The default is "%s %s -l %s exec /etc/r%sd". All four + "%s" entries MUST exist in the provided command. The first is for the + command's pathname, the second is for the host to connnect to, the + third is for the user to connect as, and the fourth is for the + connection method (typically imap). + _rsh-open-timeout_ + Sets the time in seconds that _Alpine_ will attempt to open a UNIX + remote shell connection. The default is 15, the minimum non-zero + value is 5, and the maximum is unlimited. If this is set to zero rsh + connections will be completely disabled. + _rsh-path_ + Sets the name of the command used to open a UNIX remote shell + connection. The default is typically /usr/ucb/rsh. + _saved-msg-name-rule_ + Determines default folder name when _Sav_ing. If set to + _default-folder_ (which is the default setting), then _Alpine_ will + offer the folder "saved-messages" (UNIX) or "SAVEMAIL" (PC) for + _Sav_ing messages. The default folder offered in this way may be + changed by using the configuration variable default-saved-msg-folder. + If this rule is set to _last-folder-used_, _Alpine_ offers to _Save_ + to the folder you last successfully _Saved_ a message to (this + session). The first time you _Save_ a message in a session, _Alpine_ + offers to _Save_ the message to the default folder. + Choosing any of the _by-_ options causes _Alpine_ to attempt to get + the chosen option's value for the message being _Saved_ (or for the + first message being Saved if using an aggregate Save). For example, + if _by-from_ is chosen, _Alpine_ attempts to get the value of who the + message came from (i.e. the from address). _Alpine_ then attempts to + _Save_ the message to a folder matching that value. If _by-from_ is + chosen and no value is obtained, _Alpine_ uses _by-sender_. The + opposite is also true. If _by-recipient_ was chosen and the message + was posted to a newsgroup, _Alpine_ will use the newsgroup name. If + _by-replyto_ is chosen and no value is obtained, _Alpine_ uses + _by-from_. + If any of the "by-realname" options are chosen, _Alpine_ will attempt + to use the personal name part of the address instead of the mailbox + part. If any of the "by-nick" options are chosen, the address is + looked up in your address book and if found, the nickname for that + entry is used. Only simple address book entries are checked, not + distribution lists. Similarly, if any of the "by-fcc" options are + chosen, the fcc from the corresponding address book entry is used. If + by-realname, or the by-nick or by-fcc lookups result in no value, + then if the chosen option ends with the "then-from", "then-sender", + "then-replyto", or "then-recip" suffix, _Alpine_ reverts to the same + behavior as "by-from", "by-sender", "by-replyto", or "by-recip" + depending on which option was specified. If the chosen option doesn't + end with one of the "then-" suffixes, then _Alpine_ reverts to the + default folder when no match is found in the address book. + Here is an example to make some of the options clearer. If the + message is From + + Fred Flintstone <flint@bedrock.org> + and this rule is set to "by-from", then the default folder offered in + the save dialog would be "flint". + If this rule is set to "by-realname-of-from" then the default would + be "Fred Flintstone". + If this rule is set to "by-nick-of-from" then _Alpine_ will search + for the address "flint@bedrock.org" in your address book. If an entry + is found and it has a nickname associated with it, that nickname will + be offered as the default folder. If not, the default saved message + folder will be offered as the default. + If this rule is set to "by-fcc-of-from" then _Alpine_ will search for + the address "flint@bedrock.org" in your address book. If an entry is + found and it has an Fcc associated with it, that Fcc will be offered + as the default folder. If not, the default saved message folder will + be offered as the default. + If this rule is set to "by-nick-of-from-then-from" then _Alpine_ will + search for the address "flint@bedrock.org" in your address book. If + an entry is found and it has a nickname associated with it, that + nickname will be offered as the default folder. If it is not found + (or has no nickname) then the default offered will be the same as it + would be for the "by-from" rule. That is, it would be "flint" + This option is displayed as "Saved Message Name Rule". + _scroll-margin_ + This option controls when _Alpine_'s line-by-line scrolling occurs. + Typically, when a selected item is at the top or bottom screen edge + and the UP or DOWN (and Ctrl-P or Ctrl-N) keys are pressed, the + displayed items are scrolled down or up by a single line. + This option allows you to tell _Alpine_ the number of lines from the + top and bottom screen edge that line-by-line scrolling should occur. + For example, setting this value to one (1) will cause _Alpine_ to + scroll the display when you move to select an item on the display's + top or bottom edge (instead of moving when you move off the edge of + the screen). + By default, this variable is zero (0), indicating that scrolling + happens when you move up or down to select an item immediately off + the display's top or bottom edge. + _selectable-item-background-color_ + _selectable-item-foreground-color_ + Selectable-item Color. + _sending-filters_ + This option defines a list of text-filtering commands (programs and + scripts) that may be selectively invoked to process a message just + before it is sent. If set, the Composer's _^X Send_ command will + allow you to select which filter (or none) to apply to the message + before it is sent. For security reasons, the full path of the filter + program must be specified. + Sending filters do not work with _PC-Alpine_ and sending filters are + not used if the feature send-without-confirm is set. + Command Modifying Tokens: + + __RECIPIENTS__ + When the command is executed, this token is replaced with the + space delimited list of recipients of the message being sent. + + __TMPFILE__ + When the command is executed, this token is replaced with the + path and name of the temporary file containing the text to be + filtered. _Alpine_ expects the filter to replace this data with + the filter's result. NOTE: Use of this token implies that the + text to be filtered is not piped into standard input of the + executed command and its standard output is ignored. _Alpine_ + restores the tty modes before invoking the filter in case the + filter interacts with the user via its own standard input and + output. + + __RESULTFILE__ + When the command is executed, this token is replaced with the + path and name of a temporary file intended to contain a status + message from the filter. _Alpine_ displays this in the message + status field. + + __DATAFILE__ + When the command is executed, this token is replaced in the + command line with the path and name of a temporary file that + _Alpine_ creates once per session and deletes upon exit. The + file is intended to be used by the filter to store state + information between instances of the filter. + + __PREPENDKEY__ + When the command is executed, this token indicates that a + random number will be passed down the input stream before the + message text. It is not included as a command-line argument. + This number could be used as a session key. It is sent in this + way to improve security. The number is unique to the current + _Alpine_ session and is only generated once per session. + + __INCLUDEALLHDRS__ + When the command is executed, this token indicates that the + headers of the message will be passed down the input stream + before the message text. It is not included as a command-line + argument. The filter should, of course, remove the headers + before returning control to _Alpine_. + + __MIMETYPE__ + When the command is executed, this token is replaced in the + command name with a temporary file name used to accept any new + MIME Content-Type information necessitated by the output of the + filter. Upon the filter's exit, if the file contains new MIME + type information, _Alpine_ verifies its format and replaces the + outgoing message's MIME type information with that contained in + the file. This is basically a cheap way of sending something + other than Text/Plain. + + _sendmail-path_ + This names the path to an alternative program, and any necessary + arguments, to be used in posting mail messages. See the section on + SMTP and Sendmail for more details. + _signature-file_ + This is the name of a file which will be automatically inserted into + outgoing messages. It typically contains information such as your + name, email address and organizational affiliation. _Alpine_ adds the + signature into the message as soon as you enter the composer so you + can choose to remove it or edit it on a message by message basis. + Signature file placement in message replies is controlled by the + signature-at-bottom setting in the feature list. + This defaults to ~/.signature on UNIX and <PINERC directory>\PINE.SIG + on a PC. + To create or edit your signature file choose Setup from the Main Menu + and then select S for Signature (Main/Setup/Signature). This puts you + into the Signature Editor where you can enter a _few_ lines of text + containing your identity and affiliation. + If the filename is followed by a vertical bar (|) then instead of + reading the contents of the file the file is assumed to be a program + which will produce the text to be used on its standard output. The + program can't have any arguments and doesn't receive any input from + _Alpine_, but the rest of the processing works as if the contents came + from a file. + Instead of storing the data in a local file, the signature data may + be stored remotely in an IMAP folder. In order to do this, you must + use a remote name for the file. A remote signature-file name might + look like: + + {myimaphost.myschool.k12.wa.us}mail/signature + or, if you have an SSL-capable version of _Alpine_, you might try + + {myimaphost.myschool.k12.wa.us/user=loginname/ssl}mail/signature + The syntax used here is the same as the syntax used for remote + configuration files from the command line. Note that you may not + access an existing signature file remotely, you have to create a new + _folder_ which contains the signature data. If the name you use here + for the signature file is a remote name, then when you edit the file + from the Setup/Signature command the data will be stored remotely in + the folder. You aren't required to do anything special to create the + folder, it gets created automatically if you use a remote name. + Besides regular text, the signature file may also contain (or a + signature program may produce) tokens which are replaced with text + which usually depends on the message you are replying to or + forwarding. For example, if the signature file contains the token + + _DATE_ + anywhere in the text, then that token is replaced by the date the + message you are replying to or forwarding was sent. If it contains + + _CURDATE_ + that is replaced with the current date. The first is an example of a + token which depends on the message you are replying to (or + forwarding) and the second is an example which doesn't depend on + anything other than the current date. You have to be a little careful + with this facility since tokens which depend on the message you are + replying to or forwarding will be replaced by nothing in the case + where you are composing a new message from scratch. The use of roles + may help you in this respect. It allows you to use different + signature files in different cases. + The list of tokens available for use in the signature file is here. + Instead of, or along with the use of _roles_ to give you different + signature files in different situations, there is also a way to + conditionally include text based on whether or not a token would + result in specific replacement text. For example, you could include + some text based on whether or not the _NEWS_ token would result in + any newsgroups if it was used. This is explained in detail here. This + isn't for the faint of heart. + In the very unlikely event that you want to include a literal token + in the signature you must precede it with a backslash character. For + example, + + \_DAYDATE_ = _DAYDATE_ + would produce something like + + _DAYDATE_ = Sat, 24 Oct 1998 + It is not possible to have a literal backslash followed by an + expanded token. + _signature-background-color_ + _signature-foreground-color_ + Signature Color. + _smime-public-cert-directory_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + If the option smime-public-cert-container is set then this option + will have no effect. + Normally, Public Certificates for use with S/MIME will be stored in + the directory which is the value of this option. Those certificates + will be stored in PEM format, one certificate per file. The name of + the file for the certificate corresponding to + + emailaddress + should be + + emailaddress.crt + For example, a file for user@example.com would be in the file + + user@example.com.crt + in this directory. + Use the Setup/SMIME screen to modify this variable. + Typically, the public certificates that you have will come from + S/MIME signed messages that are sent to you. _Alpine_ will extract + the public certificate from the signed message and store it in the + certificates directory. These PEM format public certificates look + something like: +-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- +MIIFvTCCBKWgAwIBAgIQD4fYFHVI8T20yN4nus097DANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQUFADCB +rjELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxCzAJBgNVBAgTAlVUMRcwFQYDVQQHEw5TYWx0IExha2Ug +Q2l0eTEeMBwGA1UEChMVVGhlIFVTRVJUUlVTVCBOZXR3b3JrMSEwHwYDVQQLExho +... +2b9KGqDyMWW/rjNnmpjzjT2ObGM7lRA8lke4FLOLajhrz4ogO3b4DFfAAM1VSZH8 +D6sOwOLJZkLY8FRsfk63K+2EMzA2+qAzMKupgeTLqXIf +-----END CERTIFICATE----- + + General S/MIME Overview + This option is displayed as "S/MIME - Public Cert Directory". + _smime-public-cert-container_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + If this option is set it will be used instead of + smime-public-cert-directory + This option gives you a way to store certificates remotely on an IMAP + server instead of storing the certificates one per file locally. In + order to do that you just give this option a remote folder name for a + folder which does not yet exist. The name is similar to the name you + might use for a remote configuration file. A remote folder name might + look something like: + + {myimaphost.myschool.k12.wa.us}mail/publiccerts + Use the Setup/SMIME screen to modify this variable. + + General S/MIME Overview + This option is displayed as "S/MIME - Public Cert Container". + _smime-private-key-directory_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + In order to sign outgoing S/MIME messages you will need a personal + digital ID certificate. You will usually get such a certificate from + a certificate authority such as Thawte or CAcert. (In order to + encrypt outgoing messages you don't need a personal digital ID, you + need the public certificate of the recipient instead.) If the option + smime-private-key-container is set then this option will have no + effect. + Normally, Private Keys for use with S/MIME will be stored in the + directory which is the value of this option. Those certificates will + be stored in PEM format, one certificate per file. The name of the + file for the certificate corresponding to your + + emailaddress + should be + + emailaddress.key + For example, if your address is user@example.com the name of the file + would be + + user@example.com.key + in this directory. + Use the Setup/SMIME screen to modify this variable. + Typically, the private key that you have will come from a Certificate + Authority. The private key should be stored in a PEM format file that + looks something like: +-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY----- +Proc-Type: 4,ENCRYPTED +DEK-Info: DES-EDE3-CBC,2CBD328FD84CF5C6 + +YBEXYLgLU9NJoc1V+vJ6UvcF08RX54S6jXsmgL0b5HGkudG6fhnmHkH7+UCvM5NI +SXO/F8iuZDfs1VGG0NyitkFZ0Zn2vfaGovBvm15gx24b2xnZDLRB7/bNZkurnK5k +VjAjZ2xXn2hFp2GJwqRdmxYNqsKGu52B99oti5HUWuZ2GFRaWjn5hYOqeApZE2uA +... +oSRqfI51UdSRt0tmGhHeTvybUVrHm9eKft8TTGf+qSBqzSc55CsmoVbRzw4Nfhix +m+4TJybNGNfAgOctSkEyY/OCb49fRRQTCBZVIhzLGGmpYmkO55HbIA== +-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY----- + + General S/MIME Overview + This option is displayed as "S/MIME - Private Key Directory". + _smime-private-key-container_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + If this option is set it will be used instead of + smime-private-key-directory. + This option gives you a way to store keys remotely on an IMAP server + instead of storing the keys one per file locally. In order to do that + you just give this option a remote folder name for a folder which + does not yet exist. The name is similar to the name you might use for + a remote configuration file. A remote folder name might look + something like: + + {myimaphost.myschool.k12.wa.us}mail/privatekeys + Use the Setup/SMIME screen to modify this variable. + + General S/MIME Overview + This option is displayed as "S/MIME - Private Key Container". + _smime-cacert-directory_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + If the option smime-cacert-container is set then this option will + have no effect. + CACert is a shorthand name for certification authority certificate. + Normally _Alpine_ will use the CACerts that are located in the + standard system location for CACerts. It may be the case that one of + your correspondents has a Digital ID which has been signed by a + certificate authority that is not in the regular set of system + certificate authorities. You may supplement the system list by adding + further certificates of your own. These should be stored in the + directory which is the value of this option. The certificates will be + stored in PEM format, one certificate per file. The names of the + files can be anything ending in ".crt". + Use the Setup/SMIME screen to modify this variable. + These PEM format CA certificates look very similar to your public + certificates for particular email addresses + (smime-public-cert-directory). + + General S/MIME Overview + This option is displayed as "S/MIME - Cert Authority Directory". + _smime-cacert-container_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + If this option is set it will be used instead of + smime-cacert-directory. + This option gives you a way to store certificates remotely on an IMAP + server instead of storing the certificates one per file locally. In + order to do that you just give this option a remote folder name for a + folder which does not yet exist. The name is similar to the name you + might use for a remote configuration file. A remote folder name might + look something like: + + {myimaphost.myschool.k12.wa.us}mail/cacerts + Use the Setup/SMIME screen to modify this variable. + + General S/MIME Overview + This option is displayed as "S/MIME - Cert Authority Container". + _smtp-server_ + One or more SMTP servers (host name or IP address) which _Alpine_ + will use for outgoing mail. If not set, _Alpine_ passes outgoing + email to the _sendmail_ program on the local machine. _PC-Alpine_ + users must have this variable set in order to send mail as they have + no _sendmail_ program. + Your SMTP server may offer SMTP AUTH authentication. It may even + require it. If your SMTP server offers SMTP AUTH authentication you + may specify a "user" name parameter to cause _Alpine_ to attempt to + authenticate. This parameter requires an associated value, the + username identifier with which to establish the server connection. An + example might be: + + smtpserver.example.com/user=katie + If AUTH authentication is offered by the server, this will cause + _Alpine_ to attempt to use it. If AUTH authentication is not offered + by the server, this will cause _Alpine_ to fail sending with an error + similar to: + + Error: SMTP authentication not available + Another type of authentication that is used by some ISPs is called + "POP before SMTP" or "IMAP before SMTP", which means that you have to + authenticate yourself to the POP or IMAP server by opening a mailbox + before you can send mail. To do this, you usually only have to open + your INBOX. + You may tell _Alpine_ to use the Message Submission port (587) + instead of the SMTP port (25) by including the "submit" parameter in + this option. At this time "/submit" is simply equivalent to + specifying port 587, though it may imply more than that at some point + in the future. Some ISPs are blocking port 25 in order to reduce the + amount of spam being sent to their users. You may find that the + submit option allows you to get around such a block. + + smtpserver.example.com/submit + To specify any non-standard port number on the SMTP server you may + follow the hostname with a colon followed by the portnumber. + + smtpserver.example.com:12345 + Normally, when a connection is made to the Smtp-Server _Alpine_ will + attempt to negotiate a secure (encrypted) session using Transport + Layer Security (TLS). If that fails then a non-encrypted connection + will be attempted instead. You may specify that a TLS connection is + required if you wish. If you append "/tls" to the name then the + connection will fail instead of falling back to a non-secure + connection. + + smtpserver.example.com/tls + See the SMTP Servers section or the Server Name Syntax section for + some more details. + This option is displayed as "SMTP Server (for sending)". + _sort-key_ + This variable sets up the default Message Index sorting. The default + is to sort by arrival order (the order the messages arrived in the + folder). It has the same functionality as the _-sort_ command line + argument and the _$_ command in the "Folder Index". If a _sort-key_ + is set, then all folders open during the session will have that as + the default sort order. + _speller_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + For _PC-Alpine_, you must install the aspell library code that you + may get from http://aspell.net/win32/. + This option affects the behavior of the _^T_ (spell check) command in + the Composer. It specifies the program invoked by _^T_ in the + Composer. By default, _Alpine_ uses the system's "spell" command. + _Alpine_ will use the command defined by this option (if any) instead. + When invoking the spell-checking program, _Alpine_ appends a tempfile + name (where the message is passed) to the command line. _Alpine_ + expects the speller to correct the spelling in that file. When you + exit from the speller program _Alpine_ will read the tmpfile back + into the composer. + For Unix _Alpine_ the program _ispell_ works well as an alternate + spell checker. If your Unix system has _ispell_ it is probably + reasonable to make it the default speller by configuring it as the + default in the system configuration file, /usr/local/lib/pine.conf. + If this option is not set, then the system's _spell_ command is used. + The spell command does not work the same as the alternate speller. It + produces a list of misspelled words on its standard output, instead, + and doesn't take a tempfile as an argument. Don't set this speller + option to the standard Unix spell command. That won't work. If you + want to use the standard Unix spell command, set the speller option + to nothing. + _ssh-command_ + Sets the format of the command used to open a UNIX secure shell + connection. The default is "%s %s -l %s exec /etc/r%sd". All four + "%s" entries MUST exist in the provided command. The first is for the + command's pathname, the second is for the host to connnect to, the + third is for the user to connect as, and the fourth is for the + connection method (typically imap). + _ssh-open-timeout_ + Sets the time in seconds that _Alpine_ will attempt to open a UNIX + secure shell connection. The default is 15, the minimum non-zero + value is 5, and the maximum is unlimited. If this is set to zero ssh + connections will be completely disabled. + _ssh-path_ + Sets the name of the command used to open a UNIX secure shell + connection. The default is typically /usr/bin/ssh. + _standard-printer_ + System-wide configuration file only. Specifies a list of commands for + category 2 of the _Setup/Printer_ screen, the standard print command + section. This is not used by _PC-Alpine_. + _status-background-color_ + _status-foreground-color_ + Status Color. + _status-message-delay_ + This option has evolved over time, causing the possible values to be + counter-intuitive. Read carefully before you set this option. First + we explain what the option does, then there is a longer discussion + following that. + If this is set to zero, the default value, it has _no_ effect. + Positive and negative values serve two similar, but different + purposes. + If it is set to a positive number, it causes the cursor to move to + the status line whenever a status message is printed and pause there + for this many seconds. It will probably only be useful if the + show-cursor feature is also turned on. Setting this option to a + postive number can only be used to _increase_ the status message + delay. This may be useful for Braille displays, or other + non-traditional displays. + If it is set to a negative number the interpretation is a bit + complicated. Negative numbers are used to _decrease_ the amount of + delay _Alpine_ uses to allow you to read important status messages. + Of course, this may cause you to miss some important messages. If you + see a message flash by but miss what it says you can use the Journal + command from the Main menu to read it. If you set this option to a + negative value, the delay will be no more than one second less than + the absolute value of the value you set. So if you set it to -1, the + delay will be no more than zero seconds, no delay at all. If you set + it to -2, the delay will be no more than 1 second. And so on, -3 is 2 + seconds, -4 is 3 seconds, ... If the delay that _Alpine_ would have + used by default is less than this delay, then the smaller delay set + by _Alpine_ will be used. Setting this option to a negative value can + only reduce the amount of delay, never increase it. + Here is a more detailed explanation. Status messages are the messages + which show up spontaneously in the status message line, the third + line from the bottom of the screen. By default, _Alpine_ assigns each + status message it produces a minimum display time. Some status + messages have a minimum display time of zero. You can see an example + of such a message by paging up in this help text until you reach the + top of the screen. If you try to page past the top you will see the + message + + [Already at start of help text] + in the status line. If there is another more important use of the + status message line this message might be replaced quickly, or it + even might not be shown at all. However, if there is no reason to get + rid of the message, it might stay there for several seconds while you + read the help. An example where it is replaced immediately happens + when you page up in the help text past the top of the screen, but + then type the "WhereIs" command right after paging up. The message + will disappear immediately without causing a delay (unless you have + set this option to a positive value) to allow you to type input for + the "WhereIs" command. Since it isn't a very important message, + _Alpine_ has set its minimum display time to zero seconds. + Other messages have minimum display times of three or more seconds. + These are usually error messages that _Alpine_ thinks you ought to + see. For example, it might be a message about a failed Save or a + failed folder open. It is often the case that this minimum display + time won't delay you in any way because the status message line is + not needed for another reason. However, there are times when _Alpine_ + has to delay what it is doing in order to display a status message + for the minimum display time. This happens when a message is being + displayed and _Alpine_ wants to ask for input from the keyboard. For + example, when you Save a message you use the status message line. You + get a prompt there asking for the name of the folder to save to. If + there is a status message being displayed that has not yet displayed + for its minimum time _Alpine_ will display that status message + surrounded with the characters > and < to show you that it is + delaying. That might happen, for example, if you tried to save to a + folder that caused an error, then followed that immediately with + another Save command. You might find yourself waiting for a status + message like + + [>Can't get write access to mailbox, access is readonly<] + to finish displaying for three seconds. If that is something you find + happening to you frequently, you may use negative values of this + option to decrease or eliminate that delay, at the risk of missing + the message. + _stay-open-folders_ + This option affects low-level behavior of _Alpine_. There is no + default value for this option. It is related to the options + Preopen-Stayopen-Folders, Max-Remote-Connections, and + offer-expunge-of-Stayopen-Folders. + Note: changes made to this list take effect the next time you open a + folder in the list. + This is a list of folders that will be permanently kept open once + they are first opened. The names in this list may be either the + nickname of an Incoming folder or the full technical specification of + a folder. The folders in this list need not be remote IMAP folders, + they could usefully be local folders, as well. If a folder in the + list is a newsgroup or is not accessed either locally or via IMAP, + then the entry will be ignored. For example, folders accessed via + NNTP or POP3 will not be kept open, since the way that new mail is + found with those protocols involves closing and reopening the + connection. + Once a Stay Open folder has been opened, new-mail checking will + continue to happen on that folder for the rest of the _Alpine_ + session. Your INBOX is always implicitly included in this Stay-Open + list and doesn't need to be added explicitly. + Another difference that you may notice between a Stay Open folder and + a non-Stay Open folder is which message is selected as the current + message when you enter the folder index. Normally, the starting + position for an incoming folder (which most Stay Open folders will + likely be) is controlled by the Incoming-Startup-Rule. However, if a + folder is a Stay Open folder, when you re-enter the folder after the + first time the current message will be the same as it was when you + left the folder. An exception is made if you use the TAB command to + get to the folder. In that case, the message number will be + incremented by one from what it was when you left the folder. + The above special behavior is thought to be useful. However, it is + special and different from what you might at first expect. The + feature Use-Regular-Startup-Rule-for-Stayopen-Folders may be used to + turn off this special treatment. + If the message that was current when you left the folder no longer + exists, then the regular startup rule will be used instead. + This option is displayed as "Stayopen Folders". + _tcp-open-timeout_ + Sets the time in seconds that _Alpine_ will attempt to open a network + connection. The default is 30, the minimum is 5, and the maximum is + system defined (typically 75). If a connection has not completed + within this many seconds _Alpine_ will give up and consider it a + failed connection. + _tcp-query-timeout_ + When _Alpine_ times out a network read or write it will normally just + display a message saying "Still waiting". However, if enough time has + elapsed since it started waiting it will offer to let you break the + connection. That amount of time is set by this option, which defaults + to 60 seconds, has a minimum of 5 seconds, and a maximum of 1000 + seconds. + _tcp-read-warning-timeout_ + Sets the time in seconds that _Alpine_ will wait for a network read + before warning you that things are moving slowly and possibly giving + you the option to break the connection. The default is 15 seconds. + The minimum is 5 seconds and the maximumn is 1000 seconds. + _tcp-write-warning-timeout_ + Sets the time in seconds that _Alpine_ will wait for a network write + before warning you that things are moving slowly and possibly giving + you the option to break the connection. The default is 0 which means + it is unset. If set to a non-zero value, the minimum is 5 and the + maximum is 1000. + _threading-display-style_ + When a folder is sorted by Threads or OrderedSubject, this option + will affect the MESSAGE INDEX display. By default, _Alpine_ will + display the MESSAGE INDEX in the "show-thread-structure" style if a + folder is sorted by Threads or OrderedSubject. The possible values + are: + + _none_ + Regular index display. The same index line as would be + displayed without threading is used. The only difference will + be in the order of the messages. + + _show-thread-structure_ + Threaded Subjects will be indented and vertical bars and + horizontal lines will be added to make it easier to see the + relationships among the messages in a thread (a conversation). + + _mutt-like_ + This is the same as the option above except that the Subject is + suppressed (is blank) if it matches the previous Subject in the + thread. The name comes from the email client Mutt. Here is an + example of what a mutt-like index might look like. In this + example, the first column represents the message number, the + threading-index-style is set to + "regular-index-with-expanded-threads", and the + Threading-Lastreply-Character is set to a backslash: + + 1 Some topic + 2 . Subject original message in thread + 3 |-> reply to 2 + 4 . |-> another reply to 2 + 5 . | \-> reply to 4 + 6 . | \-> reply to 5 + 7 | \-> reply to 6 + 8 |-> another reply to 2 + 9 . |->New subject another reply to 2 but with a New subject + 10 | |-> reply to 9 + 11 | \-> another reply to 9 + 12 | \-> reply to 11 + 13 \-> final reply to 2 + 14 Next topic + + _indent-subject-1_ + Threaded Subjects will be indented one space per level of the + conversation. The bars and lines that show up in the + show-thread-structure display will not be there with this + style. + + _indent-subject-2_ + Same as above but indent two spaces per level instead of one + space. + + _indent-from-1_ + Similar to indent-subject-1, except that instead of indenting + the Subject field one space the From field of a thread will be + indented one space per level of the conversation. + + _indent-from-2_ + Same as above but indent two spaces per level instead of one + space. + + _show-structure-in-from_ + The structure of the thread is illustrated with indenting, + vertical bars, and horizontal lines just like with the + show-thread-structure option, but the From field is used to + show the relationships instead of the Subject field. + + _threading-expanded-character_ + The Threading-Expanded-Character option has a small effect on the + MESSAGE INDEX display when using a threading-display-style other than + _none_. The value of this option is a single character. This + character is used to indicate that part of a thread has been expanded + and could be collapsed if desired with the "/" Collapse/Expand + command. By default, the value of this option is a dot (.). + If this option is set to the Empty Value, then the column (and the + following blank column) will be deleted from the display. + This option is closely related to the threading-indicator-character + option. Another similar option which affects the thread display is + the threading-lastreply-character option. + _threading-index-style_ + When a folder is sorted by Threads or OrderedSubject, this option + will affect the INDEX displays. The possible values are: + + _regular-index-with-expanded-threads_ + This is the default display. If the configuration option + threading-display-style is set to something other than "none", + then this setting will cause _Alpine_ to start off with a + MESSAGE INDEX with all of the threads expanded. That is, each + message will have a line in the MESSAGE INDEX display. The + Collapse/Expand command (/) may be used to manually collapse or + expand a thread or subthread (see also + slash-collapses-entire-thread). + + This setting affects the display when the folder is first + threaded. The collapsed state may also be re-initialized by + re-sorting the folder manually using the SortIndex command ($). + After re-sorting the threads will once again all be expanded, + even if you have previously collapsed some of them. + + If "threading-display-style" is set to "none", then the display + will be the regular default _Alpine_ MESSAGE INDEX, but sorted + in a different order. + + _regular-index-with-collapsed-threads_ + If the configuration option threading-display-style is set to + something other than "none", then this setting will cause + _Alpine_ to start out with all of the threads collapsed instead + of starting out with all of the threads expanded. The + Collapse/Expand command (/) may be used to manually collapse or + expand a thread or subthread (see also + slash-collapses-entire-thread). + + This setting affects the display when the folder is first + threaded. The collapsed state may also be re-initialized by + re-sorting the folder manually using the SortIndex command ($). + After re-sorting the threads will once again all be collapsed, + even if you have previously expanded some of them. + + _separate-index-screen-always_ + With this setting and the next, you will see an index of + threads instead of an index of messages, provided you have + sorted by Threads or OrderedSubject. + + The THREAD INDEX contains a '*' in the first column if any + message in the thread is marked Important. If not, it contains + a '+' if any message in the thread is to you. The second column + is blank. The third column contains a 'D' if all of the + messages in the thread are deleted. Otherwise, it contains an + 'N' if any of the messages in the thread are New. + + When you view a particular thread from the THREAD INDEX you + will be in the MESSAGE INDEX display but the index will only + contain messages from the thread you are viewing. + + _separate-index-screen-except-for-single-messages_ + This is very similar to the option above. When you are in the + THREAD INDEX, one of the available commands is "ViewThd". With + the setting "separate-index-screen-always" (the option above) + when you view a particular thread you will be in the MESSAGE + INDEX display and the index will only contain messages from the + thread you are viewing. If the thread you are viewing consists + of a single message, the MESSAGE INDEX will be an index with + only one message in it. If you use this + "separate-index-screen-except-for-single-messages" setting + instead, then that index which contains a single message will + be skipped and you will go directly from the THREAD INDEX into + the MESSAGE TEXT screen. + + _threading-indicator-character_ + The Threading-Indicator-Character option has a small effect on the + MESSAGE INDEX display when using a threading-display-style other than + _none_ and sorting by Threads or OrderedSubject. The value of this + option is a single character. This character is used to indicate that + part of a thread (a conversation) is hidden beneath a message. The + message could be expanded if desired with the "/" Collapse/Expand + command. By default, the value of this option is the greater than + sign (>). + If this option is set to the Empty Value, then the column (and the + following blank column) will be deleted from the display. + This option is closely related to the threading-expanded-character + option. Another similar option which affects the thread display is + the threading-lastreply-character option. + _threading-lastreply-character_ + The Threading-Lastreply-Character option has a small effect on the + MESSAGE INDEX display when using a threading-display-style of + _show-thread-structure_, _mutt-like_, or _show-structure-in-from_; and + sorting by Threads or OrderedSubject. The value of this option is a + single character. This character is used instead of the vertical line + character when there are no more replies directly to the parent of + the current message. It can be used to "round-off" the bottom of the + vertical line by setting it to a character such as a backslash (\) or + a backquote (`). The default value of this option is the backslash + character (\). This option may not be set to the Empty Value. In that + case, the default will be used instead. + This option is displayed as "Threading Last Reply Character". + _title-background-color_ + _title-foreground-color_ + Title Color. + _title-closed-background-color_ + _title-closed-foreground-color_ + Title-closed Color. + _titlebar-color-style_ + titlebar-color-style. + _unknown-character-set_ + A text message should either be made up of all US-ASCII characters or + it should contain a charset label which tells the software which + character set encoding to use to interpret the message. Sometimes a + malformed message may be unlabeled but contain non-ascii text. This + message is outside of the standards so any attempt to read it could + fail. When _Alpine_ attempts to read such a message it will try to + interpret the text in the character set you specify here. For + example, if you have correspondents who send you unlabeled messages + that are usually made up of characters from the WINDOWS-1251 + character set, setting this unknown-character-set to WINDOWS-1251 + will allow you to read those messages. Of course, if the unlabeled + message is actually in some other character set, then you may see + garbage on your screen. + In the Setup/Config screen you may choose from a list of all the + character sets _Alpine_ knows about by using the "T" ToCharsets + command. + _upload-command_ + This option affects the behavior of the Composer's _^R_ (Read File) + and _^J_ (Attach File, in the header) commands. It specifies a Unix + program name, and any necessary command line arguments, that _Alpine_ + can use to transfer files from your personal computer into messages + that you are composing. + _upload-command-prefix_ + This option is used in conjunction with the _upload-command_ option. + It defines text to be written to the terminal emulator (via standard + output) immediately prior to starting the upload command. This is + useful for integrated serial line file transfer agents that permit + command passing (e.g., Kermit's APC method). + _url-viewers_ + List of programs to use to open Internet URLs. This value affects + _Alpine_'s handling of URLs that are found in the text of messages you + read. Normally, only URLs _Alpine_ can handle directly are + automatically offered for selection in the "Message Text" screen. + When one or more comma delimited Web browsers capable of deciphering + URLs on their command line are added here, _Alpine_ will choose the + first available browser to display URLs it doesn't recognize. + Additionally, to support various connection methods and browsers, + each entry in this list can begin with the special token + _TEST(test-string)_. The test-string is a shell command that _Alpine_ + will run and which must exit with a status of zero for _Alpine_ to + consider that browser for use (the other criteria is that the browser + must exist as a full path or a path relative to your home directory). + Now for an example: + + url-viewers=_TEST("test -n '${DISPLAY}'")_ /usr/local/bin/netscape, + /usr/local/bin/lynx, C:\BIN\NETSCAPE.BAT + This example shows that for the first browser in the list to be used + the environment variable DISPLAY must be defined. If it is, then the + file /usr/local/bin/netscape must exist. If either condition is not + met, then the file /usr/local/bin/lynx must exist. If it doesn't, + then the final path and file must exist. Note that the last entry is + a DOS/Windows path. This is one way to support _Alpine_ running on + more than one architecture with the same configuration file. + _use-only-domain-name_ + Can be set to _yes_ or _no._ Anything but _yes_ means _no._ If set to + _yes_ the first label in the host name will be lopped off to get the + domain name and the domain name will be used for outgoing mail and + such. That is, if the host name is _carson.u.example.edu_ and this + variable is set to _yes,_ then _u.example.edu_ will be used on + outgoing mail. Only meaningful if user-domain is NOT set. + _user-domain_ + Sets the domain or host name for the user, overriding the system host + or domain name. See the domain name section. The easiest way to + change the full From address is with the customized-hdrs variable. + _user-id_ + _PC-Alpine_ only and personal configuration file only. Sets the + username that is placed on all outgoing messages. The username is the + part of the address that comes before the "@". The easiest way to + change the full From address is with the customized-hdrs variable. + _user-input-timeout_ + If this is set to an integer greater than zero, then this is the + number of _hours_ to wait for user input before _Alpine_ times out. + If _Alpine_ is in the midst of composing a message or is waiting for + user response to a question, then it will not timeout. However, if + _Alpine_ is sitting idle waiting for the user to tell it what to do + next and the user does not give any input for this many hours, + _Alpine_ will exit. No expunging or moving of read messages will take + place. It will exit similarly to the way it would exit if it received + a hangup signal. This may be useful for cleaning up unused _Alpine_ + sessions which have been forgotten by their owners. The _Alpine_ + developers envision system administrators setting this to a value of + several hours (24?) so that it won't surprise a user who didn't want + to be disconnected. + _viewer-hdr-colors_ + This variable holds the optional Header Colors and patterns which + have been defined by the user. This is usually modified by using the + Header Colors section of the Setup Color screen. + _viewer-hdrs_ + You may change the default list of headers that are viewed by listing + the headers you want to view here. If the headers in your + _viewer-hdrs_ list are present in the message, then they will be + shown. The order of the headers you list will also be honored. If the + special value _all-except_ is included as the first header in the + _viewer-hdrs_ list, then all headers in the message except those in + the list will be shown. The values are all case insensitive. + This option is displayed as "Viewer Headers". + _viewer-margin-left_ + This variable controls the left-hand vertical margin's width in + _Alpine_'s Message Viewing screen. Its value is the number of space + characters preceding each displayed line. For consistency with + Viewer-Margin-Right, you may specify the column number to start in + (column numbering begins with number 1) instead of the width of the + margin by appending a lower case letter "c" to the number. For + example, a value of "2c" means to start the text in column two, which + is entirely equivalent to a value of "1", which means to leave a + margin of 1 space. + The default is a left margin of 0 (zero). Misconfigurations (for + example, negative values or values with starting left columns greater + than the ending right column) are silently ignored. If the number of + columns for text between the Viewer-Margin-Left and the + Viewer-Margin-Right is fewer than 8, then margins of zero will be + used instead. + _viewer-margin-right_ + This variable controls the right-hand vertical margin's width in + _Alpine_'s Message Viewing screen. Its value is the number of space + characters following each displayed line. You may specify the column + number to end the text in (column numbering begins with number 1) + instead of the width of the margin by appending a lower case letter + "c" to the number. For example, a value of "76c" means to end the + text in column 76. If the screen is 80 characters wide, this is + equivalent to a value of "4", which means to leave a margin of 4 + spaces. However, if you use different size screens at different + times, then these two values are not equivalent. + The default right margin is 4. Misconfigurations (for example, + negative values or values with starting left columns greater than the + ending right column) are silently ignored. If the number of columns + for text between the Viewer-Margin-Left and the Viewer-Margin-Right + is fewer than 8, then margins of zero will be used instead. + _viewer-overlap_ + This option specifies an aspect of _Alpine_'s Message Viewing screen. + When the space bar is used to page forward in a message, the number + of lines specified by the _viewer-overlap_ variable will be repeated + from the bottom of the screen. That is, if this was set to two lines, + then the bottom two lines of the screen would be repeated on the top + of the next screen. The normal default value is "2". + _window-position_ + Winsock version of _PC-Alpine_ only. Window position in the format: + CxR+X+Yn Where C and R are the window size in characters and X and Y + are the screen position of the top left corner of the window. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Configuration Features + + There are several features (options) which may be turned off or on. The + configuration variable feature-list is a list of all the features that are + turned on or off. If the name of a feature is in the list it will be turned + on. If the name of a feature with the characters no- prepended is in the + list, it will turn the feature off. This is useful for overriding + system-wide defaults. This is because, unlike all the other configuration + variables, the _feature-list_ is additive. That is, first the system-wide + _feature-list_ is read and then the user's _feature-list_ is read. This makes + it possible for the system manager to turn some of the features on by + default while still allowing the user to cancel that default. For example, + if the system manager has turned on the _allow-talk_ feature by default then + a user may turn it back off by including the feature _no-allow-talk_ in his + or her personal configuration file. Of course, these details are usually + handled by _Alpine_ when the user turns an option on or off from inside the + _Setup/Config_ screen. + + System managers should take some care when turning on features by default. + Some of the documentation assumes that all of the features are off by + default, so it could be confusing for a user if some are on by default + instead. Feature names are case-independent. + + Here is an alphabetical list of possible features. + _allow-changing-from_ + Prior to _Pine_ 4.00 there was a _compile_-time option called + ALLOW_CHANGING_FROM. That has been replaced by a _runtime_ feature. + If this feature is turned on then the From line can be changed just + like all the other header fields that can be changed. See the + configuration variables customized-hdrs and default-composer-hdrs for + more information on editing headers. + The default value for this feature is ON, so that editing of From + headers is allowed by default. + _allow-talk_ + Unix _Alpine_ only. By default, permission for others to _talk_ to + your terminal is turned off when you are running _Alpine_. When this + feature is set, permission is instead turned on. + Note: The _talk_ program has nothing to do with _Alpine_ or email. + The _talk_ daemon on your system will attempt to print a message on + your screen when someone else is trying to contact you. If you wish + to see these messages while you are running _Alpine_, you should + enable this feature. + If you do enable this feature and see a _talk_ message, you must + suspend or quit _Alpine_ before you can respond. + _alternate-compose-menu_ + This feature controls the menu that is displayed when Compose is + selected. If set, a list of options will be presented, with each + option representing the type of composition that could be used. This + feature is most useful for users who want to avoid being prompted + with each option separately, or who want to avoid the checking of + remote postponed or form letter folders. The possible types of + composition are: + New, for starting a new composition. Note that if New is selected and + roles are set, roles are checked for matches and applied according to + the setting of the matching role. + Interrupted, for continuing an interrupted composition. This option + is only offered if an interrupted message folder is detected. + Postponed, for continuing postponed compositions. This option is + offered if a postponed-folder is set in the config _REGARDLESS OF_ + whether or not the postponed folder actually exists. This option is + especially handy for avoiding having to check for the existence of a + remote postponed folder. + Form, for using form letters. This option is offered if the + form-letter-folder is set in the config, and is not checked for + existence for reasons similar to those explained by the postponed + option. + setRole, for selecting a role to apply to a composition. + _alternate-role-menu_ + Normally the Role Command allows you to choose a role and compose a + new message using that role. When this feature is set, the role + command will first ask whether you want to Compose a new message, + Forward the current message, Reply to the current message, or Bounce + the current message. If you are not in the MESSAGE INDEX and are not + viewing a message, then there is no current message and the question + will be skipped. After you have chosen to Compose, Forward, Reply or + Bounce you will then choose the role to be used. + When Bouncing the "Set From" address is used for the Resent-From + header, the "Set Fcc" value is used for the Fcc provided that the + option "Fcc-On-Bounce" is turned on, and the "Use SMTP Server" value + is used for the SMTP server, if set. Other actions of the role are + ignored when Bouncing. + This feature is displayed as "Alternate Role (#) Menu". + _assume-slow-link_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + This feature affects _Alpine_'s display routines. If set, the normal + inverse-video cursor (used to highlight the current item in a list) + will be replaced by an _arrow_ cursor and other screen update + optimizations for low-speed links (e.g. 2400 bps dialup connections) + will be activated. One of the optimizations is that colored index + lines (set up with Indexcolor Rules) will not be colored. This might + be useful if _you_ know you have a slow speed link but for some + reason _Alpine_ doesn't know. + _auto-move-read-msgs_ + This feature controls an aspect of _Alpine_'s behavior upon quitting. + If set, and the read-message-folder variable is also set, then + _Alpine_ will automatically transfer all read messages from the _INBOX_ + to the designated folder and mark them as deleted in the _INBOX_. + Messages in the _INBOX_ marked with an _N_ (meaning New, or unseen) + are not affected. + This feature is displayed as "Auto Move Read Messages". + _auto-open-next-unread_ + This feature controls the behavior of the TAB key when traversing + folders in the optional incoming-folders collection or in optional + news-collections. + When the TAB (Next New) key is pressed, and there are no more unseen + messages in the current (incoming message or news) folder, _Alpine_ + will search the list of folders in the current collection for one + containing New or Recent (new since the last time the folder was + opened) messages. This behavior may be modified slightly with the + Tab-Uses-Unseen-For-Next-Folder feature which causes _Alpine_ to look + for Unseen messages instead of Recent messages. By default, when such + a folder is found, _Alpine_ will ask whether you wish to open the + folder. If this feature is set, _Alpine_ will automatically open the + folder without prompting. + _auto-unselect-after-apply_ + This feature affects the behavior of the Apply command. If set, the + Apply command will do the operation you specify, but then will + implicitly do an "UnSelect All", so that you will automatically be + back in the normal Index view after the Apply. + _auto-unzoom-after-apply_ + If set, and if you are currently looking at a Zoomed Index view of + selected messages, the _Apply_ command will do the operation you + specify, but then will implicitly do an _UnZoom_, so that you will + automatically be back in the normal Index view after the _Apply_. + This feature is set by default. + _auto-zoom-after-select_ + If set, the _; select_ command will automatically perform a _Zoom_ + after the _select_ is complete. This feature is set by default. + _busy-cue-spinner-only_ + When _Alpine_ is delayed for some reason it usually shows that + something is happening with a small animated display in the status + message line near the bottom of the screen. Setting this feature will + cause that animation to be the same each time instead of having + _Alpine_ choose a random animation. You may turn the animation off + altogether by setting the busy-cue-rate option to zero. + _check-newmail-when-quitting_ + If set, _Alpine_ will check for new mail after you give the Quit + command. If new mail has arrived since the previous check, you will + be notified and given the choice of quitting or not quitting. + _combined-addrbook-display_ + This feature affects the address book display screens. Normally, + expanding an address book from the ADDRESS BOOK LIST screen will + cause the remaining address books and directory servers to disappear + from the screen, leaving only the entries of the expanded address + book. If this feature is set, then the other address books will + remain on the screen, so that all of the address books can be present + at once. + The way that commands work won't be changed. For example, the Select + All command will select all of the entries in the current address + book, not all of the entries in all of the address books. The WhereIs + command will change a little. It will search through all of the text + on the screen plus all of the entries from expanded address books. + When this feature is set, the setting of the feature + expanded-view-of-addressbooks has an effect. + This feature is displayed as "Combined Addressbook Display". + _combined-folder-display_ + This feature affects the folder list display screens. Normally, each + folder list is viewed within its collection only. This command allows + folder lists to be viewed within a single screen that combines the + contents of all collections. + The way that commands work won't be changed. For example, the Select + All command will select all of the folders in the current collection, + not all of the entries in all of the collections. The WhereIs command + will change a little. It will search through all of the folders in + the current collection as well as all the folder in any other + expanded collection. + When this feature is set, the setting of the feature + expanded-view-of-folders has an effect. + _combined-subdirectory-display_ + This feature affects the Folder List screen when the + combined-folder-display feature is enabled. Normally, selecting a + directory from the Folder List takes you into a new screen displaying + only the contents of that directory. + Enabling this feature will cause the contents of the selected + directory to be displayed within the boundaries of the Collection it + is a part of. All previously displayed collections will remain in the + screen. + The way that commands work won't be changed. For example, the Select + All command will select all of the folders in the directory, as + opposed to all of the entries in all of the collections. The WhereIs + command will change a little. It will search through all of the + folders in the current collection as well as all the folder in any + other expanded collection. + _compose-cancel-confirm-uses-yes_ + This feature affects what happens when you type ^C to cancel a + composition. By default, if you attempt to cancel a composition by + typing ^C, you will be asked to confirm the cancellation by typing a + "C" for _C_onfirm. It logically ought to be a "Y" for _Y_es, but that + is risky because the "^C Y" needed to cancel a message is close (on + the keyboard) to the "^X Y" needed to send a message. + If this feature is set the confirmation asked for will be a "_Y_es" + instead of a "_C_onfirm" response. + _compose-cut-from-cursor_ + If set, the _^K_ command in the composer will cut from the current + cursor position to the end of the line, rather than cutting the + entire line. + This feature is displayed as "Ctrl-K Cuts From Cursor". + _compose-maps-delete-key-to-ctrl-d_ + If set, Delete will be equivalent to ^D, and delete the current + character. Normally _Alpine_ defines the Delete key to be equivalent + to ^H, which deletes the _previous_ character. + This feature is displayed as "Delete Key Maps to Ctrl-D". + _compose-rejects-unqualified-addrs_ + If set, unqualified names entered as addresses will be treated as + errors unless they match an addressbook nickname or are looked up + successfully on an LDAP server. _Alpine_ will not attempt to turn + them into complete addresses by adding your local domain (which + _Alpine_ normally does by default). + A complete (fully-qualified) address is one containing a username + followed by an _@_ symbol, followed by a host or domain name (e.g. + _jsmith@example.com_). An unqualified name is one without the _@_ + symbol and host or domain name (e.g. _jsmith_). + This feature is displayed as "Compose Rejects Unqualified Addresses". + _compose-send-offers-first-filter_ + If you have sending-filters configured, setting this feature will + cause the first filter in the _sending-filters_ list to be offered as + the default instead of _unfiltered_, the usual default. + _compose-sets-newsgroup-without-confirm_ + If you enter the composer while reading a newsgroup, you will + normally be prompted to determine whether you intend the new message + to be posted to the current newsgroup or not. If this feature is set, + _Alpine_ will not prompt you in this situation, and will assume that + you do indeed wish to post to the newsgroup you are reading. + This feature is displayed as "Compose Sets Newsgroup Without + Confirming". + _confirm-role-even-for-default_ + If you have roles, when you Reply to or Forward a message, or Compose + a new message, _Alpine_ will search through your roles for one which + matches. Normally, if no matches are found you will be placed into + the composer with no opportunity to select a role. If this feature is + set, then you will be asked to confirm that you don't want a role. + This will give you the opportunity to select a role (with the ^T + command). If you confirm no role with a Return, you will be placed in + the composer with no role. You may also confirm with either an "N" or + a "Y". These behave the same as if you pressed the Return. (The "N" + and "Y" answers are available because they match what you might type + if there was a role match.) + If you are using the alternate form of the Compose command called + "Role", then all of your roles will be available to you, independent + of the value of this feauture and of the values set for all of Reply + Use, Forward Use, and Compose Use. + _continue-tab-without-confirm_ + Normally, when you use the TAB NextNew command and there is a problem + checking a folder, you are asked whether you want to continue with + the search in the following folder or not. This gives you a chance to + stop the NextNew processing. + If this feature is set you will not be asked. It will be assumed that + you want to continue. + This feature is displayed as "Continue NextNew Without Confirming". + _convert-dates-to-localtime_ + Normally, the message dates that you see in the MESSAGE INDEX and + MESSAGE VIEW are displayed in the timezone they were sent from. For + example, if a message was sent to you from a few timezones to the + east it might appear that it was sent from the future; or if it was + sent from somewhere to the west it might appear as if it is from + yesterday even though it was sent only a few minutes ago. If this + feature is set an attempt will be made to convert the dates to your + local timezone to be displayed. + Note that this does not affect the results of Select by Date or of + anything else other than these displayed dates. When viewing the + message you may look at the original unconverted value of the Date + header by using the HdrMode Command. + _copy-to-address-to-from-if-it-is-us_ + This feature affects the From address used when Replying to a + message. It is probably only useful if you have some alt-addresses + defined. When enabled, it checks to see if any of the addresses in + the To or Cc fields of the message you are replying to is one of your + addresses. If it is, and there is only one of them, then that address + is used as the From address in the message you are composing. In + other words, you will be using a From address that is the same as the + To address that was used to get the mail to you in the first place. + If a role is being used and it has a From address defined, that From + address will be used rather than the one derived from this feature. + _delete-skips-deleted_ + If set, this feature will cause the _Delete_ command to advance past + other messages that are marked deleted. In other words, pressing _D_ + will both mark the current message deleted and advance to the next + message that is not marked deleted. This feature is set by default. + _disable-config-cmd_ + If set, the configuration screen _Setup/Config_ will not be available + at all. + _disable-save-input-history_ + Many of the prompts that ask for input in the status line near the + bottom of the screen will respond to Up Arrow and Down Arrow with the + history of previous entries. For example, in the MESSAGE INDEX screen + when you use the WhereIs command the text you entered will be + remembered and can be recalled by using the Up Arrow key. Another + example, when saving a message the folders saved to will be + remembered and can be recalled using the arrow keys. + In the Save prompt, some users prefer that the Up and Down arrow keys + be used for the Previous Collection and Next Collection commands + instead of for a history of previous saves. If this option is set the + Up and Down arrow keys will become synonyms for the Previous + Collection and Next Collection (^P and ^N) commands in the prompt for + the name of a folder to Save to or in the prompt for the name of a + folder to GoTo. When this feature is not set (the default), ^P and ^N + will change the collection and the arrow keys will show the history. + _disable-keyboard-lock-cmd_ + In the Main _Alpine_ menu there is a Keyboard locking command + (_KBLock_). If this feature is set, that command won't be available to + the user. + _disable-keymenu_ + If set, the command key menu that normally appears on the bottom two + lines of the screen will not usually be there. Asking for help with + _^G_ or _?_ will cause the key menu to appear instead of causing the + help message to come up. If you want to actually see the help text, + another _^G_ or _?_ will show it to you. After the key menu has + popped up with the help key it will remain there for an _O Other_ + command but will disappear if any other command is typed. + _disable-password-caching_ + Normally, loginname/password combinations are cached in _Alpine_ so + that the user does not have to enter the same password more than once + in a session. A disadvantage to this approach is that the password + must be stored in the memory image of the running _Alpine_ in order + that it can be reused. In the event that _Alpine_ crashes and + produces a core dump, and that core dump is readable by others, the + loginname and password could possibly be read from the core dump. + If this feature is set, then the passwords will not be cached and the + user will have to retype the password whenever _Alpine_ needs it. + Even with this feature set there is still some chance that the core + file will contain a password, so care should be taken to make the + core files unreadable. + NOTE: If PASSFILE caching is enabled, this does not disable it. That + is a separate and independent feature. + _disable-password-cmd_ + If set the _Newpassword_ command usually available under the _Setup_ + command will not be available. + _disable-pipes-in-sigs_ + If set it will be an error to append a vertical bar (|) to the name + of a signature file. Appending a vertical bar normally causes the + signature file to be executed to produce the signature. + _disable-pipes-in-templates_ + If set it will be an error to append a vertical bar (|) to the name + of a template file. Appending a vertical bar normally causes the + signature file to be executed to produce the signature. + _disable-regular-expression-matching-for-alternate-addresses_ + Normally, the alt-addresses option is interpreted as a regular + expression. One type of address that might cause trouble is an + address that contains a plus sign. If you want to have an address + with a plus as one of your alternate addresses and you don't want to + use regular expressions, then setting this feature will cause _Alpine_ + to treat the addresses you list literally instead. + _disable-roles-setup-cmd_ + If set the _Roles_ command usually available under the _Setup_ + command will not be available. + _disable-roles-sig-edit_ + If set the roles editor in the _Setup/Roles_ command will not allow + editing of signature files with the F subcommand. + _disable-roles-template-edit_ + If set the roles editor in the _Setup/Roles_ command will not allow + editing of template files with the F subcommand. + _disable-sender_ + If set, _Alpine_ will not generate a "Sender:" or "X-X-Sender" + header. This may be desirable on a system which is virtually hosting + many domains, and the sysadmin has other methods available for + tracking a message to its originator. + This feature is displayed as "Do Not Generate Sender Header". + _disable-setlocale-collate_ + This is a hard to understand feature that should only be used in rare + cases. Normally, the C function call + + setlocale(LC_COLLATE, "") + is used by _Alpine_. If you want to try turning it off, setting this + feature will turn it off. This part of the locale has to do with the + sort order of characters in your locale. + _disable-shared-namespaces_ + If this hidden feature is set the automatic search for namespaces + "ftp", "imapshared", and "imappublic" by the underlying library will + be disabled. The reason this feature exists is because there are some + implementations of system password lookup routines which are very + slow when presented with a long loginname which does not exist. This + feature could be set to prevent the delay at startup time when the + names above are searched for in the password file. + _disable-signature-edit-cmd_ + If set the _Signature_ editing command usually available under the + _Setup_ command will not be available. + _disable-take-fullname-in-addresses_ + Normally, when TakeAddr is used to copy an address or addresses from + a message into an address book entry, _Alpine_ will try to preserve + the full name associated with each address in the list of addresses. + The reason for this is so that if the entry is a list or later + becomes a list, then information about the individual addresses in + the list is preserved. If you would rather just have the simple + addresses in the list of addresses, set this feature. For example, + with the default setting you might see something like this in the + ADDRESS BOOK editor after you type TakeAddr + Nickname : nick + Fullname : Bedrock Elders + Fcc : + Comment : + Addresses : Fred Flintstone <flint@bedrock.org>, + Barney Rubble <rubble@bedrock.org> + but with this feature set it would look like + Nickname : nick + Fullname : Bedrock Elders + Fcc : + Comment : + Addresses : flint@bedrock.org, + rubble@bedrock.org + instead. Note the difference in the Addresses field. + _disable-take-last-comma-first_ + Normally, when _TakeAddr_ is used to copy an address from a message + into an address book, _Alpine_ will attempt to rewrite the full name + of the address in the form: + + Last, First + instead of + + First Last + It does this because many people find it useful to sort by Last name + instead of First name. If this feature is set, then the _TakeAddr_ + command will not attempt to reverse the name in this manner. + _disable-terminal-reset-for-display-filters_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + This feature affects _Alpine_'s behavior when using Display-Filters. + Normally, before the display filter is run, the terminal mode is + reset to what it was before you started _Alpine_. This may be + necessary if the filter requires the use of the terminal. For + example, it may need to interact with you. If you set this feature, + then the terminal mode will not be reset. One thing that turning on + this feature should fix is the coloring of quoted text in the message + view, which breaks because the terminal reset resets the color state + of the terminal (Color Configuration). + _downgrade-multipart-to-text_ + This feature affects _Alpine_'s behavior when sending mail. Internet + standards require _Alpine_ to translate all non-ASCII characters in + messages that it sends using MIME encoding. This encoding can be + ostensibly broken for recipients if any agent between _Alpine_ and + the recipient, such as an email list expander, appends text to the + message, such as list information or advertising. When sending such + messages _Alpine_ attempts to protect such encoding by placing extra + MIME boundaries around the message text. + These extra boundaries are invisible to recipients that use + MIME-aware email programs (the vast majority). However, if you + correspond with users of email programs that are not MIME-aware, or + do not handle the extra boundaries gracefully, you can use this + feature to prevent _Alpine_ from including the extra MIME + information. Of course, it will increase the likelihood that + non-ASCII text you send may appear corrupt to the recipient. + _enable-8bit-esmtp-negotiation_ + This feature affects _Alpine_'s behavior when sending mail. By + default, this feature is set. Internet standards require that all + electronic mail messages traversing the global Internet consist of + 7bit ASCII characters unless a pair of cooperating mail transfer + agents explicitly agree to allow 8bit messages. In general, then, + exchanging messages in non-ASCII characters requires MIME encoding. + However, there are now Internet standards that allow for unencoded + 8bit exchange of messages between cooperating systems. When this + feature is set _Alpine_ will try to negotiate unencoded 8bit + transmission during the sending process. Should the negotiation fail, + _Alpine_ will fall back to its ordinary encoding rules. + Note, this feature relies on your system's mail transport agent or + configured smtp-server having the negotiation mechanism introduced in + "Extended SMTP" (ESMTP) and the specific extension called _8BITMIME_. + _enable-8bit-nntp-posting_ + The Internet standard for exchanging USENET news messages (RFC-1036) + specifies that USENET messages should conform to Internet mail + standards and contain only 7bit characters, but much of the news + transport software in use today is capable of successfully sending + messages containing 8bit characters. Hence, many people believe that + it is appropriate to send 8bit news messages without any MIME + encoding. + Moreover, there is no Internet standard for explicitly negotiating + 8bit transfer, as there is for Internet email. Therefore, _Alpine_ + provides the option of posting unencoded 8bit news messages, though + not as the default. Setting this feature will turn OFF _Alpine_'s + MIME encoding of newsgroup postings that contain 8bit characters. + Note, articles may cross a path or pass through news transport + software that is unsafe or even hostile to 8bit characters. At best + this will only cause the posting to become garbled. The safest way to + transmit 8bit characters is to leave _Alpine_'s MIME encoding turned + on, but recipients who lack MIME-aware tools are often annoyed when + they receive MIME-encoded messages. + _enable-aggregate-command-set_ + When this feature is set you may use the commands and subcommands + that relate to performing operations on more than one message at a + time. We call these "aggregate operations". In particular, the _; + Select_, _A Apply_, and _Z Zoom_ commands are enabled by this + feature. _Select_ is used to _tag_ one or more messages meeting the + specified criteria. _Apply_ can then be used to apply any message + command to all of the selected/tagged messages. Further, the _Zoom_ + command allows you to toggle the "Folder Index" view between just + those Selected and all messages in the folder. + This feature also enables the _^X_ subcommand in the "Folder Index" + _WhereIs_ command which causes all messages matching the _WhereIs_ + argument to become selected. + You may also use aggregate operations in the address book screens + where you are operating on address book entries instead of on + messages. + _enable-alternate-editor-cmd_ + If this feature is set (the default), and the editor variable is not + set, entering the _^__ (Control-underscore) key while composing a + message will prompt you for the name of the editor you would like to + use. + If the environment variable $EDITOR is set, this value will be + offered as a default. If the _editor_ variable is set, the _^__ key + will activate the specified editor without prompting, in which case + it is not necessary to set the _enable-alternate-editor-cmd_ feature. + This feature is not available in _PC-Alpine_. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Alternate Editor Command". + _enable-alternate-editor-implicitly_ + If this feature and the editor variable are both set, _Alpine_ will + automatically activate the specified editor when the cursor is moved + from the header of the message being composed into the message text. + For replies, the alternate editor will be activated immediately. If + this feature is set but the _editor_ variable is not set, then + _Alpine_ will automatically ask for the name of an alternate editor + when the cursor is moved out of the headers, or if a reply is being + done. This feature is not available in _PC-Alpine_. + _enable-arrow-navigation_ + This feature controls the behavior of the left and right arrow keys. + If set, the left and right arrow keys will operate like the usual + navigation keys _<_ and _>_. This feature is set by default. + If you set this feature, and do not like the changed behavior of the + up/down arrow keys when navigating through the FOLDER LIST screen -- + _first_ from column to column, if more than one folder is displayed + per row, and _then_ from row to row -- you may either also wish to + set the feature enable-arrow-navigation-relaxed, + single-column-folder-list, or use the ^P/^N (instead of up/down + arrow) keys to move up/down the list of folders in each column. + _enable-arrow-navigation-relaxed_ + This feature controls the behavior of the left and right arrow keys + in the FOLDER LIST screen when the enable-arrow-navigation feature is + set. This feature is set by default. + When this feature is set, the left and right arrow keys in the FOLDER + LIST screen move the highlight bar to the left or right, and the up + and down arrows move it up or down. + When the "Enable-Arrow-Navigation" feature is set and this feature is + not set; the left and right arrow keys in the Folder List screen + strictly track the commands bound to the '<' and '>' keys, and the up + and down arrow keys move the highlight bar to the previous and next + folder or directory name. + _enable-background-sending_ + If set, this feature enables a subcommand in the composer's _Send?_ + confirmation prompt. The subcommand allows you to tell _Alpine_ to + handle the actual posting in the background. While this feature + usually allows posting to appear to happen very fast, it has no + affect on the actual delivery time it takes a message to arrive at + its destination. + This feature isn't supported on all systems. All DOS and Windows, as + well as several Unix ports, do not recognize this feature. It is not + possible to use background sending if the feature + send-without-confirm is set. + Error handling is significantly different when this feature is + enabled. Any message posting failure results in the message being + appended to your _Interrupted_ mail folder. When you type the + _Compose_ command, _Alpine_ will notice this folder and offer to + extract any messages contained. Upon continuing a failed message, + _Alpine_ will display the nature of the failure in the status message + line. + Under extreme conditions, it is possible for message data to get + lost. Do not enable this feature if you typically run close to any + sort of disk-space limits or quotas. + _enable-bounce-cmd_ + Setting this feature enables the _B Bounce_ command, which will + prompt for an address and _remail_ the message to the new recipient. + This command is used to re-direct messages that you have received in + error, or need to be redirected for some other reason (e.g. list + moderation). The final recipient will see a header indicating that + you have Resent the msg, but the message's From: header will show the + original author of the message, and replies to it will go back to + that author, and not to you. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Bounce Command". + _enable-cruise-mode_ + This feature affects _Alpine_'s behavior when you hit the "Space Bar" + at the end of a displayed message. Typically, _Alpine_ complains that + the end of the text has already been reached. Setting this feature + causes such keystrokes to be interpreted as if the _Tab_ key had been + hit, thus taking you to the next _interesting_ message, or scanning + ahead to the next incoming folder with _interesting_ messages. + _enable-cruise-mode-delete_ + This feature modifies the behavior of _Alpine_'s _enable-cruise-mode_ + feature. Setting this feature causes _Alpine_ to implicitly delete + read messages when it moves on to display the next _interesting_ + message. + NOTE: Beware when enabling this feature _and_ the + expunge-without-confirm feature. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Cruise Mode With Deleting". + _enable-delivery-status-notification_ + If set, this feature enables a subcommand in the composer's "Send?" + confirmation prompt. The subcommand allows you to tell _Alpine_ to + request the type of Delivery Status Notification (DSN) which you + would like. Most users will be happy with the default, and need not + enable this feature. See the online help for more details. + It is not possible to use delivery status notifications if the + feature send-without-confirm is set. + Note that this is not a method to request _READ_ receipts, which + tells the sender when the receiver has read the message. In this case + we're talking about notification of delivery to the mailbox, not + notification that the message has been seen. + _enable-dot-files_ + If set, files beginning with dot (".") will be visible in the file + browser. For example, you'll be able to select them when using the + browser to add an attachment to a message. + _enable-dot-folders_ + If set, folders beginning with dot (".") may be added and viewed. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Hidden Folders". + _enable-exit-via-lessthan-command_ + If set, then on screens where there is an _Exit_ command but no _<_ + command, the _<_ key will perform the same function as the _Exit_ + command. This feature is set by default. + _enable-fast-recent-test_ + This feature controls the behavior of the TAB key when traversing + folders in the optional Incoming-Folders collection or in optional + News-Collections. + When the TAB (NextNew) key is pressed, the default behavior is to + explicitly examine the status of the folder for the number of recent + messages (messages delivered since the last time it was viewed). + Depending on the size and number of messages in the folder, this test + can be time consuming. + Enabling this feature will cause _Alpine_ to only test for the + existence of any recent messages rather than to obtain the count. + This is much faster in many cases. The downside is that you're not + given the number of recent messages when prompted to view the next + folder. If the feature Tab-Uses-Unseen-For-Next-Folder is turned on, + then the present feature will have no effect. + _enable-flag-cmd_ + Setting this feature enables the _* Flag_ command, which allows you + to manipulate the status flags associated with a message. By default, + _Flag_ will set the _Important_ flag, which results in an asterisk + being displayed in column one of the "Folder Index" for such + messages. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Flag Command". + _enable-flag-screen-implicitly_ + This feature modifies the behavior of the _* Flag_ command (provided + it too is enabled). By default, when the _* Flag_ command is + selected, _Alpine_ offers a prompt to set one of several flags and + also offers the option of entering the detailed flag manipulation + screen via the _^T_ key. Enabling this feature causes _Alpine_ to + immediately enter the detailed flag screen rather than first offer + the simple prompt. The Enable-Flag-Screen-Keyword-Shortcut option + offers a slightly different way of setting keywords. + _enable-flag-screen-keyword-shortcut_ + This feature modifies the behavior of the Flag command and the Select + command. By default, when the "* Flag" command is selected, _Alpine_ + offers a prompt to set one of several flags and also offers the + option of entering the detailed flag manipulation screen via the "^T" + key. If you have keywords defined, then enabling this feature adds a + shortcut way to set or unset keywords. You use "*" followed by the + first letter of a keyword (or the nickname of a keyword if you've + given it a nickname) and that will set the keyword. + An example is easier to understand than the explanation. The flag + command can always be used to set the system flags. For example, to + set the Answered flag you would type + + * A + Now suppose you have defined a keyword "Work" using the Keywords + option in the Config screen. By default, to set a keyword like "Work" + you would usually have to go to the Flag Details screen using the "^T + To Flag Details" command. Instead, if you have enabled this feature, + you may type + + * W + to set the Work flag, or + + * ! W + to unset it. Just like for the other flag setting commands, the case + of the letter does not matter, so "w" or "W" both set the "Work" + keyword. + Notice that you can only use this trick for one keyword that begins + with "W". If you happen to have a "Work" keyword and another keyword + that is "WIFI" the "* W" command will set the first one in your list + of keywords. Also, there are five letters which are reserved for + system flags and the NOT command. If you type "* A" it will always + set the Answered flag, not your "Aardvark" keyword. In order to set + the "Aardvark" keyword you'll still have to use the Flag Details + screen. + Because enabling the Enable-Flag-Screen-Implicitly option causes + _Alpine_ to skip directly to the Flag Details screen when the Flag + command is used, setting it will cause this feature to have no effect + at all. + Similarly, when Selecting by Keyword, setting this option will allow + you to use Keyword initials instead of full keywords. + _enable-full-header-cmd_ + This feature enables the _H Full Headers_ command which toggles + between the display of all headers in the message and the normal + edited view of headers. The _Full Header_ command also controls which + headers are included for _Export_, _Pipe_, _Print_, _Forward_, and + _Reply_ functions. (For _Reply_, the _Full Header_ mode will respect + the _include-headers-in-reply_ feature setting.) + If Full Header mode is turned on and you Forward a message, you will + be asked if you'd like to forward the message as an attachment, as + opposed to including the text of the message in the body of your new + message. + If you have also turned on the "Quote Suppression" option then the + Full Headers command actually rotates through three states instead of + just two. The first is the normal view with long quotes suppressed. + The second is the normal view but with the long quotes included. The + last enables the display of all headers in the message. When using + Export, Pipe, Print, Forward, or Reply the quotes are never + suppressed, so the first two states are identical. + Normally, the Header Mode will reset to the default behavior when + moving to a new message. The mode can be made to persist from message + to message by setting the feature Quell-Full-Header-Auto-Reset. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Full Header Command". + _enable-full-header-and-text_ + This feature affects how the _H Full Headers_ command displays + message text. If set, the raw message text will be displayed. This + especially affects MIME formatted email, where the entire MIME format + will be displayed. This feature similarly affects how messages are + included for the _Export_, _Pipe_, _Print_, _Forward_, and _Reply_ + functions. + _enable-goto-in-file-browser_ + Setting this causes _Alpine_ to offer the _G Goto_ command in the + file browser. The Goto command allows you to explicitly type in the + desired directory. That is the default. + _enable-incoming-folders_ + If set, this feature defines a pseudo-folder collection called + _INCOMING MESSAGE FOLDERS_. Initially, the only folder included in + this collection will be your _INBOX_, which will no longer show up in + your default saved-message folder collection. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Incoming Folders Collection". + _enable-incoming-folders-checking_ + This feature is only operational if you have enabled the optional + incoming-folders If you do have Incoming Message Folders and you also + set this feature, then the number of Unseen messages in each folder + will be displayed in the FOLDER LIST screen for the Incoming Message + Folders. The number of Unseen messages in a folder will be displayed + in parentheses to the right of the name of each folder. If there are + no Unseen messages in a folder then only the name is displayed, not a + set of parentheses with zero inside them. A redraw command, Ctrl-L, + can be used in the FOLDER LIST screen for the Incoming Message + Folders to cause an immediate update. + If a check for Unseen messages fails for a particular folder then + Alpine will no longer attempt to check that folder for the duration + of the session and this will be indicated by a question mark inside + the parentheses. + The features incoming-checking-includes-total, + incoming-checking-uses-recent, incoming-check-list, + incoming-check-interval, incoming-check-interval-secondary, and + incoming-check-timeout all affect how this feature behaves. + _Disable-Index-Locale-Dates_ + This feature affects the display of dates in the MESSAGE INDEX. + Normally an attempt is made to localize the dates used in the MESSAGE + INDEX display to your locale. This is controlled with the LC_TIME + locale setting on a UNIX system. On Windows the Regional Options + control panel may be used to set the date format. At the programming + level, _Alpine_ is using the strftime routine to print the parts of a + date. + If this feature is set, dates are displayed in English and with the + conventions of the United States. + _enable-jump-shortcut_ + When this feature is set you may enter a number (followed by RETURN) + and jump to that message number, when in the MESSAGE INDEX or MESSAGE + TEXT screens. In other words, it obviates the need for typing the _J_ + for the _Jump_ command. + _enable-lame-list-mode_ + This feature modifies the method _Alpine_ uses to ask your IMAP + server for folder names to display in the the FOLDER LIST screen. It + is intended to compensate for a small set of IMAP servers that are + programmed to ignore a part of the request, and thus respond to + _Alpine_'s query with nonsensical results. + If you find that _Alpine_ is erroneously displaying blank folder + lists, try enabling this feature. + NOTE: Enabling this feature has consequences for the Goto and Save + commands. Many servers allow access to folders outside the area + reserved for your personal folders via some reserved character, + typically '#' (sharp), '~' (tilde) or '/' (slash). This mechanism + allows, at the Goto and Save prompts, quick access to folders outside + your personal folder collection without requiring a specific + collection definition. This behavior will generally not be available + when this feature is enabled. + This feature is displayed as "Compensate for Deficient IMAP servers". + _enable-mail-check-cue_ + If set, this will cause an asterisk to appear in the upper left-hand + corner of the screen whenever _Alpine_ checks for new mail, and two + asterisks whenever _Alpine_ saves (checkpoints) the state of the + current mailbox to disk. + _enable-mailcap-param-substitution_ + If set, this will allow mailcap named parameter substitution to occur + in mailcap entries. By default, this is turned off to prevent + security problems which may occur with some incorrect mailcap + configurations. For more information, RFC1524 and look for "named + parameters" in the text of the RFC. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Mailcap Parameter Substitution". + _enable-mouse-in-xterm_ + This feature controls whether or not an X terminal mouse can be used + with _Alpine_. If set, and the $DISPLAY variable indicates that an X + terminal is being used, the left mouse button on the mouse can be + used to select text or commands. Clicking on a command at the bottom + of the screen will behave as if you had typed that command. Clicking + on an index line will move the current message highlight to that + line. Double-clicking on an index line will view the message. + Double-clicking on a link will view the link. + This type of mouse support will also work in some terminal emulators + which are not actually X terminals, but which have extra code to + support the xterm style mouse. For those emulators you not only need + to turn this feature on but you also have to set the $DISPLAY + environment variable even though it isn't needed for your terminal. + That will cause _Alpine_ to think that it is an xterm and to properly + interpret the escape sequences sent by the mouse. + Note: if this feature is set, the behavior of X terminal + cut-and-paste is also modified. It is sometimes possible to hold the + shift key down while clicking left or middle mouse buttons for the + normal xterm cut/paste operations. There is also an _Alpine_ command + to toggle this mode on or off. The command is Ctrl-\ + (Control-backslash). + _enable-msg-view-addresses_ + This feature modifies the behavior of _Alpine_'s "Message Text" + screen. Setting this feature causes _Alpine_ to select possible email + addresses from the displayed text and display them in boldface for + selection. + The first available email address is displayed in inverse. This is + the "selected" address. Pressing _RETURN_ will cause _Alpine_ to + enter the message composition screen with the To field filled in with + the selected address. + Use the up and down arrow keys to change which of the addresses + displayed in boldface is the current selection. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Message View Address Links". + _enable-msg-view-attachments_ + This feature modifies the behavior of _Alpine_'s "Message Text" + screen. Setting this feature causes _Alpine_ to present attachments + in boldface. The first available attachment is displayed in inverse. + This is the "selected" attachment. Pressing _RETURN_ will cause + _Alpine_ to display the selected attachment. Use the up and down arrow + keys to change which of the attachments displayed in boldface is the + current selection. + Speaking of arrow keys, the Up and Down Arrows will select the next + and previous attachments if one is available on the screen for + selection. Otherwise, they will simply adjust the viewed text one + line up or down. + Similarly, when selectable items are present in a message, the Ctrl-F + key can be used to select the next item in the message independent of + which portion of the viewed message is currently displayed. The + Ctrl-B key can be used to select the previous item in the same way. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Message View Attachment Links". + _enable-msg-view-forced-arrows_ + This feature modifies Up and Down arrow key behavior in _Alpine_'s + "Message Text" screen when selectable Attachments, URL's, or + web-hostnames are presented. _Alpine_'s usual behavior is to move to + the next or previous selectable item if currently displayed or simply + to adjust the screen view by one line if the next selectable line is + off the screen. + Setting this feature causes the Up and Down arrow keys to behave as + if no selectable items were present in the message. + Note, the _Ctrl-F_ (next selectable item) and _Ctrl-B_ (previous + selectable item) functionality is unchanged. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Message View Forced Arrows". + _enable-msg-view-urls_ + This feature modifies the behavior of _Alpine_'s "Message Text" + screen. When this feature is set (the default) _Alpine_ will select + possible URLs from the displayed text and display them in boldface + for selection. + The first available URL is displayed in inverse. This is the + "selected" URL. Pressing _RETURN_ will cause _Alpine_ to display the + selected URL via either built-in means as with mailto:, imap:, news:, + and nntp:, or via an external application as defined by the + url-viewers variable. + Use the up and down arrow keys to change which of the URLs displayed + in boldface is the current selection. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Message View URL Links". + _enable-msg-view-web-hostnames_ + This feature modifies the behavior of _Alpine_'s "Message Text" + screen. When this feature is set (the default) _Alpine_ will select + possible web hostnames from the displayed text and display them in + boldface for selection. + The first available hostname is displayed in inverse. This is the + "selected" hostname. Pressing _RETURN_ will cause _Alpine_ to display + the selected hostname via an external application as defined by the + url-viewers variable. + Use the up and down arrow keys to change which of the hostnames + displayed in boldface is the current selection. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Message View Web Hostname + Links". + _enable-multiple-newsrcs_ + This feature makes it so _Alpine_ can use multiple newsrcs based on + the news server being connected to, which allows for separate lists + of subscribed-to newsgroups. When this feature is not set, there is + only one list of newsgroups. + Under this feature, the name of a newsrc is based on the news server. + For example, if your newsrc-path is set to ".newsrc", and the news + server you are connecting to is news.example.com, then the newsrc to + be used is .newsrc-news.example.com. Setting this feature for the + first time will allow for the option of using your old newsrc the + next time you read news. + If this feature is set, then the feature + Mult-Newsrc-Hostnames-As-Typed also may affect the name of the newsrc + file that is used. + _enable-newmail-in-xterm-icon_ + This feature controls whether or not _Alpine_ will attempt to + announce new mail arrival when it is running in an X terminal window + and that window is iconified. If set, and the $DISPLAY variable + indicates that an X terminal is being used, _Alpine_ will send + appropriate escape sequences to the X terminal to modify the label on + _Alpine_'s icon to indicate that new mail has arrived. _Alpine_ will + also modify the _Alpine_ window's title to indicate new mail. See + also Enable-Newmail-Short-Text-in-Icon. + _enable-newmail-short-text-in-icon_ + This feature controls the text to be displayed in an icon in the + event of a new message arrival. Normally, the message will be the one + that is displayed on the screen. This feature shortens the message to + a count of the number of new messages in brackets. This may be more + useful for those who use the window's title bar in the task bar as a + new mail indicator. This feature is only useful if the + Enable-Newmail-in-Xterm-Icon is also set. Like the + Enable-Newmail-in-Xterm-Icon feature, this feature is only relevant + when run in an xterm environment. + _enable-partial-match-lists_ + This feature affects the subcommands available when _Sav_ing or + Opening a new folder. If set, the subcommand _^X ListMatches_ will be + available. This command allows you to type in a substring of the + folder you are looking for and when you type _^X_ it will display all + folders which contain that substring in their names. This feature is + set by default. + _enable-print-via-y-command_ + By default, _Alpine_'s print command is available by pressing the _%_ + key. In older versions of _Pine_, the print command was accessed by + pressing the _Y_ key. + Enabling this feature will cause _Alpine_ to recognize both the old + command, _Y_, and the new _%_ method for invoking printing. Note, key + menu labels are not changed as a result of enabling this feature. + _enable-reply-indent-string-editing_ + This feature affects the Reply command's "Include original message in + Reply?" prompt. When enabled, it causes the "Edit Indent String" + sub-command to appear which allows you to edit the string _Alpine_ + would otherwise use to denote included text from the message being + replied to. + Thus, you can change _Alpine_'s default message quote character + (usually an angle bracket) on a per message basis. So you could + change your quoted message to look, for example, like this: +On Tues, 26 Jan 1999, John Q. Smith wrote: + +John: I just wanted to say hello and to congratulate you +John: on a job well done! + The configuration option "reply-indent-string" may be used to change + what appears as the default string to be edited. + NOTE: Edited reply-indent-strings only apply to the message currently + being replied to. + _enable-rules-under-take_ + Normally, the Take command takes addresses from a message and helps + you put them into your Address Book. If you use Rules for + Indexcolors, Roles, Filtering, or Scoring; you may find it useful to + be able to Take information from a message's headers and put it into + a new Rule. When this feature is set, you will be given an extra + prompt which gives you the choice to Take into the Address Book or + Take into a rule. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Take Rules". + _enable-search-and-replace_ + If set _Alpine_'s composer offers the _R Replace_ command option + inside the _W WhereIs_ command. + _enable-sigdashes_ + If set and a _signature-file_ exists, the line consisting of the + three characters "-- " (dash dash space) is included before the + signature. This only happens if the signature doesn't already contain + such a line. + In addition, when you Reply or Followup to a message containing one + of these special lines and choose to include its text, _Alpine_ will + observe the convention of not including text beyond the special line + in your reply. + _enable-suspend_ + Setting this feature will allow you to type _^Z_ and temporarily + suspend _Alpine_. Not available on _PC-Alpine_. + _enable-tab-completion_ + This feature enables the _TAB_ key when at a prompt for a filename. + In this case, _TAB_ will cause the partial name already entered to be + automatically completed, provided the partial name is unambiguous. + This feature is set by default. + Similarly, this feature also enables TAB completion of address book + nicknames when at a prompt for a nickname, or when typing in an + address field in the composer. + _enable-take-export_ + Normally, the Take command takes addresses from a message and helps + you put them into your Address Book. When this feature is set, you + will be given an extra prompt which gives you the choice to Take + addresses into a file instead of your Address Book. Only the + user@domain_name part of the address is put in the file. + _enable-tray-icon_ + _PC-Alpine_ only. This option restores a behavior of previous + versions of PC-Alpine. These versions, when started, installed a + PC-Alpine icon in the notification tray of Window's Taskbar. The + primary use of this icon was to indicate new mail arrival by turning + red (while the Taskbar icon remained green). Additionally, the icon + now changes to yellow to signify that a mail folder has been closed + unexpectedly. + Rather than add another icon to the Taskbar, this version of + PC-Alpine will color its Taskbar entry's icon red (as well as the + icon in the Window Title). This feature is only provided for + backwards compatibility. + _enable-unix-pipe-cmd_ + This feature enables the _| Pipe_ command that sends the current + message to the specified Unix command for external processing. + This feature is displayed as "Enable Unix Pipe Command". + _enable-verbose-smtp-posting_ + This feature controls an aspect of _Alpine_'s message sending. When + enabled, _Alpine_ will send a VERB (i.e., VERBose) command early in + the posting process intended to cause the server SMTP to provide a + more detailed account of the transaction. This feature is typically + only useful to system administrators and other support personel as an + aid in troublshooting problems. Note, this feature relies on a + specific capability of the system's mail transport agent or + configured smtp-server. + _expanded-view-of-addressbooks_ + If multiple address books (either personal or global) are defined, + and you wish to have them all expanded implicitly upon entering the + ADDRESS BOOK screen, then set this feature. This feature will have no + effect unless the feature combined-addrbook-display is also set. + _expanded-view-of-distribution-lists_ + If this feature is set, then distribution lists in the address book + screen will always be expanded automatically. + _expanded-view-of-folders_ + If multiple folder collections are defined, and you wish to have them + all expanded implicitly upon entering the FOLDER LIST screen, then + set this feature. This feature will have no effect unless the feature + combined-folder-display is also set. + _expose-hidden-config_ + The purpose of this feature is to allow you to change configuration + features and variables which are normally hidden. This is + particularly useful if you are using a remote configuration file, + where it is difficult to edit the file manually, but it may also be + used on a local pinerc configuration file. + If set, most configuration variables and features which are normally + hidden from view will show up in the Setup/Configuration screen. They + will be at the bottom of the configuration screen. You can find them + by searching for the word "hidden". + Note that this is an advanced feature which should be used with care. + The reason that this part of the configuration is normally hidden is + because there is a significant potential for causing problems if you + change these variables. If something breaks after a change try + changing it back to see if that is what is causing the problem. There + are also some variables which are normally hidden because they are + manipulated through _Alpine_ in other ways. For example, the + "address-book" variable is normally set using the Setup/AddressBooks + screen, so there is little reason to edit it directly. The + "incoming-folders" variable is normally changed by using the Add, + Delete, and Rename commands in the FOLDER LIST screen, and the + "last-time-prune-questioned" variable is normally used internally by + _Alpine_ and not set directly by the user. + _expunge-only-manually_ + Normally, when you close a folder which contains deleted messages you + are asked if you want to expunge those messages from the folder + permanently. If this feature is set, you won't be asked and the + deleted messages will remain in the folder. If you choose to set this + feature you will have to expunge the messages manually using the + eXpunge command, which you can use while in the MESSAGE INDEX screen. + If you do not expunge deleted messages the size of your folder will + continue to increase until you are out of disk space. + _expunge-without-confirm_ + If set, you will not be prompted to confirm your intent before the + expunge takes place. Actually, you will still be prompted for + confirmation if the folder is not the _INBOX_ folder or another + folder in the Incoming Folders collection. See the + _expunge-without-confirm-everywhere_ feature which follows. + This feature is displayed as "Expunge Without Confirming". + _expunge-without-confirm-everywhere_ + The regular _expunge-without-confirm_ feature actually only works for + the _INBOX_ folder and for other folders in the "Incoming Folders" + collection. If this feature is set then you also won't be prompted to + confirm expunges for all other folders. + This feature is displayed as "Expunge Without Confirming Everywhere". + _fcc-on-bounce_ + If set, normal Fcc (File Carbon Copy) processing will be done for + bounced messages, just as if you had composed a message to the + address you are bouncing to. If not set, no Fcc of the message will + be saved. + This feature is displayed as "Include Fcc When Bouncing Messages". + _fcc-only-without-confirm_ + This features controls an aspect of _Alpine_'s composer. The only + time this feature will be used is if you attempt to send mail which + has no recipients but does have an Fcc. Normally, _Alpine_ will ask + if you really mean to copy the message only to the Fcc. That is, it + asks if you really meant to have no recipients. If this feature is + set, you will _not_ be prompted to confirm your intent to make only a + copy of a message with no recipients. + This feature is closely related to + warn-if-blank-to-and-cc-and-newsgroups. The difference between this + feature and that feature is that this feature considers a Bcc to be a + recipient while that feature will ask for confirmation even if there + is a Bcc when there is no To, Cc, or Newsgroup. The default values + also differ. This feature defaults to asking the question and you + have to turn it off. The warn-if-blank-to-and-cc-and-newsgroups + feature defaults to not asking unless you turn it on. + This feature is displayed as "Send to Fcc Only Without Confirming". + _fcc-without-attachments_ + This features controls the way FCC's (File Carbon Copies) are made of + the messages you send. + Normally, _Alpine_ saves an exact copy of your message as it was + sent. When this feature is enabled, the "body" of the message you + send (the text you type in the composer) is preserved in the copy as + before, however all attachments are replaced with text explaining + what had been sent rather than the attachments themselves. + This feature also affects _Alpine_'s "Send ?" confirmation prompt in + that a new "^F Fcc Attchmnts" option becomes available which allows + you to interactively set whether or not attachments are saved to the + Fcc'd copy. + This feature is displayed as "Fcc Does Not Include Attachments". + _force-arrow-cursor_ + This feature affects _Alpine_'s MESSAGE INDEX display routine. If + set, the normal inverse-video cursor will be replaced by a simple + "arrow" cursor, which normally occupies the second column of the + index display. + This is the same index cursor you get if you turn on + Assume-Slow-Link, but the index line coloring will still be present + if this feature is turned on and Assume-Slow-Link is off. + An alternative version of the Arrow cursor is available by including + the ARROW token in the Index-Format option. + It ought to be the case that this feature also affects the ATTACHMENT + INDEX, but that is not implemented. + _hide-nntp-path_ + Normally the Path header that _Alpine_ generates when posting to a + newsgroup contains the name of the computer from which the message is + being sent and the user name. Some believe that this information is + used by spammers. If this feature is set, that information will be + replaced with the text + + not-for-mail + instead. + It should be noted that many servers being connected to will still + reveal the information that this feature attempts to protect. + _include-attachments-in-reply_ + If set, any MIME attachments that were part of the original message + will automatically be included in a _Reply_. + _include-header-in-reply_ + If set, and a message being replied to is included in the _Reply_, + then headers from that message will also be part of the reply. + _include-text-in-reply_ + Normally, _Alpine_ will ask whether you wish to include the original + message in your _Reply_. If this feature is set and the feature + enable-reply-indent-string-editing is _not_ set, then the original + message will be included in the reply automatically, without + prompting. + _incoming-checking-includes-total_ + This option has no effect unless the feature + enable-incoming-folders-checking is set, which in turn has no effect + unless incoming-folders is set. + When incoming folder checking is turned on the default is to display + the number of unseen messages in each folder. More precisely, it is + the number of undeleted unseen messages. Using this option you may + also display the total number of messages in each folder. Instead of + a single number representing the number of unseen messages you will + get two numbers separated by a slash character. The first is the + number of unseen messages and the second is the total number of + messages. + You may also use the recent message count instead of the unseen + message count by turning on the feature + incoming-checking-uses-recent. + _incoming-checking-uses-recent_ + This option has no effect unless the feature + enable-incoming-folders-checking is set, which in turn has no effect + unless incoming-folders is set. + When incoming folder checking is turned on the default is to display + the number of unseen messages in each folder. More precisely, it is + the number of undeleted unseen messages. Using this option you may + display the number of recent messages instead of the number of unseen + messages. A message is only counted as recent if this is the first + session to see it, so the recent count might be less than the unseen + count. The difference between the two would be accounted for by the + unseen messages in the folder which were there previously but have + not been looked at yet. + If you simultaneously run more than one email client at a time (for + example, you run more than one _Alpine_ in parallel) then turning + this feature on can cause some confusion. The confusion stems from + the fact that each message is only considered to be recent in one + session. That means that the counts of new messages may be different + in the two _Alpine_s running side by side, because each incoming + message will only be counted as recent in one of the two sessions. + You may also display the total number of messages in each folder by + using the incoming-checking-includes-total option. + _ldap-result-to-addrbook-add_ + This is only available if _Alpine_ was linked with an LDAP library + when it was compiled. If both the per-directory-server option + use-implicitly-from-composer and this feature are set, then when an + implicit directory lookup is done from the composer you will + automatically be prompted to add the result of the directory lookup + to your address book. + This feature is displayed as "LDAP Result to Addressbook Add". + _maildrops-preserve-state_ + This feature affects the way Mail Drops work. Normally, when mail is + moved from a Mail Drop folder to a destination folder, the state + changes that have taken place since the mail was originally delivered + are lost. Any Seen/New, Answered, Important/Flagged state that has + changed will be ignored. All of the mail will be considered unSeen, + unAnswered, and unImportant after it is moved. + If this feature is set, then the state changes will not be lost. + In any case, messages which are already marked Deleted when the mail + is to be copied from the Mail Drop will be ignored. + _mark-fcc-seen_ + This features controls the way FCCs (File Carbon Copies) are made of + the messages you send. Normally, when _Alpine_ saves a copy of a + message you sent as an Fcc, that copy will be marked as Unseen. When + you look at the folder it was saved in the message will appear to be + a New message until you read it. When this feature is enabled, the + message will be marked as having been Seen. + _mark-for-cc_ + This feature affects _Alpine_'s MESSAGE INDEX display. By default, a + '+' is displayed in the first column if the message is addressed + directly to you. When this feature is set and the message is not + addressed to you, then a '-' character is displayed if the message is + instead Cc'd directly to you. + _mult-newsrc-hostnames-as-typed_ + This feature will be of little use to most users. It has no effect + unless the feature Enable-Multiple-Newsrcs is set. When the + Enable-Multiple-Newsrcs feature is set then the setting of this + feature may have an effect on the names of the newsrc files used. + Normally, the name of the news server will be canonicalized before it + is used in the newsrc file name. For example, if you type the news + server name + + servername + it is likely that the canonical name will be something like + + servername.example.com + Or it may be the case that + + servername.example.com + is really an alias (a DNS CNAME) for + + othername.example.com + If this feature is not set, then the canonicalized names will be + used. If this feature is set, then the name you typed in (or put in + your configuration) will be used. + This feature is displayed as "Multiple Newsrc Hostnames as Typed". + _news-approximates-new-status_ + This feature causes certain messages to be marked as _New_ in the + MESSAGE INDEX of newsgroups. This feature is set by default. + When opening a newsgroup, _Alpine_ will consult your _newsrc_ file + and determine the last message you have previously disposed of via + the _D_ key. If this feature is set, any subsequent messages will be + shown in the Index with an _N_, and the first of these messages will + be highlighted. Although this is only an approximation of true _New_ + or _Unseen_ status, it provides a useful cue to distinguish + more-or-less recent messages from those you have seen previously, but + are not yet ready to mark deleted. + Background: your _newsrc_ file (used to store message status + information for newsgroups) is only capable of storing a single flag, + and _Alpine_ uses this to record whether or not you are "done with" a + message, as indicated by marking the message as _Deleted_. + Unfortunately, this means that _Alpine_ has no way to record exactly + which messages you have previously seen, so it normally does not show + the _N_ status flag for any messages in a newsgroup. This feature + enables a starting _approximation_ of seen/unseen status that may be + useful. + _news-deletes-across-groups_ + This feature controls what _Alpine_ does when you delete a message in + a newsgroup that appears in more than one newsgroup. Such a message + is sometimes termed a "crossposting" in that it was posted across + several newsgroups. + _Alpine_'s default behavior when you delete such a message is to + remove only the copy in the current newsgroup from view when you use + the "Exclude" command or the next time you visit the newsgroup. + Enabling this feature causes _Alpine_ to remove every occurrence of + the message from all newsgroups it appears in and to which you are + subscribed. + NOTE: As currently implemented, enabling this feature may increase + the time it takes the Expunge command and newsgroup closing to + complete. + _news-offers-catchup-on-close_ + This feature controls what _Alpine_ does as it closes a newsgroup. + When set, _Alpine_ will offer to delete all messages from the + newsgroup as you are quitting _Alpine_ or opening a new folder. + This feature is useful if you typically read all the interesting + messages in a newsgroup each time you open it. This feature saves you + from having to delete each message in a newsgroup as you read it or + from selecting all the messages and doing an aggregate delete before + you move on to the next folder or newsgroup. + _news-post-without-validation_ + This feature controls whether the NNTP server is queried as + newsgroups are entered for posting. Validation over slow links (e.g. + dialup using SLIP or PPP) can cause delays. Set this feature to + eliminate such delays. + _news-read-in-newsrc-order_ + This feature controls the order that newsgroups will be presented. If + set, they will be presented in the same order as they occur in your + _newsrc_ file. If not set, the newsgroups will be presented in + alphabetical order. + _next-thread-without-confirm_ + This feature controls an aspect of _Alpine_'s Next and Prev commands + in the case where you are using one of the "separate-index-screen" + styles for the configuration option threading-index-style and + currently have the folder sorted by a Threaded or OrderedSubject + sort. When you are Viewing a particular thread you have a MESSAGE + INDEX of only the messages in that thread. If you press the Next + command with the last message in the thread highlighted you will + normally be asked if you want to "View next thread?", assuming there + is a next thread to view. If this feature is set it will be assumed + that you always want to view the next thread and you won't be asked + to confirm that. Similarly, if the first message of the thread is + highlighted and you press the Prev command, this feature will prevent + the question "View previous thread". + This feature only has an effect in the MESSAGE INDEX screen. If you + then view a particular message from that screen and press the Next + command, you will be sent to the next thread without being asked, + independent of the setting of this feature. + The feature auto-open-next-unread, also has some similar effects. + This feature is displayed as "Read Next Thread Without Confirming". + _offer-expunge-of-inbox_ + The INBOX is normally treated differently from regular folders in + several ways. One of the differences is that the normal "close" + sequence of events is deferred until _Alpine_ is exited, instead of + happening when you leave the INBOX to view another folder. The + "close" sequence normally includes the Expunging of deleted messages + (either automatically or after a prompt, controlled by the features + Expunge-Without-Confirm, Expunge-Without-Confirm-Everywhere, and + Expunge-Only-Manually), and the handling of the Read-Message-Folder. + If this feature is set the "close" sequence handling will take place + every time you leave the INBOX. The INBOX will still be kept open, + but the offer to Expunge and the archiving to the Read-Message-Folder + will take place each time you leave the INBOX instead of only once at + the end of the session. + _offer-expunge-of-stayopen-folders_ + This feature is related to the option Stay-Open-Folders. Stay Open + folders are treated differently from regular folders in several ways. + One of the differences is that the normal "close" sequence of events + is deferred until _Alpine_ is exited, instead of happening when you + leave the folder to view another folder. The "close" sequence + normally includes the Expunging of deleted messages (either + automatically or after a prompt, controlled by the features + Expunge-Without-Confirm, Expunge-Without-Confirm-Everywhere, and + Expunge-Only-Manually), and the handling of Incoming-Archive-Folders. + If this feature is set the "close" sequence handling will take place + when you leave the Stay Open folder. The folder will still be kept + open, but the offer to Expunge and the archiving will take place each + time you leave the folder instead of only once at the end of the + session. This feature does not affect the INBOX, which will still + only be processed when you exit _Alpine_. + _pass-c1-control-characters-as-is_ + It is probably not useful to set this option. This is a legacy option + left behind "just in case". Multi-byte characters which have an octet + which has the same value as a control character are permitted through + whether or not this option is turned on. + If the feature pass-control-characters-as-is is set, then this + feature has no effect. However, if you wish to filter out regular + control characters but pass the so-called C1 control characters (0x80 + <= char < 0xA0) through unchanged, then you may leave + pass-control-characters-as-is unset and set this feature. + _pass-control-characters-as-is_ + It is probably not useful to set this option. This is a legacy option + left behind "just in case". Multi-byte characters which have an octet + which has the same value as a control character are permitted through + whether or not this option is turned on. + If set, all characters in a message will be sent to the screen. + Normally, control characters are automatically suppressed in order to + avoid inadvertently changing terminal setup parameters. Control + characters are usually displayed as two character sequences like + + ^C + for Control-C, + + ^[ + for ESCAPE, + + ^? + for DELETE, and + + ~E + for the character with value 133 (0x85). (The DEL character is + displayed as ^?, regular control characters are displayed as the + character ^ followed by the character obtained by adding the five + low-order bits of the character to 0x40, and the C1 control + characters 0x80 - 0x9F are displayed as the character ~ followed by + the character obtained by adding the five low-order bits of the + character to 0x40.) Sometimes, in cases where changing a single + control character into a two-character sequence would confuse + _Alpine_'s display routines, a question mark is substituted for the + control character. + If you wish to filter out regular control characters but pass the + so-called C1 control characters (0x80 <= char < 0xA0) through + unchanged, then you may leave this feature unset and set the feature + pass-c1-control-characters-as-is instead. + _predict-nntp-server_ + This feature allows _Alpine_ to assume that the open NNTP server at + the time of composition is the NNTP server to which the message + should be posted. This is especially recommended when there are + multiple News collections. If this feature is not set, _Alpine_ will + try to post to the first server in the nntp-server variable. Setting + this feature also negates the need to add News collection servers to + the nntp-server variable. + This feature can be especially handy when used in conjunction with + enable-multiple-newsrcs. + This option is displayed as "NNTP Server (for news)". + _prefer-plain-text_ + A message being viewed may contain alternate versions of the same + content. Those alternate versions are ordered by the sending software + such that the first alternative is the least preferred and the last + alternative is the most preferred. _Alpine_ will normally display the + most-preferred version that it knows how to display. This is most + often encountered where the two alternate versions are a plain text + version and an HTML version, with the HTML version listed last as the + most preferred. + If this option is set, then any plain text version will be preferred + to all other versions. + _preopen-stayopen-folders_ + This feature is related to the option Stay-Open-Folders. Normally, + Stay Open folders are only opened on demand, when the user asks to + open them. From then on they are kept open for the duration of the + session. However, if this feature is set, then the Stay Open folders + will all be opened at startup, at the same time that the INBOX is + opened. + _preserve-start-stop-characters_ + This feature controls how special control key characters, typically + _^S_ and _^Q_, are interpreted when input to _Alpine_. These + characters are known as the "start" and "stop" characters and are + sometimes used in communications paths to control data flow between + devices that operate at different speeds. + By default, _Alpine_ turns the system's handling of these special + characters off except during printing. However, if you see _Alpine_ + reporting input errors such as: + + [ Command "^Q" not defined for this screen. ] + and, at the same time, see your display become garbled, then it is + likely that setting this option will solve the problem. Be aware, + though, that enabling this feature will also cause _Alpine_ to + ostensibly "hang" whenever the _Ctrl-S_ key combination is entered as + the system is now interpreting such input as a "stop output" command. + To "start output" again, simply type _Ctrl-Q_. + This feature is displayed as "Preserve Start/Stop Characters". + _print-formfeed-between-messages_ + Setting this feature causes a formfeed to be printed between messages + when printing multiple messages with the _Apply Print_ command. + _print-includes-from-line_ + If this feature is set, then the Unix mail style From line is + included at the start of each message that is printed. This line + looks something like the following, with the address replaced by the + address from the From line of the message being printed: + + From user@domain.somewhere.com Mon May 13 14:11:06 1996 + _print-index-enabled_ + This feature controls the behavior of the _Print_ command when in the + "Folder Index" screen. If set, the _Print_ command will give you a + prompt asking if you wish to print the message index, or the + currently highlighted message. If not set, the message will be + printed. + _print-offers-custom-cmd-prompt_ + When this feature is set, the _Print_ command will have an additional + subcommand called _C CustomPrint_. If selected, you will have the + opportunity to enter any system print command, instead of being + restricted to using those that have been previously configured in the + _Setup/Printer_ screen. + This feature is displayed as "Print Offers Custom Command Prompt". + _prune-uses-yyyy-mm_ + By default, _Alpine_ asks monthly whether or not you would like to + rename some folders to a new name containing the date. It also asks + whether or not you would like to delete some old folders. See the + pruning-rule option for an explanation. + By default, the name used when renaming a folder looks like + + <foldername>-<month>-<year> + For example, the first time you run _Alpine_ in May of 2004, the + folder "sent-mail" might be renamed to + + sent-mail-apr-2004 + If this feature is set, the name used will be of the form + + <foldername>-<yyyy>-<mm> + where "yyyy" is the year and "mm" is the two-digit month (01, 02, + ..., 12). For the April, 2004 example above, it would instead be + + sent-mail-2004-04 + because April is the 4th month of the year. A reason you might want + to set this feature is so that the folders will sort in chronological + order. + _publiccerts-in-keychain_ + Mac OS X _Alpine_ only. + If this feature is set the Mac OS X default keychain will be used as + the place to store public certificates instead of a + smime-public-cert-directory or a smime-public-cert-container. + This feature is displayed as "S/MIME -- Public Certs in MacOS + Keychain". + _quell-attachment-extension-warn_ + This feature suppresses the extra warning you can get when trying to + view an attachment for which there is no mime-type match. Turning on + this feature will just run the program according to extension instead + of first warning the user that it will run according to the file's + extension. + This feature can be used along side quell-attachment-extra-prompt to + preserve the behavior exhibited in _Pine_ versions prior to _Pine_ + 4.50. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Attachment Extension Warning". + _quell-attachment-extra-prompt_ + By default, when you attempt to view an attachment externally from + the "Attachment View" screen, you are asked if you really want to + view the selected attachment. + If this feature is set, you will _not_ be prompted to confirm your + selection. Prior to _Pine_ 4.50, the default behavior was to not + prompt. This feature was added for those wanting to preserve that + behavior. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Attachment Extra Prompt". + _quell-berkeley-format-timezone_ + POSIX mandates a timezone in UNIX mailbox format folder delimiters + (the line which begins with From ). Some versions of Berkeley mail + have trouble with this, and don't recognize the line as a message + delimiter. If this feature is set, the timezone will be left off the + delimiter line. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Berkeley Format Timezone". + _quell-charset-warning_ + By default, if the message you are viewing contains characters that + are not representable in your display-character-set then _Alpine_ + will add a warning to the start of the displayed text. If this option + is set, then that editorial message will be suppressed. + Setting this feature also suppresses the comment about the character + set in header lines. For example, when viewing a message you might + see + + From: "[ISO-8859-2] Name" <address> + in the From header if your Character-Set is something other than + ISO-8859-2. If you set this feature, the comment about the character + set will no longer be there. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Character Set Warning". + _quell-content-id_ + This feature changes the behavior of _Alpine_ when sending messages. + It is intended to work around a bug in Microsoft's Outlook XP mail + user agent. As of this writing, Microsoft has acknowledged the bug + but has not added it to the Knowledge Base. We have been told that + there will be a post-SP1 hotfix for Outlook XP. This particular bug + has bug fix number OfficeQFE:4781. The nature of the bug is that + messages with attachments which contain a Content-ID header (which + standard _Alpine_ attachments do) do not show the attachment + indicator (a paperclip) when viewed with Outlook XP. So the user has + no indication that the message contains an attachment. + If this feature is set then _Alpine_ will remove most Content-ID + headers before sending a message. If an attachment is of type + MESSAGE, then the existing Content-ID headers inside the message will + be left intact. This would only happen with _Alpine_ if a message was + forwarded as an attachment or if a message with a message attached + was forwarded. Similarly if an attachment of type + MULTIPART/ALTERNATIVE is forwarded, the Content-ID headers of the + alternative parts will not be removed. + Because the Content-ID header is a standard part of MIME it is + possible that setting this feature will break something. For example, + if an attachment has a Content-ID header which is necessary for the + correct functioning of that attachment, it is possible that _Alpine_ + may remove that header when the attachment is forwarded. However, it + seems fairly safe at this time. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Content-ID". + _quell-dead-letter-on-cancel_ + This feature affects _Alpine_'s behavior when you cancel a message + being composed. _Alpine_'s usual behavior is to write the canceled + message to a file named dead.letter in your home directory (under + UNIX; DEADLETR under WINDOWS/DOS) overwriting any previous message. + Under some conditions (some routine), this can introduce a noticeable + delay. + Setting this feature will cause _Alpine_ NOT to write canceled + compositions into the file called dead.letter. + This feature affects the newer option Dead-Letter-Files, which + specifies the number of dead letter files to keep around. If this + feature is set, then the Dead-Letter-Files option has no effect. + This feature is displayed as "Do Not Save to Deadletter on Cancel". + _quell-empty-directories_ + This feature causes _Alpine_ to remove from the display any + directories that do not contain at least one file or directory. This + can be useful to prevent overly cluttered folder lists when a + collection is stored on a server that treats all names as both a + folder and a directory. + Note, enabling this feature can cause surprising behavior! For + example, you can still use Add to create a directory, but unless you + immediately enter that directory and create a folder, that newly + created directory may not be displayed next time you enter the folder + list. + This feature is displayed as "Hide Empty Directories". + _quell-extra-post-prompt_ + This feature causes _Alpine_ to skip the extra question about posting + a message which may go to thousands of readers when you are about to + post to a newsgroup. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Extra Posting Prompt". + _quell-filtering-done-message_ + This feature causes _Alpine_ to suppress the "filtering done" + message. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Filtering Done Message". + _quell-filtering-messages_ + This feature causes _Alpine_ to suppress the messages about moving + filtered messages and setting flags in messages, due to Filter Rules. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Filtering Messages". + _quell-flowed-text_ + _Alpine_ generates flowed text where possible. The method for + generating flowed text is defined by RFC 3676, the benefit of doing + so is to send message text that can properly be viewed both on normal + width displays and on displays with smaller or larger than normal + screen widths. With flowed text, a space at the end of a line tells + the receiving mail client that the following line belongs to the same + paragraph. Quoted text will also be affected, with only the innermost + level of ">" quoting being followed by a space. However, if you have + changed the "Reply-Indent-String" so that it is not equal to the + default value of "> ", then quoted text will not be flowed. For this + reason, we recommend that you leave your "Reply-Indent-String" set to + the default. + This feature turns off the generation of flowed text, as it might be + desired to more tightly control how a message is displayed on the + receiving end. + If this feature is _not_ set, you can control on a message by message + basis whether or not flowed text is generated. You do this by typing + ^V at the Send confirmation prompt that you get after typing ^X to + send a message. ^V is a toggle which turns flowing off and back on if + typed again. If for some reason flowing cannot be done on a + particular message, then the ^V command will not be available. This + would be the case, for example, if this feature was set, or if your + "Reply-Indent-String" was set to a non-default value. If the feature + Send-Without-Confirm is set, then the opportunity to control on a + message by message basis whether or not flowed text is generated is + lost. + When this feature is not set and you have typed ^V to turn off + flowing, the Send confirmation prompt will change to look like + + Send message (not flowed)? + Strip-Whitespace-Before-Send will also turn off the sending of flowed + text messages, but it differs in that it also trims all trailing + white space from a message before sending it. + If alternate editors are used extensively, be aware that a message + will still be sent flowed if this feature is unset. In most cases + this will be fine, but if the editor has a "flowed text" mode, it + would be best to use that. + This feature is displayed as "Do Not Send Flowed Text". + _quell-folder-internal-msg_ + This feature determines whether or not _Alpine_ will create "pseudo + messages" in folders that are in standard Unix or MMDF format. + _Alpine_ will normally create these pseudo messages when they are not + already present in a standard Unix or MMDF folder. Their purpose is + to record certain mailbox state data needed for correct IMAP and POP + server operation, and also for _Alpine_ to be able to mark messages + as Answered when the Reply has been postponed. + Sites which do not use IMAP/POP for remote mail access, and which + need to support mail tools that are adversely affected by the + presence of the pseudo-messages (e.g. some mail notification tools) + may enable this feature to tell _Alpine_ not to create them. Note + that _Alpine_'s "Answered" flag capability will be adversely affected + if this is done. + Note too that, even if this feature is enabled, _Alpine_ will not + remove pseudo-messages when it encounters them (e.g. those created by + UW's imapd or ipopd servers.) This feature has no effect on folders + that are not in standard Unix or MMDF format, as pseudo-messages are + not needed in the other formats to record mailbox state information. + This feature is displayed as "Prevent Folder Internal Message". + _quell-full-header-auto-reset_ + The HdrMode Command normally resets to the default state when + switching to a new message. For example, if you've used the "H" + command to turn on Full Headers for a message you are viewing, and + then you type the Next command to look at the next message, the full + headers will no longer be shown. Setting this feature disables that + reset. Instead, the Header Mode remains the same from message to + message. + The presence or absence of the HdrMode command is determined by the + "Enable-Full-Header-Cmd" Feature-List option. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Full Header Auto Reset". + _quell-imap-envelope-update_ + In the MESSAGE INDEX screen, if the open folder is being accessed + using IMAP, _Alpine_ normally tries to paint the index lines on the + screen as soon as the information arrives from the IMAP server. This + means that the index information makes it onto the screen more + quickly than it otherwise would. This sometimes results in behavior + that bothers some users. For example, when paging to a new page of + the index, it may be possible for the lines to be painted on the + screen in a random order, rather than from top to bottom. + Setting this feature causes _Alpine_ to wait for all of the + information to be gathered before it paints the index screen. Once it + collects all of the information, the screen will be painted quickly + from top to bottom. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress IMAP Envelope Update". + _quell-lock-failure-warnings_ + This feature affects _Alpine_'s behavior when it encounters a problem + acquiring a mail folder lock. Typically, a secondary file associated + with the mail folder being opened is created as part of the locking + process. On some systems, such file creation has been + administratively precluded by the system configuration. + _Alpine_ issues a warning when such failures occur, which can become + bothersome if the system is configured to disallow such actions. + Setting this feature causes _Alpine_ to remain silent when this part + of lock creation fails. + WARNING: systems that have been configured in a way that precludes + locking introduce some risk of mail folder corruption when more than + one program attempts to modify the mail folder. This is most likely + to occur to one's _INBOX_ or other "Incoming Message Folder". + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Lock Failure Warnings". + _Quell-Mailchecks-Composing-Except-Inbox_ + This option is closely related to the Mail-Check-Interval option, the + Mail-Check-Interval-Noncurrent option, and + Quell-Mailchecks-Composing-Inbox. + If this option is set, then the normal new-mail checking which + happens while you are composing will not happen for folders other + than your INBOX (which depends on the setting of + "Quell-Mailchecks-Composing-Inbox"). + You might want to set this option if you are experiencing delays + while composing which you think might be related to the speed of the + new-mail checks. + Even with this option turned on, an occasional new-mail check may be + done in order to keep the server from killing the connection to the + folder. For example, IMAP servers may remove a connection to a folder + if there has been no activity on the connection for 30 minutes or + more. Instead of letting that happen, _Alpine_ will check for new + mail before the 30 minutes is up even though you have turned on this + feature to quell those checks. + Besides new-mail checks, checkpoint operations on the folders will + also be quelled when you set this option. The purpose of + checkpointing is to write the changes to a folder out to disk + periodically in order to avoid losing those changes when system or + software problems occur. New-mail checking and checkpointing while + you are not composing are not affected by this option. + This feature is displayed as "Prevent Mailchecks While Composing + Except for INBOX". + _Quell-Mailchecks-Composing-Inbox_ + This option is closely related to the Mail-Check-Interval option, the + Mail-Check-Interval-Noncurrent option, and + Quell-Mailchecks-Composing-Except-Inbox. + If this option is set, then the normal new-mail checking which + happens while you are composing will not happen for your INBOX. + Checking of other folders is controlled in a similar way with the + "Quell-Mailchecks-Composing-Except-Inbox" option. + You might want to set this option if you are experiencing delays + while composing which you think might be related to the speed of the + new-mail checks. + Even with this option turned on, an occasional new-mail check may be + done in order to keep the server from killing the connection to the + folder. For example, IMAP servers may remove a connection to a folder + if there has been no activity on the connection for 30 minutes or + more. Instead of letting that happen, _Alpine_ will check for new + mail before the 30 minutes is up even though you have turned on this + feature to quell those checks. + Besides new-mail checks, checkpoint operations on the INBOX will also + be quelled when you set this option. The purpose of checkpointing is + to write the changes to a folder out to disk periodically in order to + avoid losing those changes when system or software problems occur. + New-mail checking and checkpointing while you are not composing are + not affected by this option. + This feature is displayed as "Prevent Mailchecks While Composing for + INBOX". + _quell-maildomain-warning_ + When your configuration is set up so that your domain name contains + no dots, it is usually a configuration error. By default, _Alpine_ + will warn you about this when you start it up. You will see a warning + message that looks like + + Incomplete maildomain "<domain>". + If this feature is set, the warning is turned off. This feature is + displayed as "Suppress Maildomain Warning". + _quell-news-envelope-update_ + In the MESSAGE INDEX screen, if the open folder is being accessed + using NNTP (News), _Alpine_ normally tries to paint the index lines + on the screen as soon as the information arrives from the NNTP + server. This means that the index information makes it onto the + screen more quickly than it otherwise would. This sometimes results + in behavior that bothers some users. For example, when paging to a + new page of the index, it may be possible for the lines to be painted + on the screen in a random order, rather than from top to bottom. + Setting this feature causes _Alpine_ to wait for all of the + information to be gathered before it paints the index screen. Once it + collects all of the information, the screen will be painted quickly + from top to bottom. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress News Envelope Update". + _quell-partial-fetching_ + Partial fetching is a feature of the IMAP protocol. By default, + _Alpine_ will use partial fetching when copying the contents of a + message or attachment from the IMAP server to _Alpine_. This means + that the fetch will be done in many small chunks instead of one big + chunk. The main benefit of this approach is that the fetch becomes + interruptible. That is, the user can type _^C_ to stop the fetch + early. In some cases partial fetching may cause a performance problem + so that the fetching of data takes significantly longer when partial + fetching is used. Turning on this feature will turn off partial + fetching. + This feature is displayed as "Prevent Partial Fetching". + _quell-personal-name-prompt_ + _PC-Alpine_ only. This feature quells the prompting for a + personal-name. This prompt normally happens before composing a + message, and only happens when there is no personal name already set. + _quell-server-after-link-in-html_ + By default, links in HTML text are displayed with the host the link + references appended, within square brackets, to the link text. + _Alpine_ does this to help indicate where a link will take you, + particularly when the link text might suggest a different + destination. + Setting this feature will prevent the server name from being appended + to the displayed text. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Server After Link in HTML". + _quell-ssl-largeblocks_ + This feature (_PC-Alpine_ only) changes the behavior of fetching + messages and attachments so that the message data is fetched in + chunks no larger than 12K bytes. This works around a bug in + Microsoft's SSL/TLS support. Some versions of Microsoft SSL are not + able to read full-sized (16K) SSL/TLS packets. Some servers will send + such packets and this will cause _PC-Alpine_ to crash with the error + + incomplete SecBuffer exceeds maximum buffer size + Microsoft is aware of the problem and has developed a hotfix for it, + but as of this writing the hotfix has not yet been added to the + Knowledge Base. + This feature is displayed as "Prevent SSL Largeblocks". + _quell-status-message-beeping_ + If set status messages will never emit a beep. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Status Message Beeping". + _quell-timezone-comment-when-sending_ + Normally, when _Alpine_ generates a Date header for outgoing mail, it + will try to include the symbolic timezone at the end of the header + inside parentheses. The symbolic timezone is often three characters + long, but on some operating systems, it may be longer. Apparently + there are some SMTP servers in the world which will reject an + incoming message if it has a Date header longer than about 80 + characters. If this feature is set, the symbolic timezone normally + generated by _Alpine_ will not be included. You probably don't need + to worry about this feature unless you run into the problem described + above. + This feature is displayed as "Suppress Timezone Comment When + Sending". + _quell-user-id-prompt_ + _PC-Alpine_ only. This feature quells the prompting for a user-id if + the information can be obtained from the login name used to open the + INBOX. Normally, this prompt happens before composing a message, and + only happens when there is no user-id already set in the + configuration. + With this feature set, composing a message is only possible after + establishing a connection to the INBOX. + _quell-user-lookup-in-passwd-file_ + This feature controls an aspect of _Alpine_'s Composer, and if + needed, will usually be set by the system manager in _Alpine_'s + system-wide configuration file. Specifically, if this feature is set, + _Alpine_ will not attempt to look in the system password file to find + a Full Name for the entered address. + Normally, names you enter into address fields (e.g. To: or Cc:) are + checked against your address book(s) to see if they match an address + book nickname. Failing that, (in Unix _Alpine_) the name is then + checked against the Unix password file. If the entered name matches a + username in the system password file, _Alpine_ extracts the + corresponding Full Name information for that individual, and adds + that to the address being entered. + However, password file matching can have surprising (incorrect) + results if other users of the system do not receive mail at the + domain you are using. That is, if either the user-domain or + use-only-domain-name option is set such that the administrative + domain of other users on the system isn't accurately reflected, + _Alpine_ should be told that a password file match is coincidental, + and Full Name info will be incorrect. For example, a personal name + from the password file could get falsely paired with the entered name + as it is turned into an address in the configured domain. + If you are seeing this behavior, enabling this feature will prevent + Unix _Alpine_ from looking up names in the password file to find the + Full Name for incomplete addresses you enter. + This feature is displayed as "Prevent User Lookup in Password File". + _quit-without-confirm_ + This feature controls whether or not _Alpine_ will ask for + confirmation when a _Quit_ command is received. + This feature is displayed as "Quit Without Confirming". + _quote-replace-nonflowed_ + This feature, which is only active when Quote-Replace-String is also + set, enables quote-replacement on non-flowed messages. It is off by + default because a non-flowed message is more dependent on its format, + and thus quote-replacement may cause less-than-pleasing results. + Setting this feature will cause quote-replacement similar to that of + flowed messages, but with the added possibility of long lines being + wrapped into new lines if the Quote-Replacement-String is longer than + the string it is replacing, which is "> ". + _reply-always-uses-reply-to_ + If set, _Alpine_ will not prompt when a message being replied to + contains a _Reply-To:_ header value, but will simply use its value + (as opposed to using the _From:_ field's value). + _return-to-inbox-without-confirm_ + Normally, when you use the TAB command and there are no more folders + or newsgroups to visit, you are asked if you want to return to the + INBOX. If this feature is set you will not be asked. It will be + assumed that you do want to return to the INBOX. + This feature is displayed as "Return to INBOX Without Confirming". + _save-aggregates-copy-sequence_ + This feature will optimize an aggregate copy operation, if possible, + by issuing a single IMAP _COPY_ command with a list of the messages + to be copied. This feature is set by default. This may reduce network + traffic and elapsed time for the Save. _However, many IMAP servers + (including the UW IMAP server) do not preserve the order of messages + when this optimization is applied._ If this feature is not set, + _Alpine_ will copy each message individually and the order of the + messages will be preserved. + This feature is displayed as "Save Combines Copies (may be out of + order)". + _save-partial-msg-without-confirm_ + This feature controls an aspect of _Alpine_'s Save command. By + default, when you Save a message that has some deleted parts, you + will be asked to confirm that you want to Save with a prompt that + looks like: + + Saved copy will NOT include entire message! Continue? + If this feature is set, you will not be asked. + This feature is displayed as "Save Partial Message Without + Confirming". + _save-will-advance_ + If set, _Save_ will (in addition to copying the current message to + the designated folder) also advance to the next message. + _save-will-not-delete_ + If set, _Save_ will not mark the message Deleted (its default + behavior) after it has been copied to the designated folder. + _save-will-quote-leading-froms_ + This feature controls an aspect of the _Save_ command (and also the + way outgoing messages are saved to an FCC folder). If set, _Alpine_ + will add a leading > character in front of message lines beginning + with "From" when they are saved to another folder, including lines + syntactically distinguishable from the type of message separator line + commonly used on Unix systems. + The default behavior is that a > will be prepended only to lines + beginning with "From " that might otherwise be confused with a + message separator line on Unix systems. If _Alpine_ is the only mail + program you use, this default is reasonable. If another program you + use has trouble displaying a message with an unquoted From saved by + _Alpine_, you should enable this feature. This feature only applies to + the common Unix mailbox format that uses message separator lines + beginning with "From ". If _Alpine_ has been configured to use a + different mailbox format (possibly incompatible with other mail + programs), then this issue does not arise, and the feature is + irrelevant. + _scramble-message-id_ + Normally the Message-ID header that _Alpine_ generates when sending a + message contains the name of the computer from which the message is + being sent. Some believe that this hostname could be used by spammers + or could be used by others for nefarious purposes. If this feature is + set, that name will be transformed with a simple Rot13 + transformation. The result will still have the correct syntax for a + Message-ID but the part of the MessageID that is often a domain name + will not be an actual domain name because the letters will be + scrambled. + It is possible (but unlikely?) that some spam detection software will + use that as a reason to reject the mail as spam. It has also been + reported that some spam detection software uses the fact that there + are no dots after the "@" as a reason to reject messages. If your + _PC-Alpine_ Message-ID is using a name without a dot that is because + that is what Windows thinks is your "Full computer name". The method + used to set this varies from one type of Windows to another but check + under Settings -> Control Panel -> System and look for Network + Identification or Computer Name or something similar. How to set it + is beyond the scope of _Alpine_. + This feature is displayed as "Scramble the Message-ID When Sending". + _select-without-confirm_ + This feature controls an aspect of _Alpine_'s _Save_, _Export_, and + _Goto_ commands. These commands all take text input to specify the + name of the folder or file to be used, but allow you to press _^T_ + for a list of possible names. If set, the selected name will be used + immediately, without further opportunity to confirm or edit the name. + This feature is displayed as "Select Ctrl-T Foldername Without + Confirming". + _send-without-confirm_ + By default, when you send or post a message you will be asked to + confirm with a question that looks something like: + + Send message? + If this feature is set, you will _not_ be prompted to confirm your + intent to send and your message will be sent. + If this feature is set it disables some possibilities and renders + some other features meaningless. You will not be able to use Sending + Filters, Verbose sending mode, Background Sending, Delivery Status + Notifications, or ^V to turn off the generation of flowed text for + this message. These options are normally available as suboptions in + the Send prompt, but with no Send prompt the options are gone. + A somewhat related feature is quell-extra-post-prompt. which may be + used to eliminate the extra confirmation question when posting to a + newsgroup. + This feature is displayed as "Send Without Confirming". + _separate-folder-and-directory-display_ + This feature affects folder collections wherein a folder and + directory can have the same name. By default, _Alpine_ displays them + only once, denoting that it is both a folder and directory by + appending the folder name with the hierarchy character enclosed in + square brackets. + Enabling this feature will cause _Alpine_ to display such names + separately marking the name representing a directory with a trailing + hierarchy delimiter (typically the slash, "/", character). + The feature also alters the command set slightly. By default, the + right-arrow descends into the directory, while hitting the Return key + will cause the folder by that name to be opened. + With this feature set, the Return key will open the highlighted + folder, or enter the highlighted directory. + _show-cursor_ + If set, the system cursor will move to convenient locations in the + displays. For example, to the beginning of the status field of the + highlighted index line, or to the highlighted word after a successful + _WhereIs_ command. It is intended to draw your attention to the + _interesting_ spot on the screen. + _show-plain-text-internally_ + This feature modifies the method _Alpine_ uses to display Text/Plain + MIME attachments from the Attachment Index screen. Normally, the + "View" command searches for any externally defined (usually via the + Mailcap file) viewer, and displays the selected text within that + viewer. + Enabling this feature causes _Alpine_ to ignore any external viewer + settings and always display text with _Alpine_'s internal viewer. + _show-selected-in-boldface_ + This feature controls an aspect of _Alpine_'s aggregate operation + commands; in particular, the _Select_ and _WhereIs_ commands. _Select_ + and _WhereIs_ (with the _^X_ subcommand) will search the current + folder for messages meeting a specified criteria, and _tag_ the + resulting messages with an _X_ in the first column of the applicable + lines in the "Folder Index". If this feature is set, instead of using + the _X_ to denote a selected message, _Alpine_ will attempt to + display those index lines in boldface. Whether this is preferable to + the _X_ will depend on personal taste and the type of terminal being + used. + _show-sort_ + If this feature is set and there is sufficient space on the screen, a + short indication of the current sort order will be added in the + titlebar (the top line on the screen), before the name of the folder. + For example, with the default Arrival sort in effect, the display + would have the characters + + [A] + added between the title of the screen and the folder name. The + letters are the same as the letters you may type to manually sort a + folder with the SortIndex command ($). The letters in the table below + are the ones that may show up in the titlebar line. + + A _A_rrival + S _S_ubject + F _F_rom + T _T_o + C _C_c + D _D_ate + Z si_Z_e + O _O_rderedsubject + E scor_E_ + H t_H_read + If the sort order is Reversed, the letter above will be preceded by + the letter "R", for example + + [RS] + means that a Reverse Subject sort is in effect. For the case where + the sort is in Reverse Arrival order, the "A" is left out, and just + an "R" is shown. + + [R] + This feature is displayed as "Show Sort in Titlebar". + _signature-at-bottom_ + If this feature is set, and a message being _Repl_ied to is being + included in the reply, then the contents of the signature file (if + any) will be inserted after the included message. This feature does + not affect the results of a _Forward_ command. + _single-column-folder-list_ + If set, the "Folder List" screen will list one folder per line + instead of several per line. + _slash-collapses-entire-thread_ + Normally, the Collapse/Expand Thread command Collapses or Expands the + subthread which starts at the currently highlighted message, if any. + If this feature is set, then the slash command Collapses or Expands + the _entire_ current thread instead of just the subthread. + _smime-dont-do-smime_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + Setting this feature turns off all of _Alpine_'s S/MIME support. You + might want to set this if you are having trouble due to the S/MIME + support. + + General S/MIME Overview + This feature is displayed as "S/MIME -- Turn off S/MIME". + _smime-encrypt-by-default_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + This feature only has an effect if your version of _Alpine_ includes + support for S/MIME. It affects _Alpine_'s behavior when you send a + message. If this option is set, the "Encrypt" option will default to + ON when sending messages. + Only the default value is affected. In any case, you may still toggle + the Encrypt option on or off before sending with the "E Encrypt" + command (provided you have a the public digital ID for the + recipient). + + General S/MIME Overview + This feature is displayed as "S/MIME -- Encrypt by Default". + _smime-remember-passphrase_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + This feature only has an effect if your version of _Alpine_ includes + support for S/MIME. If this option is set, you will only have to + enter your passphrase for your private key once during an _Alpine_ + session. + + General S/MIME Overview + This feature is displayed as "S/MIME -- Remember S/MIME Passphrase". + _smime-sign-by-default_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + This feature only has an effect if your version of _Alpine_ includes + support for S/MIME. It affects _Alpine_'s behavior when you send a + message. If this option is set, the "Sign" option will default to ON + when sending messages. + Only the default value is affected. In any case, you may still toggle + the Signing option on or off before sending with the "G Sign" command + (provided you have a personal digital ID certificate). + + General S/MIME Overview + This feature is displayed as "S/MIME -- Sign by Default". + _sort-default-fcc-alpha_ + This feature controls an aspect of _Alpine_'s FOLDER LIST screen. If + set, the default FCC folder will be sorted alphabetically with the + other folders instead of appearing right after the INBOX. + This feature is displayed as "Sort Default Fcc Folder + Alphabetically". + _sort-default-save-alpha_ + This feature controls an aspect of _Alpine_'s FOLDER LIST screen. If + set, the default save folder will be sorted alphabetically with the + other folders instead of appearing right after the INBOX (and default + FCC folder). + This feature is displayed as "Sort Default Save Folder + Alphabetically". + _spell-check-before-sending_ + When this feature is set, every composed message will be + spell-checked before being sent. + _store-window-position-in-config_ + Normally, _PC-Alpine_ will store its window size and position in the + Windows Registry. This is convenient if you want to use the same + remote configuration from more than one PC. If you use multiple + configuration files to start _PC-Alpine_, you may want to store the + window size and position in the configuration file instead of in the + Registry. Setting this feature causes that to happen. + _strip-from-sigdashes-on-reply_ + This feature doesn't do anything if the feature enable-sigdashes is + turned on. However, if the _enable-sigdashes_ feature is not turned + on, then turning on this feature enables support for the convention + of not including text beyond the sigdashes line when Replying or + Following up to a message and including the text of that message. + In other words, this is a way to turn on the signature stripping + behavior without also turning on the dashes-adding behavior. + _strip-whitespace-before=send_ + Trailing whitespace is not stripped from a message before sending. + Trailing whitespace should have no effect on an email message, and in + flowed text can aid in delimiting paragraphs. However, the old + behavior of stripping trailing whitespace was in place to better deal + with older clients that couldn't handle certain types of text + encodings. This feature restores the old behavior + Trailing whitespace is of aid to flowed-text-formatted messages, + which are generated by default but can be turned off via the + quell-flowed-text feature. strip-whitespace-before-send also has the + effect of turning off sending of flowed text. + This feature is displayed as "Strip Whitespace Before Sending". + _suppress-asterisks-in-password-prompt_ + When you are running _Alpine_ you will sometimes be asked for a + password in a prompt on the third line from the bottom of the screen. + Normally each password character you type will cause an asterisk to + echo on the screen. That gives you some feedback to know that your + typing is being recognized. There is a very slight security risk in + doing it this way because someone watching over your shoulder might + be able to see how many characters there are in your password. If + you'd like to suppress the echoing of the asterisks set this feature. + _suppress-user-agent-when-sending_ + If this feature is set then _Alpine_ will not generate a User-Agent + header in outgoing messages. + _tab-checks-recent_ + In a FOLDER LIST screen, the TAB key usually just changes which + folder is highlighted. If this feature is set, then the TAB key will + cause the number of recent messages and the total number of messages + in the highlighted folder to be displayed instead. + This feature is displayed as "Tab Checks for Recent Messages". + _tab-uses-unseen-for-next-folder_ + This feature affects _Alpine_'s behavior when using the TAB NextNew + Command to move from one folder to the next. _Alpine_'s usual + behavior is to search for folders with _Recent_ messages in them. + Recent messages are messages which have arrived since the last time + the folder was opened. + Setting this feature causes _Alpine_ to search for _Unseen_ messages + instead of Recent messages. Unseen messages remain Unseen until you + view them (or flag then as Seen with the Flag Command). Setting this + feature allows you to locate messages you have not read instead of + only recently received messages. When this feature is set, the + feature Enable-Fast-Recent-Test will have no effect, so the checking + may be slower. + Another reason why you might want to use this feature is that _Alpine_ + sometimes opens folders implicitly behind the scenes, and this clears + the Recent status of all messages in the folder. One example where + this happens is when Saving or filtering a message to another folder. + If that message has some keywords set, then because of some + shortcomings in the IMAP specification, the best way to ensure that + those keywords are still set in the saved copy of the message is to + open the folder and set the keywords explicitly. Because this clears + the Recent status of all messages in that folder the folder will not + be found by the NextNew command unless this feature is set. + _tab-visits-next-new-message-only_ + This feature affects _Alpine_'s behavior when using the _TAB_ key to + move from one message to the next. _Alpine_'s usual behavior is to + select the next _Unread_ message or message flagged as _Important_. + Setting this feature causes _Alpine_ to skip the messages flagged as + _Important_, and select _Unread_ messages exclusively. Tab behavior + when there are no new messages left to select remains unchanged. + _termdef-takes-precedence_ + This feature may affect _Alpine_'s low-level input routines. Termcap + (or terminfo, depending on how your copy of _Alpine_ was compiled and + linked) is the name of the database which describes terminal + capabilities. In particular, it describes the sequences of characters + that various keys will emit. + An example would be the Up Arrow key on the keyboard. Up Arrow is not + a distinct character on most Unix systems. When you press the Up + Arrow key a short sequence of characters are produced. This sequence + is supposed to be described in the termcap database by the "ku" + capability (or by the "kcuu1" capability if you are using terminfo + instead of termcap). + By default, _Alpine_ defines some terminal escape sequences that are + commonly used. For example, the sequence "ESC O A" is recognized as + an Up Arrow key. The sequence "ESC [ A" is also recognized as an Up + Arrow key. These are chosen because common terminals like VT100's or + ANSI standard terminals produce these sequences when you press the Up + Arrow key. + If your system's termcap (terminfo) database assigns some other + function to the sequence "ESC O A" it is usually ignored by _Alpine_. + Also, if your termcap (terminfo) database assigns a sequence which + doesn't begin with an escape character (ESC) it is usually ignored by + _Alpine_. This usually works fine because most terminals emit the + escape sequences that _Alpine_ has defined by default. We have also + found that it is usually better to have these defaults take + precedence over the definitions contained in the database because the + defaults are more likely to be correct than the database. + There are some terminals where this breaks down. If you want _Alpine_ + to believe the definitions given in your termcap (terminfo) database + in preference to the defaults the _Alpine_ itself sets up, then you + may turn this feature on. Then, sequences of characters which are + defined in both termcap (terminfo) and in _Alpine_'s set of defaults + will be interpreted the way that termcap (terminfo) says they should + be interpreted. Also, if your terminal capabilities database assigns + a sequence which doesn't begin with escape, it will not be ignored. + _thread-index-shows-important-color_ + This option affects only the THREAD INDEX screen. Whether or not you + ever see a THREAD INDEX screen depends on the setting of the + configuration option threading-index-style and on the sort order of + the index. If a message within a thread is flagged as Important and + this option is set, then the entire line in the THREAD INDEX will be + colored the color of the Index-important Symbol, which can be set + using the Setup Kolor screen. + _try-alternative-authentication-driver-first_ + This feature affects how _Alpine_ connects to IMAP servers. It's + utility has largely been overtaken by events, but it may still be + useful in some circumstances. If you only connect to modern IMAP + servers that support "TLS" you can ignore this feature. + Details: + By default, _Alpine_ will attempt to connect to an IMAP server on the + normal IMAP service port (143), and if the server offers "Transport + Layer Security" (TLS) and _Alpine_ has been compiled with encryption + capability, then a secure (encrypted) session will be negotiated. + With this feature enabled, before connecting on the normal IMAP port, + _Alpine_ will first attempt to connect to an alternate IMAP service + port (993) used specifically for encrypted IMAP sessions via the + Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) method. If the SSL attempt fails, _Alpine_ + will then try the default behavior described in the previous + paragraph. + TLS negotiation on the normal port is preferred, and supersedes the + use of SSL on port 993, but older servers may not provide TLS + support. This feature may be convenient when accessing IMAP servers + that do not support TLS, but do support SSL connections on port 993. + However, it is important to understand that with this feature + enabled, _Alpine_ will _attempt_ to make a secure connection if that + is possible, but it will proceed to make an insecure connection if + that is the only option offered by the server, or if the _Alpine_ in + question has been built without encryption capability. + Note that this feature specifies a per-user (or system-wide) default + behavior, but host/folder specification flags may be used to control + the behavior of any specific connection. This feature interacts with + some of the possible host/folder path specification flags as follows: + The /tls host flag, for example, + + {foo.example.com/tls}INBOX + will over-ride this feature for the specified host by bypassing the + SSL connection attempt. Moreover, with /tls specified, the connection + attempt will fail if the service on port 143 does not offer TLS + support. + The /ssl host flag, for example, + + {foo.example.com/ssl}INBOX + will insist on an SSL connection for the specified host, and will + fail if the SSL service on port 993 is not available. _Alpine_ will + not subsequently retry a connection on port 143 if /ssl is specified. + _unselect-will-not-advance_ + Normally, when the Unselect current message command (:) is typed when + the current message is selected, the message will be unselected and + the next message will become the current message. If this feature is + set, the cursor will not advance to the next message. Instead, the + current message will remain the current message after unselecting. + _use-current-dir_ + This feature controls an aspect of several commands. If set, your + "current working directory" will be used instead of your home + directory for all of the following operations: + + _Export_ in the "Folder Index" and "Message Text" screens + + Attachment _Save_ in the "Message Text" and "Attachment Text" + screens + + _^R_ file inclusion in the Composer + + _^J_ file attachment in the Composer + This feature is displayed as "Use Current Directory". + _use-function-keys_ + This feature specifies that _Alpine_ will respond to function keys + instead of the normal single-letter commands. In this mode, the key + menus at the bottom of each screen will show function key + designations instead of the normal mnemonic key. + _use-regular-startup-rule-for-stayopen-folders_ + This feature affects which message is selected as the current message + when you enter a Stay Open folder. + Normally, the starting position for an incoming folder (which most + Stay Open folders will likely be) is controlled by the + Incoming-Startup-Rule. However, if a folder is a Stay Open folder, + when you re-enter the folder after the first time the current message + will be the same as it was when you left the folder. An exception is + made if you use the TAB command to get to the folder. In that case, + the message number will be incremented by one from what it was when + you left the folder. + The above special behavior is thought to be useful. However, it is + special and different from what you might at first expect. If this + feature is set, then Stay Open folders will not be treated specially + as far as the startup rule is concerned. + _use-resent-to-in-rules_ + This feature is turned off by default because turning it on causes + problems with some deficient IMAP servers. In _Alpine_ Filters and + other types of Rules, if the Pattern contains a To header pattern and + this feature is turned on, then a check is made in the message to see + if a Resent-To header is present, and that is used instead of the To + header. If this feature is not turned on, then the regular To header + will always be used. + _use-sender-not-x-sender_ + Normally _Alpine_ on Unix adds a header line labeled _X-X-Sender_, if + the sender is different from the _From:_ line. + The standard specifies that this header line should be labeled + _Sender_, not _X-X-Sender_. Setting this feature causes _Sender_ to be + used instead of _X-X-Sender_. The standard also states that the data + associated with this header field should not be used as a Reply + address. Unfortunately, certain implementations of mail list + management servers will use the Sender address for such purposes. + These implementations often even recognize the _X-Sender_ fields as + being equivalent to the _Sender_ field, and use it if present. This + is why _Alpine_ defaults to _X-X-Sender_. + Note, _PC-Alpine_ always adds either an _X-X-Sender_ line if there is + an open, remote mailbox, or an _X-Warning: UNAuthenticated User_ + otherwise + This feature is displayed as "Use Sender Instead of X-X-Sender". + _use-subshell-for-suspend_ + This feature affects _Alpine_'s behavior when process suspension is + enabled and then activated via the _^Z_ key. _Alpine_ suspension + allows one to temporarily interact with the operating system command + "shell" without quitting _Alpine_, and then subsequently resume the + still-active _Alpine_ session. + When the _enable-suspend_ feature is set and subsequently the _^Z_ + key is pressed, _Alpine_ will normally suspend itself and return + temporary control to _Alpine_'s parent shell process. However, if + this feature is set, _Alpine_ will instead create an inferior + subshell process. This is useful when the parent process is not + intended to be used interactively. Examples include invoking _Alpine_ + via the -e argument of the Unix _xterm_ program, or via a menu + system. + Note that one typically resumes a suspended _Alpine_ by entering the + Unix _fg_ command, but if this feature is set, it will be necessary + to enter the _exit_ command instead. + _use-system-translation_ + UNIX _Alpine_ only. _Alpine_ normally uses its own internal software + to convert between the multi-byte representation of characters and + the Unicode representation of those same characters ( see the section + on International Character Sets). It converts from the multi-byte + characters your keyboard produces to Unicode, and from Unicode to the + multi-byte characters your display expects. Alpine also uses its own + internal software to decide how much space on the screen a particular + Unicode character will occupy. + Setting this feature tells _Alpine_ to use the system-supplied + routines to perform these tasks instead. In particular there are + three tasks and three system routines that will be used for these + tasks. + To convert from multi-byte to Unicode the routine + + mbstowcs + is used. To convert from Unicode to multi-byte the routine + + wcrtomb + is used. And to find the screen width a particular Unicode character + will occupy the routine used is + + wcwidth + This feature has been only lightly tested. The internal routines + should normally be used unless you run into a problem that you think + may be solved by using the system routines. Note that your + environment needs to be set up for these routines to work correctly. + In particular, the LANG or LC_CTYPE variable in your environment will + need to be set. + _vertical-folder-list_ + This feature controls an aspect of _Alpine_'s FOLDER LIST screen. If + set, the folders will be listed alphabetically down the columns + rather than across the columns as is the default. + This feature is displayed as "Use Vertical Folder List". + _warn-if-blank-subject_ + This feature affects _Alpine_'s behavior when you send a message + being composed. If this option is set, _Alpine_ will check to see if + the message about to be sent has a subject or not. If not, you will + be asked if you want to send the message anyway. + _warn-if-blank-to-and-cc-and-newsgroups_ + This feature affects _Alpine_'s behavior when you send a message + being composed. If this option is set, _Alpine_ will check to see if + the message about to be sent has either a To address, a Cc address, + or a Newsgroup. If none of these is set, you will be asked if you + want to send the message anyway. + This feature is closely related to fcc-only-without-confirm. _Alpine_ + will normally ask if you want to copy a message only to the Fcc. This + feature also applies to cases where there is a Bcc but still no To, + Cc, or Newsgroup. If the Fcc-Only-Without-Confirm feature is set and + you are sending a message with only an Fcc, then you won't be asked + about sending with a blank To and Cc and Newsgroups header even if + this feature is set. Similarly, if you have already been asked if you + want to send to the Fcc only and you have answered Yes, then you + won't be asked again about sending with blank To, Cc, and Newsgroups + headers even if this feature is set. + +Hidden Config Variables and Features + + There are several configuration variables and features which are normally + hidden from the user. That is, they don't appear on any of the configuration + screens. Some of these are suppressed because they are intended to be used + by system administrators, and in fact may only be set in system-wide + configuration files. Others are available to users but are thought to be of + such little value to most users that their presence on the Config screens + would cause more confusion than help. Others are hidden in the Setup/Config + screen because they are normally configured in one of the other + configuration screens. For example, all of the colors are hidden because the + normal way to configure colors is through Setup/Colors not Setup/Config. You + may set the feature expose-hidden-config to cause most of these hidden + variables and features to show up at the bottom of the Setup/Config screen. + + Hidden Variables Not Settable by Users + + These variables are settable only in system-wide configuration files. + * bugs-additional-data + * bugs-address + * bugs-fullname + * forced-abook-entry + * kblock-passwd-count + * local-address + * local-fullname + * mail-directory + * standard-printer + * suggest-address + * suggest-fullname + + Hidden Variables Which are Settable by Users + + These variables are not shown to users but are settable by means of hand + editing the personal configuration file. This first group is usually + maintained by _Alpine_ and there will usually be no reason to edit them by + hand. + * last-version-used + * patterns-filters2 + * patterns-indexcolors + * patterns-roles + * patterns-scores2 + * remote-abook-metafile + + This group is usually correct but may be changed by system managers or users + in special cases. + * disable-these-authenticators + * disable-these-drivers + * last-time-prune-questioned + * new-version-threshold + * remote-abook-history + * remote-abook-validity + * rsh-command + * rsh-open-timeout + * rsh-path + * sendmail-path + * ssh-command + * ssh-open-timeout + * ssh-path + * tcp-open-timeout + * tcp-query-timeout + * tcp-read-warning-timeout + * tcp-write-warning-timeout + * use-function-keys + + System managers are usually interested in setting these in the system-wide + configuration files, though users may set them if they wish. + * operating-dir + * user-input-timeout + + Hidden Features Which are Settable by Users + + These are _features_ (as opposed to variables) which users or system + administrators may set. Some of them only make sense for administrators. To + turn these on manually, the configuration file should be edited and the + feature added to the _feature-list_ variable. You may set the feature + expose-hidden-config to cause these hidden features to show up in the + Setup/Config screen. They will be at the bottom of the screen. + * disable-config-cmd + * disable-keyboard-lock-cmd + * disable-password-cmd + * disable-pipes-in-sigs + * disable-pipes-in-templates + * disable-roles-setup-cmd + * disable-roles-sig-edit + * disable-roles-template-edit + * disable-setlocale-collate + * disable-shared-namespaces + * disable-signature-edit-cmd + +Retired Variables and Features + + Variables and features that are no longer used by the current _Alpine_ + version. When an obsolete variable is encountered, its value is applied to + any new corresponding setting. The replaced values include: + + _character-set_ + Replaced by three separate variables: _display-character-set_, + _keyboard-character-set_, and _posting-character-set_. + _compose-mime_ + _elm-style-save_ + Replaced by _saved-msg-name-rule_ + _feature-level_ + Replaced by _feature-list._ + _header-in-reply_ + Replaced by _include-header-in-reply_ in the _feature-list._ + _old-style-reply_ + Replaced by _signature-at-bottom_ in the _feature-list._ + _use-old-unix-format-write_ + No replacement. + _patterns_ + Replaced by four separate patterns variables: _patterns-roles_, + _patterns-filters_, _patterns-scores_, and _patterns-indexcolors_. + Since then, _patterns-filters_ has also become obsolete and is + replaced by _patterns-filters2_; _patterns-scores_ is replaced by + _patterns-scores2_. + _save-by-sender_ + Replaced by _saved-msg-name-rule._ + _show-all-characters_ + No replacement, it always works this way now. + +Tokens for Index and Replying + + This set of special tokens may be used in the index-format option, in the + reply-leadin option, in signature files, in template files used in roles, + and in the folder name that is the target of a Filter Rule. Some of them + aren't available in all situations. + + The tokens are used as they appear below for the _Index-Format_ option, but + they must be surrounded by underscores for the _Reply-Leadin_ option, in + signature and template files, and in the target of Filter Rules. + + _Tokens Available for all Cases (except Filter Rules)_ + + SUBJECT + This token represents the Subject the sender gave the message. + Alternatives for use in the index screen are SUBJKEY, SUBJKEYINIT, + SUBJECTTEXT, SUBJKEYTEXT, and SUBJKEYINITTEXT. You may color the + subject text in the MESSAGE INDEX screen differently by using the + Index Subject Color and the Index Opening Color. options available + from the Setup Kolor screen. + + FROM + This token represents the personal name (or email address if the name + is unavailable) of the person specified in the message's "From:" + header field. You may color the from text in the MESSAGE INDEX screen + differently by using the Index From Color option available from the + Setup Kolor screen. + + ADDRESS + This is similar to the "FROM" token, only it is always the email + address, never the personal name. For example, "mailbox@domain". + + MAILBOX + This is the same as the "ADDRESS" except that the domain part of the + address is left off. For example, "mailbox". + + SENDER + This token represents the personal name (or email address) of the + person listed in the message's "Sender:" header field. + + TO + This token represents the personal names (or email addresses if the + names are unavailable) of the persons specified in the message's + "To:" header field. + + NEWSANDTO + This token represents the newsgroups from the message's "Newsgroups:" + header field _and_ the personal names (or email addresses if the + names are unavailable) of the persons specified in the message's + "To:" header field. + + TOANDNEWS + Same as "NEWSANDTO" except in the opposite order. + + NEWS + This token represents the newsgroups from the message's "Newsgroups:" + header field. + + CC + This token represents the personal names (or email addresses if the + names are unavailable) of the persons specified in the message's + "Cc:" header field. + + RECIPS + This token represents the personal names (or email addresses if the + names are unavailable) of the persons specified in both the message's + "To:" header field and the message's "Cc:" header field. + + NEWSANDRECIPS + This token represents the newsgroups from the message's "Newsgroups:" + header field _and_ the personal names (or email addresses if the + names are unavailable) of the persons specified in the message's + "To:" and "Cc:" header fields. + + RECIPSANDNEWS + Same as "NEWSANDRECIPS" except in the opposite order. + + INIT + This token represents the initials from the personal name of the + person specified in the message's "From:" header field. If there is + no personal name, it is blank. + + DATE + This token represents the date on which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. It has the format MMM DD. For + example, "Oct 23". The feature convert-dates-to-localtime, which + adjusts for the timezone the message was sent from, may have an + affect on the value of this token as well as the values of all of the + other DATE or TIME tokens. Some of the DATE and TIME tokens are + displayed in a locale-specific way unless the option + Disable-Index-Locale-Dates is set. + + SMARTDATE + This token represents the date on which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. It is "Today" if the message + was sent today, "Yesterday" for yesterday, "Wednesday" if it was last + Wednesday, and so on. If the message is from last year and is more + than six months old it includes the year, as well. There is no + adjustment made for different time zones, so you'll get the day the + message was sent according to the time zone the sender was in. See + the SMARTDATE alternatives below, as well. + + SMARTTIME + This token represents the most relevant elements of the date on which + the message was sent (according to the "Date" header field), in a + compact form. If the message was sent today, only the time is used + (e.g. "9:22am", "10:07pm"); if it was sent during the past week, the + day of the week and the hour are used (e.g. "Wed09am", "Thu10pm"); + other dates are given as date, month, and year (e.g. "23Aug00", + "9Apr98"). There is no adjustment made for different time zones, so + you'll get the day/time the message was sent according to the time + zone the sender was in. + + SMARTDATETIME + This is a combination of SMARTDATE and SMARTTIME. It is SMARTDATE + unless the SMARTDATE value is "Today", in which case it is SMARTTIME. + See the SMARTDATETIME alternatives below, as well. + + DATEISO + This token represents the date on which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. It has the format YYYY-MM-DD. + For example, "1998-10-23". + + SHORTDATEISO + This token represents the date on which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. It has the format YY-MM-DD. For + example, "98-10-23". + + SHORTDATE1 + This token represents the date on which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. It has the format MM/DD/YY. For + example, "10/23/98". + + SHORTDATE2 + This token represents the date on which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. It has the format DD/MM/YY. For + example, "23/10/98". + + SHORTDATE3 + This token represents the date on which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. It has the format DD.MM.YY. For + example, "23.10.98". + + SHORTDATE4 + This token represents the date on which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. It has the format YY.MM.DD. For + example, "98.10.23". + + LONGDATE + This token represents the date on which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. It has the format MMM DD, YYYY. + For example, "Oct 23, 1998". + + SMARTDATE alternatives + There are several versions of SMARTDATE which are all the same except + for the way they format dates far in the past. SMARTDATE formats the + date using the information from your locale settings to format the + date string. It may end up formatting dates so that they look like + DATEISO tokens, or SHORTDATE2 tokens, or something else entirely. The + feature convert-dates-to-localtime may have an affect on the values + of these tokens. If you want more control you may use one of the + following. + + SMARTDATE + If the option Disable-Index-Locale-Dates is not set then this + will be locale specific. Control this with the LC_TIME locale + setting on a UNIX system. On Windows the Regional Options + control panel may be used to set the Short date format. At the + programming level, the strftime routine is what _Alpine_ uses + to print the date. If the Disable-Index-Locale-Dates option is + set then this is equivalent to SMARTDATES1. + + SMARTDATEISO + DATEISO format. See text above. + + SMARTDATESHORTISO + SHORTDATEISO format. + + SMARTDATES1 + SHORTDATE1 format. + + SMARTDATES2 + SHORTDATE2 format. + + SMARTDATES3 + SHORTDATE3 format. + + SMARTDATES4 + SHORTDATE4 format. + + SMARTDATETIME alternatives + There are several versions of SMARTDATETIME which are all very + similar. The ones which end in 24 use a 24-hour clock for Today's + messages instead of a 12-hour clock. The other variation is for the + way they format dates far in the past. SMARTDATETIME and + SMARTDATETIME24 format the date using the information from your + locale settings to format the date string. It may end up formatting + dates so that they look like DATEISO tokens, or SHORTDATE2 tokens, or + something else entirely. The feature convert-dates-to-localtime may + have an affect on the values of these tokens. The possible choices + are: + + SMARTDATETIME + Locale specific. Control this with the LC_TIME locale setting + on a UNIX system. On Windows the Regional Options control panel + may be used to set the Short date format. At the programming + level, the strftime routine is what _Alpine_ uses to print the + date. + + SMARTDATETIME + If the option Disable-Index-Locale-Dates is not set then this + will be locale specific. Control this with the LC_TIME locale + setting on a UNIX system. On Windows the Regional Options + control panel may be used to set the Short date format. At the + programming level, the strftime routine is what _Alpine_ uses + to print the date. If the Disable-Index-Locale-Dates option is + set then this is equivalent to SMARTDATETIMES1. + + SMARTDATETIME24 + Use TIME24 for Today + + SMARTDATETIMEISO + DATEISO format. See text above. + + SMARTDATETIMEISO24 + Use TIME24 for Today + + SMARTDATETIMESHORTISO + SHORTDATEISO format. + + SMARTDATETIMESHORTISO24 + Use TIME24 for Today + + SMARTDATETIMES1 + SHORTDATE1 format. + + SMARTDATETIMES124 + Use TIME24 for Today + + SMARTDATETIMES2 + SHORTDATE2 format. + + SMARTDATETIMES224 + Use TIME24 for Today + + SMARTDATETIMES3 + SHORTDATE3 format. + + SMARTDATETIMES324 + Use TIME24 for Today + + SMARTDATETIMES4 + SHORTDATE4 format. + + SMARTDATETIMES424 + Use TIME24 for Today + + DAYDATE + This token represents the date on which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. It looks like "Sat, 23 Oct + 1998". This token is never converted in any locale-specific way. + + PREFDATE + This token represents the date on which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. It is your operating system's + idea of the preferred date representation for the current locale. + Internally it uses the %x version of the date from the strftime + routine. + + PREFTIME + This token represents the time at which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. It is the preferred time + representation for the current locale. Internally it uses the %X + version of the time from the strftime routine. + + PREFDATETIME + This token represents the date and time at which the message was + sent, according to the "Date" header field. It is the preferred date + and time representation for the current locale. Internally it uses + the %c version of the time from the strftime routine. + + DAY + This token represents the day of the month on which the message was + sent, according to the "Date" header field. For example, "23" or "9". + + DAY2DIGIT + This token represents the day of the month on which the message was + sent, according to the "Date" header field. For example, "23" or + "09". It is always 2 digits. + + DAYORDINAL + This token represents the ordinal number which is the day of the + month on which the message was sent, according to the "Date" header + field. For example, "23rd" or "9th". + + DAYOFWEEK + This token represents the day of the week on which the message was + sent, according to the "Date" header field. For example, "Sunday" or + "Wednesday". + + DAYOFWEEKABBREV + This token represents the day of the week on which the message was + sent, according to the "Date" header field. For example, "Sun" or + "Wed". + + MONTHABBREV + This token represents the month the message was sent, according to + the "Date" header field. For example, "Oct". + + MONTHLONG + This token represents the month in which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. For example, "October". + + MONTH + This token represents the month in which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. For example, "10" or "9". + + MONTH2DIGIT + This token represents the month in which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. For example, "10" or "09". It + is always 2 digits. + + YEAR + This token represents the year the message was sent, according to the + "Date" header field. For example, "1998" or "2001". + + YEAR2DIGIT + This token represents the year the message was sent, according to the + "Date" header field. For example, "98" or "01". It is always 2 + digits. + + TIME24 + This token represents the time at which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. There is no adjustment made for + different time zones, so you'll get the time the message was sent + according to the time zone the sender was in. It has the format + HH:MM. For example, "17:28". + + TIME12 + This token represents the time at which the message was sent, + according to the "Date" header field. This time is for a 12 hour + clock. It has the format HH:MMpm. For example, "5:28pm" or "11:13am". + + TIMEZONE + This token represents the numeric timezone from the "Date" header + field. It has the format [+-]HHMM. For example, "-0800". + + _Tokens Available Only for Index-Format_ + + MSGNO + This token represents the message's current position in the folder + which, of course, may change as the folder is sorted or new mail + arrives. + + STATUS + This token represents a three character wide field displaying various + aspects of the message's state. The first character is either blank, + a '*' for message marked Important, or a '+' indicating a message + addressed directly to you (as opposed to your having received it via + a mailing list, for example). When the feature mark-for-cc is set, if + the first character would have been blank then it will instead be a + '-' if the message is cc'd to you. The second character is typically + blank, though the arrow cursor may occupy it if either the + assume-slow-link or the force-arrow-cursor feature is set (or you + actually are on a slow link). The third character is either D + (Deleted), A (Answered), N (New), or blank. + + If you are using a threaded view of the index and this message is at + the top of a collapsed portion of a thread, then this token refers to + all of the messages in the collapsed portion of the thread instead of + just the top message. The first character will be a '*' if _any_ of + the messages in the thread are marked Important, else a '+' if any of + the messages are addressed to you, else a '-' if any of the messages + are cc'd to you. The third character will be a 'D' if _all_ of the + messages in the collapsed thread are marked deleted, an 'A' if _all_ + of the messages in the collapsed thread are marked answered, it will + be an 'N' if any of the messages are undeleted and unseen, and it + will be blank otherwise. + + FULLSTATUS + This token represents a less abbreviated alternative to the "STATUS" + token. It is six characters wide. The first character is '+', '-', or + blank, the second blank, the third either '*' or blank, the fourth N + or blank, the fifth A or blank, and the sixth character is either D + or blank. + + If you are using a threaded view of the index and this message is at + the top of a collapsed portion of a thread, then this token refers to + all of the messages in the collapsed portion of the thread instead of + just the top message. The first character is '+', '-', or blank + depending on whether _any_ of the messages in the collapsed thread + are addressed to you or cc'd to you. The third character will be '*' + if any of the messages are marked Important. The fourth character + will be 'N' if all of the messages in the thread are New, else 'n' if + some of the messages in the thread are New, else blank. The fifth + character will be 'A' or 'a' or blank, and the sixth character will + be 'D' or 'd' or blank. + + IMAPSTATUS + This token represents an even less abbreviated alternative to the + "STATUS" token. It differs from "FULLSTATUS" in only the fourth + character which is an 'N' if the message is new to this folder since + the last time it was opened _and_ it has not been viewed, an 'R' + (Recent) if the message is new to the folder and has been viewed, a + 'U' (Unseen) if the message is not new to the folder since it was + last opened _but_ has not been viewed, or a blank if the message has + been in the folder since it was last opened and has been viewed. + + If you are using a threaded view of the index and this message is at + the top of a collapsed portion of a thread, then the fourth character + will be 'N' if all of the messages in the thread are unseen and + recent; else 'n' if some of the messages in the thread are unseen and + recent; else 'U' if all of the messages in the thread are unseen and + not recent; else 'u' if some of the messages in the thread are unseen + and not recent; else 'R' if all of the messages in the thread are + seen and recent; else 'r' if some of the messages in the thread are + seen and recent; else blank. + + SHORTIMAPSTATUS + This is the same as the last four of the six characters of + IMAPSTATUS, so the '+' To Me information will be missing. + + SIZE + This token represents the total size, in bytes, of the message. If a + "K" (Kilobyte) follows the number, the size is approximately 1,000 + times that many bytes (rounded to the nearest 1,000). If an "M" + (Megabyte) follows the number, the size is approximately 1,000,000 + times that many bytes. Commas are not used in this field. This field + is seven characters wide, including the enclosing parentheses. Sizes + are rounded when "K" or "M" is present. The progression of sizes used + looks like: + + 0 1 ... 9999 10K ... 999K 1.0M ... 99.9M 100M ... 2000M + + SIZECOMMA + This token represents the total size, in bytes, of the message. If a + "K" (Kilobyte) follows the number, the size is approximately 1,000 + times that many bytes (rounded to the nearest 1,000). If an "M" + (Megabyte) follows the number, the size is approximately 1,000,000 + times that many bytes. Commas are used if the number shown is 1,000 + or greater. The SIZECOMMA field is one character wider than the SIZE + field. Sizes are rounded when "K" or "M" is present. The progression + of sizes used looks like: + + 0 1 ... 99,999 100K ... 9,999K 10.0M ... 999.9M 1,000M ... 2,000M + + KSIZE + This token represents the total size of the message, expressed in + kilobytes or megabytes, as most appropriate. These are 1,024 byte + kilobytes and 1,024 x 1,024 byte megabytes. The progression of sizes + used looks like: + + 0K 1K ... 1023K 1.0M ... 99.9M 100M ... 2047M + + SIZENARROW + This token represents the total size, in bytes, of the message. If a + "K" (Kilobyte) follows the number, the size is approximately 1,000 + times that many bytes. If an "M" (Megabyte) follows the number, the + size is approximately 1,000,000 times that many bytes. If a "G" + (Gigabyte) follows the number, the size is approximately + 1,000,000,000 times that many bytes. This field uses only five + characters of screen width, including the enclosing parentheses. The + progression of sizes used looks like: + + 0 1 ... 999 1K ... 99K .1M ... .9M 1M ... 99M .1G ... .9G 1G 2G + + DESCRIPSIZE + This token is intended to represent a more useful description of the + message than just its size, but it isn't very useful at this point. + The plus sign in this view means there are attachments. Note that + including this token in the "Index-Format" could slow down the + display a little while _Alpine_ collects the necessary information. + + SUBJKEY + This token is the same as the SUBJECT token unless keywords are set + for the message. In that case, a list of keywords enclosed in braces + will be prepended to the subject of the message. Only those keywords + that you have defined in your Keywords option in Setup/Config are + considered in the list. In other words, keywords that have been set + by some other means, perhaps by another email program, won't show up + unless included in Keywords. Having this set in the Index-Format will + also cause the keywords to be prepended to the subject in the MESSAGE + TEXT screen. If you have given a keyword a nickname (keywords), that + nickname is displayed instead of the actual keyword. The + keyword-surrounding-chars option may be used to modify this token + slightly. It is also possible to color keywords in the index using + the Setup/Kolor screen. + + SUBJKEYINIT + This token is the same as the SUBJKEY token except that instead of + prepending a list of keywords to the subject, a list of first + initials of keywords will be prepended instead. For example, if a + message has the keywords _Work_ and _Now_ set (or Work and Now are + the _Alpine_ nicknames of keywords which are set) then the SUBJKEY + token would cause a result like + + {Work Now} actual subject + + whereas the SUBJKEYINIT token would give + + {WN} actual subject + + Only those keywords that you have defined in your Keywords option in + Setup/Config are considered in the list. In other words, keywords + that have been set by some other means, perhaps by another email + program, won't show up unless included in Keywords. The + keyword-surrounding-chars option may be used to modify this token + slightly. It is also possible to color keywords in the index using + the Setup/Kolor screen. + + SUBJECTTEXT + Same as SUBJECT but if there is room in the Subject field for more + text, the opening part of the text of the message is displayed after + the subject. The time needed to fetch the text may cause a + performance problem which can, of course, be avoided by using the + SUBJECT version of the Subject instead. You may color this opening + text differently by using the Index Opening Color option available + from the Setup Kolor screen. You may adjust the characters that are + displayed between the Subject and the opening text with the option + Opening-Text-Separator-Chars. + + SUBJKEYTEXT + Same as SUBJKEY but with the opening message text. + + SUBJKEYINITTEXT + Same as SUBJKEYINIT but with the opening message text. + + OPENINGTEXT + This is similar to SUBJECTTEXT. Instead of combining the Subject and + the opening text in a single field in the index screen this token + allows you to allocate a separate column just for the opening text of + the message. The time needed to fetch this text may cause a + performance problem. You may color this opening text differently by + using the Index Opening Color option available from the Setup Kolor + screen. + + OPENINGTEXTNQ + This is very similar to OPENINGTEXT. The NQ stands for No Quotes. The + only difference is that quoted text (lines beginning with >) is + deleted. For some messages this may be confusing. For example, a + message might have a line preceding some quoted text that reads + something like "On May 8th person A said." That no longer makes sense + after the quoted text is deleted and it will appear that person A + said whatever the text after the quote is, even though that is really + person B talking. + + KEY + This is a space-delimited list of keywords that are set for the + message. Only those keywords that you have defined in your Keywords + option in Setup/Config are considered in the list. In other words, + keywords that have been set by some other means, perhaps by another + email program, won't show up unless included in Keywords. If you have + given a keyword a nickname that nickname is displayed instead of the + actual keyword. It is also possible to color keywords in the index + using the Setup/Kolor screen. This token defaults to an arbitrary + width of 5. You should set it to whatever width suits you using + something like KEY(17) in the Index-Format. + + KEYINIT + This is a list of keyword initials that are set for the message. If + you have given a keyword a nickname the initial of that nickname is + displayed instead of the initial of the actual keyword. It is also + possible to color keyword initials in the index using the Setup/Kolor + screen. This token defaults to an arbitrary width of 2. You should + set it to whatever width suits you using something like KEYINIT(3) in + the Index-Format. + + PRIORITY + The X-Priority header is a non-standard header that is used in a + somewhat standard way by many mail programs. _Alpine_ expects the + value of this header to be a digit with a value from 1 to 5, with 1 + being the highest priority and 5 the lowest priority. Since this + priority is something that the sender sets it is only an indication + of the priority that the sender attaches to the mail and it is + therefore almost totally unreliable for use as a filtering criterion. + This token will display the numeric value of the priority if it is + between 1 and 5. It will be suppressed (blank) if the value is 3, + which is normal priority. It is also possible to set the color of the + PRIORITY field. By default the token is colored the same as the index + line it is part of. You may set it to be another color with the Index + Priority Colors options available from the Setup Kolor screen. + + PRIORITYALPHA + This is a more verbose interpretation of the X-Priority field. Once + again nothing is displayed unless the value of the field is 1, 2, 4, + or 5. The values displayed for those values are: + + 1 Highest + 2 High + 4 Low + 5 Lowest + + You may color this token with the Index Priority Colors options. + + PRIORITY! + This is a one character, non-numeric version of the X-Priority field. + If the value of the X-Priority header is 1 or 2 an exclamation point + is displayed. If the value is 4 or 5 a "v" (think down arrow) is + displayed. You may color this token with the Index Priority Colors + options. + + ATT + This is a one column wide field which represents the number of + attachments a message has. It will be blank if there are no + attachments, a single digit for one to nine attachments, or an + asterisk for more than nine. Note that including this token in the + "Index-Format" could slow down the display a little while _Alpine_ + collects the necessary information. + + FROMORTO + This token represents _either_ the personal name (or email address) + of the person listed in the message's "From:" header field, _or_, if + that address is yours or one of your alternate addresses, the first + person specified in the message's "To:" header field with the prefix + "To: " prepended. If the from address is yours and there is also no + "To" address, _Alpine_ will use the address on the "Cc" line. If + there is no address there, either, _Alpine_ will look for a newsgroup + name from the "Newsgroups" header field and put that after the "To: " + prefix. + + FROMORTONOTNEWS + This is almost the same as _FROMORTO_. The difference is that + newsgroups aren't considered. When a message is from you, doesn't + have a To or Cc, and does have a Newsgroups header; this token will + be your name instead of the name of the newsgroup (like it would be + with FROMORTO). + + TEXT + This is a different sort of token. It allows you to display a label + within each index line. It will be the same fixed text for each line. + It is different from all the other tokens in that there is no space + column displayed after this token. Instead, it is butted up against + the following field. It also has a different syntax. The text to + display is given following a colon after the word "TEXT". For + example, + + TEXT:abc= + + would insert the literal text "abc=" (without the quotes) into the + index display line. You must quote the text if it includes space + characters, like + + TEXT:"abc = " + + HEADER + This allows you to display the text from a particular header line in + the message. The syntax for this token is substantially different + from all the others in order that you might be able to display a + portion of the text following a particular header. The header name + you are interested in is given following a colon after the word + "HEADER". For example, + + HEADER:X-Spam + + would display the text of the X-Spam header, if any. Like for other + index tokens a width field may (and probably should) follow this. + + HEADER:X-Spam(10) + + displays the first ten characters of the X-Spam header. Unlike other + index tokens, the syntax for HEADER is more flexible. An optional + second argument comes after a comma inside the parentheses. It + specifies the "field" number. By default, the field separator is a + space character. No extra space characters are allowed in the + argument list. + + HEADER:X-Spam(10,2) + + would display the second field, left-justified, in a 10 character + wide field. The second field would consist of all the text after the + first space up to the next space or the end of the header. The + default field number is zero, which stands for the entire line. There + is also an optional third argument which is a list of field + separators. It defaults to a space character. The example + + HEADER:X-Spam(10,2,:% ) + + would cause the field separators to be any of colon, percent, or + space (there is a space character between the percent and the right + parenthesis). The first field runs from the start of the header value + up to the first colon, percent, or space; the second goes from there + to the next; and so on. In order to use a comma character as a field + separator you must escape it by preceding it with a backslash (\). + The same is true of the backslash character itself. There is one + further optional argument. It is an R or an L to specify right or + left adjustment of the text within the field. The default is to left + justify, however if you are displaying numbers you might prefer to + right justify. + + Here's an example of a SpamAssassin header. The exact look of the + header will vary, but if your incoming mail contains headers that + look like the following + +X-Spam-Status: Yes, hits=10.6 tagged_above=-999.0 required=7.0 tests=BAYE... + + you might want to display the hits value. The first field starts with + the Y in Yes. To get what you're interested in you might use "=" and + space as the field separators and display the third field, like + + HEADER:X-Spam-Status(4,3,= ) + + or maybe you would break at the dot instead + + HEADER:X-Spam-Status(2,2,=.,R) + + Another example we've seen has headers that look like + + X-Spam: Gauge=IIIIIII, Probability=7%, Report=... + + Because there are two equals and a comma before the 7% and a comma + after it, the token + + HEADER:X-Spam-Status(3,4,=\,,R) + + should display the probability (for example 7% or 83%) right + justified in a 3-wide field. + + ARROW + This gives an alternative way to display the current message in the + MESSAGE INDEX screen. Usually the current message is indicated by the + line being shown in reverse video. Instead, if the ARROW token is + included in your Index-Format, the current line will include an + "arrow" that looks like + + -> + + in the ARROW token's field. For all of the non-current messages, the + ARROW field will be filled with blanks. If you use the fixed-field + width feature the length of the "arrow" may be adjusted. The arrow + will be drawn as width-1 dashes followed by a greater than sign. For + example, if you use ARROW(3) you will get + + --> + + and ARROW(1) will give you just + + > + + It is also possible to set the color of the ARROW field. By default + (and for non-current messages) the arrow is colored the same as the + index line it is part of. You may set it to be another color with the + Index Arrow Color option available from the Setup Kolor screen. + + SCORE + This gives the score of each message. This will be six columns wide + to accomodate the widest possible score. You will probably want to + use the Index-Format fixed-field width feature to limit the width of + the field to the widest score that you use (e.g. SCORE(3) if your + scores are always between 0 and 999). If you have not defined any + score rules the scores will all be zero. If any of your score rules + contain AllText or BodyText patterns then including SCORE in the + Index-Format may slow down the display of the MESSAGE INDEX screen. + + _Tokens Available for all but Index-Format_ + + CURNEWS + This token represents the current newsgroup if there is one. For + example, "comp.mail.pine". + + MSGID + This token represents the message ID of the message. This token does + not work with Filter Rule folder names. + + CURDATE + This token represents the current date. It has the format MMM DD. For + example, "Oct 23". + + CURDATEISO + This token represents the current date. It has the format YYYY-MM-DD. + For example, "1998-10-23". + + CURDATEISOS + This token represents the current date. It has the format YY-MM-DD. + For example, "98-10-23". + + CURPREFDATE + This token represents the current date. It is your operating system's + idea of the preferred date representation for the current locale. + Internally it uses the %x version of the date from the strftime + routine. + + CURPREFTIME + This token represents the current time. It is the preferred time + representation for the current locale. Internally it uses the %X + version of the time from the strftime routine. + + CURPREFDATETIME + This token represents the current date and time. It is the preferred + date and time representation for the current locale. Internally it + uses the %c version of the time from the strftime routine. + + CURTIME24 + This token represents the current time. It has the format HH:MM. For + example, "17:28". + + CURTIME12 + This token represents the current time. This time is for a 12 hour + clock. It has the format HH:MMpm. For example, "5:28pm" or "11:13am". + + CURDAY + This token represents the current day of the month. For example, "23" + or "9". + + CURDAY2DIGIT + This token represents the current day of the month. For example, "23" + or "09". It is always 2 digits. + + CURDAYOFWEEK + This token represents the current day of the week. For example, + "Sunday" or "Wednesday". + + CURDAYOFWEEKABBREV + This token represents the current day of the week. For example, "Sun" + or "Wed". + + CURMONTH + This token represents the current month. For example, "10" or "9". + + CURMONTH2DIGIT + This token represents the current month. For example, "10" or "09". + It is always 2 digits. + + CURMONTHLONG + This token represents the current month. For example, "October". + + CURMONTHABBREV + This token represents the current month. For example, "Oct". + + CURYEAR + This token represents the current year. For example, "1998" or + "2001". + + CURYEAR2DIGIT + This token represents the current year. For example, "98" or "01". It + is always 2 digits. + + LASTMONTH + This token represents last month. For example, if this is November + (the 11th month), it is equal to "10" or if this is October (the 10th + month), it is "9". It is possible that this and the other tokens + beginning with LASTMONTH below could be useful when used with a + Filtering Rule that has the "Beginning of Month" option set. + + LASTMONTH2DIGIT + This token represents last month. For example, if this is November + (the 11th month), it is equal to "10" or if this is October (the 10th + month), it is "09". It is always 2 digits. + + LASTMONTHLONG + This token represents last month. For example, if this is November + the value is "October". + + LASTMONTHABBREV + This token represents last month. For example, if this is November + the value is "Oct". + + LASTMONTHYEAR + This token represents what the year was a month ago. For example, if + this is October, 1998, it is "1998". If this is January, 1998, it is + "1997". + + LASTMONTHYEAR2DIGIT + This token represents what the year was a month ago. For example, if + this is October, 1998, it is "98". If this is January, 1998, it is + "97". + + LASTYEAR + This token represents last year. For example, if this is 1998, it + equals "1997". It is possible that this could be useful when used + with a Filtering Rule that has the "Beginning of Year" option set. + + LASTYEAR2DIGIT + This token represents last year. For example, if this is 1998, it + equals "97". It is always 2 digits. + + ROLENICK + This token represents the nickname of the role currently being used. + If no role is being used, then no text will be printed for this + token. This token does not work with Filter Rule folder names. + + _Token Available Only for Reply-Leadin_ + + See the help for the Reply-Leadin option, to see why you might want to use + this. Since the _Reply-Leadin_ contains free text this token must be + surrounded by underscores when used. + + NEWLINE + This is an end of line marker. + + _Token Available Only for Templates and Signatures_ + + CURSORPOS + This token is different from the others. When it is replaced it is + replaced with nothing, but it sets a _Alpine_ internal variable which + tells the composer to start with the cursor positioned at the + position where this token was. If both the template file and the + signature file contain a "CURSORPOS" token, then the position in the + template file is used. If there is a template file and neither it nor + the signature file contains a "CURSORPOS" token, then the cursor is + positioned after the end of the contents of the template file when + the composer starts up. + +Conditional Inclusion of Text for Reply-Leadin, Signatures, and Templates + + Conditional text inclusion may be used with the Reply-Leadin option, in + signature files, and in template files used in roles. It may _not_ be used + with the _Index-Format_ option. + + There is a limited if-else capability for including text. The if-else + condition is based on whether or not a given token would result in + replacement text you specify. The syntax of this conditional inclusion is + + _token_(match_this, if_matched [ , if_not_matched ] ) + + The left parenthesis must follow the underscore immediately, with no + intervening space. It means the token is expanded and the results of that + expansion are compared against the "match_this" argument. If there is an + exact match, then the "if_matched" text is used as the replacement text. + Otherwise, the "if_not_matched" text is used. One of the most useful values + for the "match_this" argument is the empty string, "". In that case the + expansion is compared against the empty string. + + Here's an example to make it clearer. This text could be included in one of + your template files: + + _NEWS_("", "I'm replying to email","I'm replying to news") + + If that is included in a template file which you are using while replying to + a message (because you chose to use the role it was part of), and that + message has a newsgroup header and a newsgroup in that header, then the text + + I'm replying to news + + will be included in the message you are about to compose. On the other hand, + if the message you are replying to does not have a newsgroup, then the text + + I'm replying to email + + would be included instead. This would also work in signature files and in + the "Reply-Leadin" option. If the "match_this", "if_matched", or + "if_not_matched" arguments contain spaces, parentheses, or commas; they have + to be quoted with double quotation marks (like in the example above). If you + want to include a literal quote in the text you must escape the quote by + preceding it with a backslash character. If you want to include a literal + backslash character you must escape it by preceding it with another + backslash. + + The comma followed by "if_not_matched" is optional. If there is no + "if_not_matched" present then no text is included if the not_matched case is + true. Here's another example: + + _NEWS_("", "", "This msg was seen in group: _NEWS_.") + + Here you can see that tokens may appear in the arguments. The same is true + for tokens with the conditional parentheses. They may appear in arguments, + though you do have to be careful to get the quoting and escaping of nested + double quotes correct. If this was in the signature file being used and you + were replying to a message sent to comp.mail.pine the resulting text would + be: + + This msg was seen in group: comp.mail.pine. + + If you were replying to a message which wasn't sent to any newsgroup the + resulting text would be a single blank line. The reason you'd get a blank + line is because the end of the line is outside of the conditional, so is + always included. If you wanted to get rid of that blank line you could do so + by moving the end of line inside the conditional. In other words, it's ok to + have multi-line "if_matched" or "if_not_matched" arguments. The text just + continues until the next double quotation, even if it's not on the same + line. + + Here's one more (contrived) example illustrating a matching argument which + is not the empty string. + + _SMARTDATE_("Today", _SMARTDATE_, "On _DATE_") _FROM_ wrote: + + If this was the value of your "Reply-Leadin" option and you were replying to + a message which was sent today, then the value of the "Reply-Leadin" would + be + + Today Fred Flintstone wrote: + + But if you were replying to a message sent on Oct. 27 (and that wasn't + today) you would get + + On Oct 27 Fred Flintstone wrote: + +Per Server Directory Configuration + + This is only available if _Alpine_ was built with LDAP support. If that's + the case, there will be a Directory option underneath the Setup command on + the Main Menu. Each server that is defined there has several configuration + variables which control the behavior when using it. + _ldap-server_ + This is the name of the host where an LDAP server is running. + To find out whether your organization has its own LDAP server, + contact its computing support staff. + _search-base_ + This is the search base to be used on this server. It functions as a + filter by restricting your searches in the LDAP server database to + the specified contents of the specified fields. Without it, searches + submitted to this directory server may fail. It might be something + like: + O = <Your Organization Name>, C = US + or it might be blank. (Some LDAP servers actually ignore anything + specified here.) + If in doubt what parameters you should specify here, contact the + maintainers of the LDAP server. + _port_ + This is the TCP port number to be used with this LDAP server. If you + leave this blank port 389 will be used. + _nickname_ + This is a nickname to be used in displays. If you don't supply a + nickname the server name from "ldap-server" will be used instead. + This option is strictly for your convenience. + _use-implicitly-from-composer_ + Set this feature to have lookups done to this server implicitly from + the composer. If an address doesn't look like a fully-qualified + address, it will be looked up in your address books, and if it + doesn't match a nickname there, then it will be looked up on the LDAP + servers which have this feature set. The lookups will also be done + when using the address completion feature (TAB command) in the + composer if any of the serves have this feature set. Also see the + LDAP feature lookup-addrbook-contents and the Setup/Config feature + ldap-result-to-addrbook-add. + _lookup-addrbook-contents_ + Normally implicit LDAP lookups from the composer are done only for + the strings you type in from the composer screen. In other words, you + type in something in the To or CC field and press return, then the + string is looked up. First that string is looked up in your address + books. If a match is found there, then the results of that match are + looked up again. If you place a string in your address book that you + want to have looked up on the LDAP directory server, you need to turn + on this feature. If you set this feature for a server, you almost + always will also want to set the use-implicitly-from-composer + feature. An example might serve to best illustrate this feature. + If an LDAP lookup of "William Clinton" normally returns an entry with + an address of pres@whitehouse.gov, then you might put an entry in + your address book that looks like: + Nickname Address + bill "William Clinton" + Now, when you type "bill" into an address field in the composer + _Alpine_ will find the "bill" entry in your address book. It will + replace "bill" with "William Clinton". It will then search for an + entry with that nickname in your address book and not find one. If + this feature is set, _Alpine_ will then attempt to lookup "William + Clinton" on the LDAP server and find the entry with address + pres@whitehouse.gov. + A better way to accomplish the same thing is probably to use the + feature save-search-criteria-not-result. + _save-search-criteria-not-result_ + Normally when you save the results of an LDAP directory lookup to + your address book the _results_ of the lookup are saved. If this + feature is set and the entry being saved was found on this directory + server, then the search _criteria_ is saved instead of the _results_ + of the search. When this address book entry is used in the future, + instead of copying the results from the address book the directory + lookup will be done again. This could be useful if the copied result + might become stale because the data on the directory server changes + (for example, the entry's email address changes). You probably don't + want to set this feature if the server is at all slow or unreliable. + The way this actually works is that instead of saving the email + address in your address book, _Alpine_ saves enough information to + look up the same directory entry again. In particular, it saves the + server name and the distinguished name of the entry. It's possible + that the server administrators might change the format of + distinguished names on the server, or that the entry might be removed + from the server. If _Alpine_ notices this, you will be warned and a + backup copy of the email address will be used. You may want to create + a new entry in this case, since you will get the annoying warning + every time you use the old entry. You may do that by Saving the entry + to a new nickname in the same address book. You will be asked whether + or not you want to use the backup email address. + A related feature in the Setup/Config screen is + ldap-result-to-addrbook-add. + _disable-ad-hoc-space-substitution_ + Spaces in your input are normally handled specially. Each space + character is replaced by + * <SPACE> + in the search query (but not by "* <SPACE> *"). The reason this is + done is so the input string + Greg Donald + (which is converted to "Greg* Donald") will match the names "Greg + Donald", "Gregory Donald", "Greg F. Donald", and "Gregory F Donald"; + but it won't match "Greg McDonald". If the "Search-Rule" you were + using was "begins-with", then it would also match the name "Greg + Donaldson". + Turning on this feature will disable this substitution. + _search-type_ + This affects the way that LDAP searches are done. In particular, this + tells the server where to look for the string to be matched. If set + to "name" then the string that is being searched for will be compared + with the string in the "Name" field on the server (technically, it is + the "commonname" field on the server). "Surname" means we're looking + for a match in the "Surname" field on the server (actually the "sn" + field). "Givenname" really is "givenname" and "email" is the + electronic mail address (this is actually the field called "mail" or + "electronicmail" on the server). The other three types are + combinations of the types listed so far. "Name-or-email" means the + string should appear in either the "name" field OR the "email" field. + Likewise, "surname-or-givenname" means "surname" OR "givenname" and + "sur-or-given-or-name-or-email" means the obvious thing. + This search _type_ is combined with the search rule to form the + actual search query. + The usual default value for this option is + "sur-or-given-or-name-or-email". This type of search may be slow on + some servers. Try "name-or-email", which is often faster, or just + "name" if the performance seems to be a problem. + Some servers have been configured with different attribute names for + these four fields. In other words, instead of using the attribute + name "mail" for the email address field, the server might be + configured to use something else, for example, "rfc822mail" or + "internetemailaddress". _Alpine_ can be configured to use these + different attribute names by using the four per-server configuration + options: + + email-attribute + + name-attribute + + surname-attribute + + givenname-attribute + _search-rule_ + This affects the way that LDAP searches are done. If set to "equals" + then only exact matches count. "Contains" means that the string you + type in is a substring of what you are matching against. + "Begins-with" and "ends-with" mean that the string starts or ends + with the string you type in. + Spaces in your input are normally handled specially, but you can turn + that special handling off with the disable-ad-hoc-space-substitution + feature. + The usual default value for this option is _begins-with_. + _email-attribute_ + This is the name of the attribute which is searched for when looking + for an email address. The default value for this option is "mail" or + "electronicmail". If the server you are using uses a different + attribute name for the email address, put that attribute name here. + This will affect the search filter used if your Search-Type is one + that contains a search for "email". It will also cause the attribute + value matching this attribute name to be used as the email address + when you look up an entry from the composer. + _name-attribute_ + This is the name of the attribute which is searched for when looking + for the name of the entry. The default value for this option is "cn", + which stands for common name. If the server you are using uses a + different attribute name for the name, put that attribute name here. + This will affect the search filter used if your Search-Type is one + that contains a search for "name". + _surname-attribute_ + This is the name of the attribute which is searched for when looking + for the surname of the entry. The default value for this option is + "sn". If the server you are using uses a different attribute name for + the surname, put that attribute name here. This will affect the + search filter used if your Search-Type is one that contains a search + for "surname". + _givenname-attribute_ + This is the name of the attribute which is searched for when looking + for the given name of the entry. The default value for this option is + "givenname". If the server you are using uses a different attribute + name for the given name, put that attribute name here. This will + affect the search filter used if your Search-Type is one that + contains a search for "givenname". + _timelimit_ + This places a limit on the number of seconds the LDAP search will + continue. The default is 30 seconds. A value of 0 means no limit. + Note that some servers may place limits of their own on searches. + _sizelimit_ + This places a limit on the number of entries returned by the LDAP + server. A value of 0 means no limit. The default is 0. Note that some + servers may place limits of their own on searches. + _custom-search-filter_ + This one is for advanced users only! If you define this, then the + search-type and search-rule defined are both ignored. However, the + feature disable-ad-hoc-space-substitution is still in effect. That + is, the space substitution will take place even in a custom filter + unless you disable it. + If your LDAP service stops working and you suspect it might be + because of your custom filter, just delete this filter and try using + the _search-type_ and _search-rule_ instead. Another option that + sometimes causes trouble is the search-base option. + This variable may be set to the string representation of an LDAP + search filter (see RFC1960). In the places where you want the address + string to be substituted in, put a '%s' in this filter string. Here + are some examples: + A "Search-Type" of "name" with "Search-Rule" of "begins-with" is + equivalent to the "custom-search-filter" + (cn=%s*) + When you try to match against the string "string" the program + replaces the "%s" with "string" (without the quotes). You may have + multiple "%s"'s and they will all be replaced with the string. There + is a limit of 10 "%s"'s. + A "Search-Type" of "name-or-email" with "Search-Rule" of "contains" + is equivalent to + (|(cn=*%s*)(mail=*%s*)) + If your server uses a different attribute _name_ than _Alpine_ uses + by default, (for example, it uses "rfc822mail" instead of "mail"), + then you may be able to use one or more of the four attribute + configuration options instead of defining a custom filter: + + email-attribute + + name-attribute + + surname-attribute + + givenname-attribute + +Color Configuration + + If the terminal or terminal emulator you are using is capable of using color + (see color-style option), or if you are using _PC-Alpine_, then it is + possible to set up _Alpine_ so that various parts of the display will be + shown in colors you configure. This is done using the Setup Color screen. + The Setup Color screen is divided into five broad sections: Options, General + Colors, Index Colors, Header Colors, and Keyword Colors. In addition to + these five categories you may also color lines in the MESSAGE INDEX screen + by configuring the Index Line Color. + + Each color is defined as a foreground color (the color of the actual text) + and a background color (the color of the area behind the text). + + Color Options + + _current-indexline-style_ + This option affects the colors used to display the current line in + the MESSAGE INDEX screen. If you do not have Index Line Colors + defined, then this option will have no effect in the index. Those + Rules may be defined by going to the Setup/Rules/Indexcolor screen. + + If the option enable-incoming-folders-checking is turned on and the + Incoming Unseen Color is set to something other than the default, + then this option also affects the color used to display the current + folder in the Incoming FOLDER LIST screen. + + The available options include: + + flip-colors + This is the default. If an index line is colored because it + matches one of your Index Color Rules, then its colors will be + reversed when it is the currently highlighted line. For + example, if the line is normally red text on a blue background, + then when it is the current line it will be drawn as blue text + on a red background. + + The rest of the option values all revert to this flip-colors + behavior if there is no Reverse Color defined. + + reverse + With this option the Reverse color is always used to highlight + the current line. + + reverse-fg + The foreground part of the Reverse Color is used to highlight + the current line. If this would cause the text to be unreadable + (because the foreground and background colors are the same) or + if it would cause no change in the color of the index line, + then the colors are flipped instead. + + Some people think this works particularly well if you use + different background colors to emphasize "interesting" lines, + but always with the same Normal foreground color, and you use a + different foreground color for the Reverse Color. + + reverse-fg-no-ambiguity + With the "reverse-fg" rule above, it is possible that the + resulting color will be exactly the same as the regular Reverse + Color. That can lead to some possible confusion because an + "interesting" line which is the current line will be displayed + exactly the same as a non-interesting line which is current. + You can't tell whether the line is just a regular current line + or if it is an "interesting" current line by looking at the + color. Setting the option to this value removes that ambiguity. + It is the same as the "reverse-fg" setting unless the resulting + interesting current line would look just like a non-interesting + current line. In that case, the interesting line's colors are + simply flipped (like in the default behavior). + + As an alternative way to preserve the line's interestingness in + this case, you may find that using both a different foreground + and a different background color for the interesting line will + help. + + reverse-bg + The background part of the Reverse Color is used to highlight + the current line. If this would cause the text to be unreadable + (because the foreground and background colors are the same) or + if it would cause no change in the color of the index line, + then the colors are flipped instead. + + Some people think this works particularly well if you use + different foreground colors to emphasize "interesting" lines, + but always with the same Normal background color, and you use a + different background color for the Reverse Color. + + reverse-bg-no-ambiguity + As with the "reverse-fg" case, the "reverse-bg" rule may also + result in a color which is exactly the same as the regular + Reverse Color. Setting the option to this value removes that + ambiguity. It is the same as the "reverse-bg" setting unless + the resulting current line has the same color as the Reverse + Color. In that case, the interesting line's colors are simply + flipped (like in the default behavior). + + _titlebar-color-style_ + This option affects the colors used to display the titlebar (the top + line on the screen) when viewing a message. + + The available options include: + + default + The color of the titlebar will be the color you set for the + Title Color. The Title Color may be set by using the + + indexline + The color of the titlebar will be the same as the color of the + index line corresponding to the message being viewed. The rules + which determine what color the index line will be may be set up + by going to the Setup/Rules/Indexcolor screen. If the index + line for a message is not colored explicitly by the Indexcolor + rules, then the titlebar will be colored the same as for the + "default" option above (which is not the same color that the + index line itself will have). + + reverse-indexline + This is similar to the "indexline" option except the foreground + and background colors from the corresponding index line will be + reversed. For example, if the index line color is red letters + on a white background, then the titlebar will be white letters + on a red background. If the index line for a message is not + colored explicitly by the Indexcolor rules, then the titlebar + will be colored the same as for the "default" option above + (which is not the same color that the index line itself will + have). + + General Colors + + _Normal Color_ + This is the color which most of the screen is painted in. By default + this color is black characters on a white background. + _Reverse Color_ + The color _Alpine_ uses for reverse video characters. Actually, the + name is misleading. This used to be reverse video and so the name + remains. It is still used to highlight certain parts of the screen + but the color may be set to whatever you'd like. + _Title Color_ + The color _Alpine_ uses for the titlebar (the top line on the + screen). By default, the Title Color is black characters on a yellow + background. The actual titlebar color may be different from the Title + Color if the option titlebar-color-style is set to some value other + than the default. It may also be different if the current folder is + closed and the Title Closed Color is set to something different from + the Title Color. + _Title-closed Color_ + The color _Alpine_ uses for the titlebar (the top line on the screen) + when the current folder is closed. By default, the Title Color Closed + Color is white characters on a red background. + _Status Color_ + The color _Alpine_ uses for messages written to the status message + line near the bottom of the screen. By default, the Status Color is + the same as the Reverse Color. + _KeyLabel Color_ + The color _Alpine_ uses for the labels of the commands in the + two-line menu at the bottom of the screen. The label is the long + name, for example, "PrevMsg". By default, the KeyLabel Color is the + same as the Normal Color. + WARNING: Some terminal emulators have the property that the screen + will scroll down one line whenever a character is written to the + character cell in the lower right corner of the screen. _Alpine_ can + usually avoid writing a character in that corner of the screen. + However, if you have defined a KeyLabel Color then _Alpine_ does have + to write a character in that cell in order to color the cell + correctly. If you find that your display sometimes scrolls up a line + this could be the problem. The most obvious symptom is probably that + the titlebar at the top of the screen scrolls off the screen. Try + setting KeyLabel Color to Default to see if that fixes the problem. + _KeyName Color_ + The color _Alpine_ uses for the names of the commands in the two-line + menu at the bottom of the screen. The KeyName is the shorter name in + the menu. For example, the "W" before the "WhereIs". By default, the + KeyName Color is the same as the Normal Color. + _Selectable-item Color_ + The color _Alpine_ uses for displaying selectable items, such as + URLs. By default, the Selectable-item Color is the same as the Normal + Color, except it is also Bold. + _Meta-message Color_ + The color _Alpine_ uses in the MESSAGE TEXT screen for messages to + you that aren't part of the message itself. By default, the + Meta-Message Color is black characters on a yellow background. + _Quote Colors_ + The colors _Alpine_ uses for coloring quoted text in the MESSAGE TEXT + screen. If a line begins with a > character (or space followed by >) + it is considered a quote. That line will be given the Quote1 Color + (first level quote). If there is a second level of quoting then the + Quote2 Color will be used. _Alpine_ considers there to be a second + level of quoting if that first > is followed by another > (or space + followed by >). If there are characters other than whitespace and > + signs, then it isn't considered another level of quoting. Similarly, + if there is a third level of quoting the Quote3 Color will be used. + If there are more levels after that the Quote Colors are reused. If + you define all three colors then it would repeat like Color1, Color2, + Color3, Color1, Color2, Color3, ... If you only define the first two + it would be Color1, Color2, Color1, Color2, ... If you define only + the Quote1 Color, then the entire quote would be that color + regardless of the quoting levels. By default, the Quote1 Color is + black characters on a greenish-blue background; the Quote2 Color is + black characters on a dull yellow background; and the Quote3 Color is + black characters on a green background. + _Incoming Unseen Color_ + If the option enable-incoming-folders-checking is turned on it is + possible to highlight the folders that contain unseen messages by + coloring them with this color. By default, this is the same as the + Normal Color and no highlighting is done. + Usually the "current" folder (the folder the cursor is on) is + highlighted using reverse video. If the current folder is colored + because it contains unseen messages then the color used to show that + it is also the current folder is controlled by the + current-indexline-style feature at the top of the SETUP COLOR screen. + _Signature Color_ + The color _Alpine_ uses for coloring the signature in the MESSAGE + TEXT screen. According to USENET conventions, the signature is + defined as the paragraph following the "sigdashes", that is, the + special line consisting of the three characters "-- " (i.e., dash, + dash, and space). _Alpine_ allows for one empty line right after the + sigdashes to be considered as part of the signature. By default, the + Signature Color is blue characters on a white background. + _Prompt Color_ + The color _Alpine_ uses for confirmation prompts and questions which + appear in the status message line near the bottom of the screen. By + default, the Prompt Color is the same as the Reverse Color. + + Index Colors + + You may add color to the single character symbols which give the status of + each message in the MESSAGE INDEX. By default the characters "+", "*", "D", + "A", and "N" show up near the left hand side of the screen, depending on + whether the message is addressed to you, and whether the message is marked + Important, is Deleted, is Answered, or is New. You may set the color of + those symbols. By default, all of these symbols are drawn with the same + color as the rest of the index line they are a part of. + + Besides coloring the message status symbols, you may also color the entire + index line. This is done by using the Index Line Color configuration screen. + It is also possible to color (keywords in the index using the Setup/Kolor + screen (Keyword Colors); the ARROW cursor; the Subject using Index Subject + Color; the From using Index From Color; and the Index Opening text. + + _Index-to-me Symbol Color_ + The color used for drawing the "+" symbol which signifies a message + is addressed directly to you. + _Index-important Symbol Color_ + The color used for drawing the "*" symbol which signifies a message + has been flagged Important. + _Index-deleted Symbol Color_ + The color used for drawing the "D" symbol which signifies a message + has been marked Deleted. + _Index-answered Symbol Color_ + The color used for drawing the "A" symbol which signifies a message + has been answered. + _Index-new Symbol Color_ + The color used for drawing the "N" symbol which signifies a message + is New. + _Index-recent Symbol Color_ + The color used for drawing the "R" symbol which signifies a message + is Recent (only visible if the "IMAPSTATUS" or "SHORTIMAPSTATUS" + token is part of the index-format option). + _Index-unseen Symbol Color_ + The color used for drawing the "U" symbol which signifies a message + is Unseen (only visible if the "IMAPSTATUS" or "SHORTIMAPSTATUS" + token is part of the Index-Format option). + _Index-priority Symbol Colors_ + The colors used for drawing the tokens "PRIORITY", "PRIORITYALPHA", + and "PRIORITY!" when these are configured as part of the Index-Format + option. You may set the color used to draw these tokens by use of the + colors Index High Priority Symbol Color and Index Low Priority Symbol + Color. This coloring takes place for all but the current index line, + and the Priority Color appears to be in front of any color from an + Index Color Rule. If the priority has a value of 1 or 2 the High + Priority color will be used, and if the value is 4 or 5 the Low + Priority color will be used. + If you don't set these colors the index line will be colored in the + same color as the bulk of the index line. + _Index-arrow Symbol Color_ + The color used for drawing the "ARROW" token when it is configured as + part of the Index-Format option. + _Index-subject Symbol Color_ + You may set the color used to draw the Subject part of the index + line. This coloring takes place for all but the current index line, + and the Subject Color appears to be in front of any color from an + Index Color Rule. + If you don't set this color it will be colored in the same color as + the bulk of the index line. + _Index-from Symbol Color_ + You may set the color used to draw the From part of the index line. + This coloring takes place for all but the current index line, and the + From Color appears to be in front of any color from an Index Color + Rule. + If you don't set this color it will be colored in the same color as + the bulk of the index line. + _Index-opening Symbol Color_ + It is possible to configure the Index-Format option so that it + includes the subject followed by the "opening" text of the message if + there is enough space. This is done by using one of the tokens + SUBJECTTEXT, SUBJKEYTEXT, or SUBJKEYINITTEXT. The color used for + drawing this opening text is given by this option. The coloring + happens for all but the current index line, and this opening color + appears to be in front of any color from an Index Color Rule. + By default the Index Opening Color is gray characters on a white + background. + + The default colors for these symbols are: + + Index-to-me black on cyan + Index-important white on bright red + Index-deleted same as Normal Color + Index-answered bright red on yellow + Index-new white on magenta + Index-recent same as Normal Color + Index-unseen same as Normal Color + + Header Colors + + You may add color to the header fields in the MESSAGE TEXT screen. The + + _Header-general Color_ + may be used to color all of the headers of the message. + + It is also possible to set the colors for specific header fields, for + example for the Subject or From fields, using the viewer-hdr-colors option. + + For Header Colors, there is an additional line on the configuration screen + labeled "Pattern to match". If you leave that blank, then the whole field + for that header will always be colored. However, if you give a pattern to + match, the coloring will only take place if there is a match for that + pattern in the value of the field. For example, if you are working on a + color for the Subject header and you fill in a pattern of "important", then + only Subjects which contain the word "important" will be colored. For + address fields like From or To, a pattern match will cause only the + addresses which match the pattern to be colored. + + If the pattern you enter is a comma-separated list of patterns, then + coloring happens if any of those patterns matches. + + Keyword Colors + + Sets the colors _Alpine_ uses for Keyword fields in the MESSAGE INDEX + screen. Keywords may be displayed as part of the Subject of a message by + using the "SUBJKEY" or "SUBJKEYINIT" tokens in the Index-Format option. + Keywords may also be displayed in a column of their own in the MESSAGE INDEX + screen by using the "KEY" or "KEYINIT" tokens. + + For example, you might have set up a Keyword "Work" using the Keywords + option in the Setup/Config screen. You could cause that Keyword to show up + as a special color by setting up the Keyword Color using this option, and + then including it in the MESSAGE INDEX screen using one of the tokens listed + above in the Index-Format. + + Index Line Colors + + You may color whole index lines by using roles. This isn't configured in the + Setup Colors screen, but is configured in the Setup Rules IndexColor screen. + +Index Line Color Configuration + + Index Line Color causes lines in the MESSAGE INDEX screen to be colored. + This action is only available if your terminal is capable of displaying + color and color display has been enabled with the Color-Style option. (In + PC-Alpine, color is always enabled so there is no option to turn on.) + + Each rule has a "Pattern", which is used to decide which of the rules is + used; and the color which is used if the Pattern matches a particular + message. + + Rule Patterns + + In order to determine whether or not a message matches a rule the message is + compared with the rule's Pattern. These Patterns are the same for use with + Roles, Filtering, Index Coloring, Scoring, Other Rules, and Search Rules, so + are described in only one place, "here". + + Index Line Color + + This is the color that index lines are colored when there is a matching + Pattern. This colors the whole index line, except possibly the status + letters which may be colored separately using the Setup Kolor screen. + +Role Configuration + + You may play different roles depending on who you are replying to. For + example, if you are replying to a message addressed to _help-desk_ you may + be acting as a Help Desk Worker. That role may require that you use a + different return address and/or a different signature. + + Roles are optional. If you set up roles they work like this: Each role has a + set of "Uses", which indicate whether or not a role is eligible to be + considered for a particular use; a "Pattern", which is used to decide which + of the eligible roles is used; and a set of "Actions", which are taken when + that role is used. When you reply to a message, the message you are replying + to is compared with the Patterns of the roles marked as eligible for use + when replying. The comparisons start with the first eligible role and keep + going until there is a match. If a match is found, the matching role's + Actions are taken. + + It is also possible to set a default role and to change that role during + your _Alpine_ session. When you start _Alpine_ no default role will be set. + You may set or change the current default role by using the "D" command in + the role selection screen. You'll see that screen while composing a message + and being asked to select a role. An easy way to get to that screen is to + use the Role Command to compose a message. You may find a default role + useful if you normally perform the duties of one of your roles for a while, + then you switch to another role and stay in the new role for another period + of time. It may be easier than using the Role Command to select the role + each time you compose a message. + + Role Uses + + There are three types of use to be configured; one for Replying, one for + Forwarding, and one for Composing. These indicate whether or not you want a + role to be considered when you type the Reply, Forward, or Compose commands. + (The Role command is an alternate form of the Compose command, and it is not + affected by these settings.) Each of these Use types has three possible + values. The value "Never" means that the role will never be considered as a + candidate for use with the corresponding command. For example, if you set a + role's Reply Use to Never, then when you Reply to a message, the role won't + even be considered. (That isn't quite true. If the message you are replying + to matches some other role which requires confirmation, then there will be a + ^T command available which allows you to select a role from all of your + roles, not just the reply-eligible roles.) + + The options "With confirmation" and "Without confirmation" both mean that + you do want to consider this role when using the corresponding command. For + either of these settings the role's Pattern will be checked to see if it + matches the message. For Reply Use, the message used to compare the Patterns + with is the message being replied to. For Forward Use, the message used to + compare the Pattern with is the message being forwarded. For Compose Use, + there is no message, so the parts of the Pattern which depend on a message + (everything other than Current Folder Type) are ignored. In all cases, the + Current Folder is checked if defined. If there is a match then this role + will either be used without confirmation or will be the default when + confirmation is asked for, depending on which of the two options is + selected. If confirmation is requested, you will have a chance to choose No + Role instead of the offered role, or to change the role to any one of your + other roles (with the ^T command). + + Role Patterns + + In order to determine whether or not a message matches a role the message is + compared with the Role Pattern. These Patterns are the same for use with + Roles, Filtering, Index Coloring, Scoring, Other Rules, and Search Rules, so + are described in only one place, "here". + + Since header patterns, AllText patterns, and BodyText patterns which are + unset are ignored, a role which has all header patterns unset, the AllText + pattern unset, the BodyText pattern unset, the Score Interval unset, and the + Current Folder Type set to "Any" may be used as a default role. It should be + put last in the list of roles since the matching starts at the beginning and + proceeds until one of the roles is a match. If no roles at all match, then + _Alpine_ will use its regular methods of defining the role. If you wanted to, + you could define a different "default" role for Replying, Forwarding, and + Composing by setting the "Use" fields appropriately. + + Role Actions + + Once a role match is found, the role's Actions are taken. For each role + there are several possible actions that may be defined. They are actions to + set the From address, the Reply-To address, the Fcc, the Signature file, and + the Template file. + + Initialize Settings Using Role + + This is a power user feature. You will usually want to leave this field + empty. The value of this field is the nickname of another one of your roles. + The Action values from that other role are used as the initial values of the + Action items for this role. If you put something in any of the action fields + for this role, that will override whatever was in the corresponding field of + the initializer role. + + You might use this field if the "Action" part of one of your roles is + something you want to use in more than one role. Instead of filling in those + action values again for each role, you may give the nickname of the role + where the values are filled in. It's just a shortcut way to define Role + Actions. + + Here's an example to help explain how this works. Suppose you have a role + with nickname "role1" and role1 has (among other things) + + Set Reply-To = The Pres <president@example.com> + + set. If in "role2" you set "Initialize settings using role" to "role1", then + role2 will inherit the Set Reply-To value from role1 by default (and any of + the other inheritable action values that are set). So if role2 had + + Set Reply-To = <No Value Set> + + defined, the Reply-To used with role2 would be "The Pres + <president@example.com>" However, if role2 had + + Set Reply-To = VP <vicepresident@example.com> + + defined, then the Reply-To used with role2 would be "VP + <vicepresident@example.com>" instead. + + If you wish, you may choose a nickname from your list of roles by using the + "T" command. If the role you are using to initialize also has a role it + initializes from, then that initialization happens first. That is, + inheritance works as expected with the grandparent and great-grandparent + (and so on) roles having the expected effect. + + Set From + + This field consists of a single address which will be used as the From + address on the message you are sending. This should be a fully-qualified + address like + + Full Name <user@domain> + + or just + + user@domain + + If this is left blank, then the normal From address will be used. + + Set Reply-To + + The Reply-To address is the address used on the Reply-To line of the message + you are sending. You don't need a Reply-To address unless it is different + from the From address. This should be a fully-qualified address like + + Full Name <user@domain> + + or just + + user@domain + + If this is left blank, then there won't be a Reply-To address unless you + have configured one specially with the customized-hdrs configuration option. + + Set Other-Hdrs + + This field gives you a way to set values for headers besides "From" and + "Reply-To". If you want to set either of those, use the specific "Set From" + and "Set Reply-To" settings. + + This field is similar to the customized-hdrs option. Each header you specify + here must include the header tag ("To:", "Approved:", etc.) and may + optionally include a value for that header. In order to see these headers + when you compose using this role you must use the rich header command. + Here's an example which shows how you might set the To address. + + Set Other Hdrs = To: Full Name <user@domain> + + Headers set in this way are different from headers set with the + customized-hdrs option in that the value you give for a header here will + replace any value that already exists. For example, if you are Replying to a + message there will already be at least one address in the To header (the + address you are Replying to). However, if you Reply using a role which sets + the To header, that role's To header value will be used instead. The + customized-hdrs headers are defaults. + + Limitation: Because commas are used to separate the list of Other Headers, + it is not possible to have the value of a header contain a comma; nor is + there currently an "escape" mechanism provided to make this work. + + Set Fcc + + This field consists of a single folder name which will be used in the Fcc + field of the message you are sending. You may put anything here that you + would normally type into the Fcc field from the composer. + + In addition, an fcc of "" (two double quotation marks) means no Fcc. + + A blank field here means that _Alpine_ will use its normal rules for + deciding the default value of the Fcc field. For many roles, perhaps most, + it may make more sense for you to use the other _Alpine_ facilities for + setting the Fcc. In particular, if you want the Fcc to depend on who you are + sending the message to then the fcc-name-rule is probably more useful. In + that case, you would want to leave the Fcc field here blank. However, if you + have a role that depends on who the message you are replying to was From, or + what address that message was sent to; then it might make sense to set the + Fcc for that role here. + + Set LiteralSig + + This field contains the actual text for your signature, as opposed to the + name of a file containing your signature. If this is defined it takes + precedence over any value set in the _Set Signature_ field. + + This is simply a different way to store the signature. The signature is + stored inside your Alpine configuration file instead of in a separate + signature file. Tokens work the same way they do with _Set Signature_. + + The two character sequence \n (backslash followed by the character n) will + be used to signify a line-break in your signature. You don't have to enter + the \n, but it will be visible in the CHANGE THIS ROLE RULE window after you + are done editing the signature. + + Set Signature + + The Signature is the name of a file to be used as the signature file when + this role is being used. If the filename is followed by a vertical bar (|) + then instead of reading the contents of the file the file is assumed to be a + program which will produce the text to be used on its standard output. The + program can't have any arguments and doesn't receive any input from + _Alpine_, but the rest of the processing works as if the contents came from a + file. + + Signature files may be stored remotely on an IMAP server. In order to do + that you just give the file a remote name. This works just like the regular + signature-file option which is configured from the Setup/Configuration + screen. A remote signature file name might look like: + + {myimaphost.myschool.k12.wa.us}mail/sig3 + + or, if you have an SSL-capable version of _Alpine_, you might try + + {myimaphost.myschool.k12.wa.us/user=loginname/ssl}mail/sig3 + + Once you have named the remote signature file you create its contents by + using the "F" "editFile" command when the cursor is on the "Set Signature" + line of the role editor. + + Besides containing regular text, a signature file may also contain (or a + signature program may produce) tokens which are replaced with text which + depends on the message you are replying to or forwarding. The tokens all + look like _word_ (a word surrounded by underscores). For example, if the + token + + _DATE_ + + is included in the text of the signature file, then when you reply to or + forward a message, the token will be replaced with the actual date the + message you are replying to or forwarding was sent. + + If you use a role which has a signature file for a plain composition (that + is, not a reply or forward) then there is no original message, so any tokens + which depend on the message will be replaced with nothing. So if you want a + signature file to be useful for new compositions it shouldn't include any of + the tokens which depend on the message being replied to or forwarded. + + The list of available tokens is here. + + Actually, for the adventurous, there is a way to conditionally include text + based on whether or not a token would result in specific replacement text. + For example, you could include some text based on whether or not the _NEWS_ + token would result in any newsgroups if it was used. It's explained in + detail here. + + In the very unlikely event that you want to include a literal token in a + signature file, you must precede it with a backslash character. For example, + to include the literal text _DATE_ you must actually use \_DATE_. It is not + possible to have a literal backslash followed by an expanded token. + + A blank field here means that _Alpine_ will use its normal rules for + deciding which file (if any) to use for the signature file. + + Set Template + + A Template is the name of a file to be included in the message when this + role is being used. The template file is a file which is included at the top + of the message you are composing. + + If the filename is followed by a vertical bar (|) then instead of reading + the contents of the file the file is assumed to be a program which will + produce the text to be used on its standard output. The program can't have + any arguments and doesn't receive any input from _Alpine_, but the rest of + the processing works as if the contents came from a file. + + Template files may be stored remotely on an IMAP server. In order to do that + you just give the file a remote name. This works just like the regular + signature-file option which is configured from the Setup/Configuration + screen. A remote template file name might look like: + + {myimaphost.myschool.k12.wa.us}mail/templ3 + + or, if you have an SSL-capable version of _Alpine_, you might try + + {myimaphost.myschool.k12.wa.us/user=loginname/ssl}mail/templ3 + + Once you have named the remote template file you create its contents by + using the "F" "editFile" command when the cursor is on the "Set Template" + line of the role editor. + + Besides containing regular text, a template file may also contain (or a + template file program may produce) tokens which are replaced with text which + depends on the message you are replying to or forwarding. The tokens all + look like _word_ (a word surrounded by underscores). For example, if the + token + + _DATE_ + + is included in the text of the template file, then when you reply to or + forward a message, the token will be replaced with the actual date the + message you are replying to or forwarding was sent. + + If you use a role which has a template file for a plain composition (that + is, not a reply or forward) then there is no original message, so any tokens + which depend on the message will be replaced with nothing. So if you want a + template file to be useful for new compositions it shouldn't include any of + the tokens which depend on the message being replied to or forwarded. + + The list of available tokens is here. + + Actually, for the adventurous, there is a way to conditionally include text + based on whether or not a token would result in specific replacement text. + For example, you could include some text based on whether or not the _NEWS_ + token would result in any newsgroups if it was used. It's explained in + detail here. + + In the very unlikely event that you want to include a literal token in a + template file, you must precede it with a backslash character. For example, + to include the literal text _DATE_ you must actually use \_DATE_. It is not + possible to have a literal backslash followed by an expanded token. + + A blank field here means that _Alpine_ will not use a template file when + this role is being used. + + Use SMTP Server + + If this field has a value, then it will be used as the SMTP server to send + mail when this role is being used (unless the SMTP server variable is set in + the system-wide fixed configuration file). It has the same semantics as the + smtp-server variable in the Setup/Config screen. When you postpone the + composition this SMTP server list will be saved with the postponed + composition and it cannot be changed later. Because of that, you may want to + make this a list of SMTP servers with the preferred server at the front of + the list and alternate servers later in the list. + + If any of the actions are left unset, then the action depends on what is + present in the "Initialize settings using role" field. If you've listed the + nickname of another one of your roles there, then the corresponding action + from that role will be used here. If that action is also blank, or if there + is no nickname specified, then _Alpine_ will do whatever it normally does to + set these actions. This depends on other configuration options and features + you've set. + +Filtering Configuration + + The software which actually delivers mail (the stuff that happens before + _Alpine_ is involved) for you is in a better position to do mail filtering + than _Alpine_ itself. If possible, you may want to look into using that sort + of mail filtering to deliver mail to different folders, delete it, or + forward it. However, if you'd like _Alpine_ to help with this, _Alpine_'s + filtering is for you. + + Filtering is a way to automatically move certain messages from one folder to + another or to delete messages. It can also be used to set message status + bits (Important, Deleted, New, Answered). _Alpine_ doesn't have the ability + to forward mail to another address. + + Each filtering rule has a "Pattern" and a "Filter Action". When a folder is + opened, when new mail arrives in an open folder, or when mail is Expunged + from a folder; each message is compared with the Patterns of your filtering + rules. The comparisons start with the first rule and keep going until there + is a match. If a match is found, the message may be deleted or moved, + depending on the setting of the Filter Action. If the message is not + deleted, it may have its status altered. + + For efficiency, each message is usually only checked once. When new mail + arrives, the new messages are checked but not the old. There are some + exceptions to this rule. The expunge command will cause all messages to be + rechecked, as will editing of the filtering rules. + + _NOTE:_ When setting up a Pattern used to delete messages, it is recommended + that you test the Pattern first with a "Move" folder specified in case + unintended matches occur. Messages that are deleted will be removed from the + folder and _unrecoverable_ from within _Alpine_ after the next Expunge + command or once the folder being filtered has been closed. + + Filter Patterns + + In order to determine whether or not a message matches a filter the message + is compared with the Filter's Pattern. These Patterns are the same for use + with Roles, Filtering, Index Coloring, Scoring, Other Rules, and Search + Rules, so are described in only one place, "here". + + Since filtering is a potentially destructive action, if you have a filtering + Pattern with nothing other than Current Folder Type set, that filtering rule + is ignored. + + Filter Actions + + Once a filter match is found for a particular message, there are some + actions which may be taken. First, the message may have its status changed. + This is the same message status that you can manipulate manually using the + Flag Command. There are four elements of message status that you can + control. You can set or clear the Important status, the New status, the + Deleted status, and the Answered status. Of course, if the filter is going + to delete the message, then there is no point in setting message status. You + may also set or clear user-defined keywords for a message. + + Second, the filter may delete or move the message. Deleting the message + marks it Deleted and removes it from view. It is effectively gone forever + (though it technically is still there until the next expunge command, which + may happen implicitly). Moving the message moves it from the open folder + into the folder listed on the "Folder List" line of the filter + configuration. If you list more than one folder name (separated by commas) + then the message will be copied to each of those folders. In any case, if + "Delete" or "Move" is set then the message is removed from the current + folder. If you just want to set the messages status without deleting it from + the folder, then set the filter action to "Just Set Message Status". + + (There is no way to do a Copy instead of a Move, due to the difficulties + involved in keeping track of whether or not a message has already been + copied by a previous _Alpine_ session.) + + Move-only-if-not-deleted option + + If you have specified a Move to Folder to filter messages into, then this + option has an effect. If this option is set then messages will only be moved + into the specified folder if they aren't already marked deleted. This might + be useful if you have more than one _Alpine_ session running simultaneously + and you don't want messages to be filtered into a folder more than once. + This method is not foolproof. There may be cases where a message gets marked + deleted and so it is never filtered into the folder. For example, if you + deleted it in another _Alpine_ or another mail program that didn't know + about the filtering rule. + + This option has no effect if the Filter Action is not set to Move. + + Dont-quit-even-if-rule-matches option + + If this option is set then this is a non-terminating rule. Usually, for each + message, _Alpine_ searches through the filter rules until a match is found + and then it performs the action associated with that rule. Rules following + the match are not considered. If this option is set then the search for + matches will continue at the next rule. + + If a non-terminating rule matches then the actions associated with that + rule, except for any implied deletion of the message, are performed before + the match for the next rule is checked. For example, if the non-terminating + rule sets the Important status, then that status will be set when the next + rule is considered. However, if the non-terminating rule Moves the message, + the message will actually be copied instead of copied and deleted so that it + is still there for the next rule. A moved message is deleted after all the + relevant rules have been checked. The name of the "Move" action is confusing + in this case because a single message can be moved to more than one folder. + It turns the Move into a Copy instead, but it is still followed by a + deletion at the end. + + This option may be useful if you want to have a single message filtered to + two different folders because it matches two different Patterns. For + example, suppose you normally filter messages to a particular mailing list + into one folder, and messages addressed directly to you into a second + folder. If a message is sent to both you and the list (and you can tell that + by looking at the headers of the message) this option may give you a + convenient way to capture a copy to each folder. (It may also cause you to + capture two copies to each folder, depending on whether your mail system + delivers one or two copies of the message to you and on how the list works.) + +Scoring Configuration + + Most people will not use scores at all, but if you do use them, here's how + they work in Alpine. Using this screen, you may define Scoring rules. The + score for a message is calculated by looking at every Score rule defined and + adding up the Score Values for the ones which match the message. If there + are no matches for a message, it has a score of zero. Message scores may be + used a couple of ways in Alpine. + + Sorting by Score + + One of the methods you may use to sort message indexes is to sort by score. + The scores of all the messages in a folder will be calculated and then the + index will be ordered by placing the messages in order of ascending or + descending score. + + Scores for use in Patterns + + The Patterns used for Roles, Index Line Coloring, and Filtering have a + category labeled "Score Interval". When a message is being compared with a + Pattern to check for a match, if the Score Interval is set only messages + which have a score somewhere in the interval are a match. + + Scoring Rule Patterns + + In order to determine whether or not a message matches a scoring rule the + message is compared with the rule's Pattern. These Patterns are the same for + use with Roles, Filtering, Index Coloring, Scoring, Other Rules, and Search + Rules, so are described in only one place, "here". + + Actually, Scoring rule Patterns are slightly different from the other types + of Patterns because Scoring rule Patterns don't contain a Score Interval. In + other words, when calculating the score for a message, which is done by + looking at the Scoring rule Patterns, scores aren't used. + + Score Value + + This is the value that will be added to the score for a message if the + rule's Pattern is a match. Each individual Score Value is an integer between + -100 and 100, and the values from matching rules are added together to get a + message's score. There is also a way to extract the value from a particular + header of each message. See the help text for Score Value for further + information. + +Other Rules Configuration + + Using this screen, you may define configuration Rules which don't fit nicely + into the other Rules categories. + + Other Rule Patterns + + Other Rules are a little different from the rest of the Rules because they + depend only on the current folder, and not on a particular message. In order + to determine whether or not a rule's actions should be applied the current + folder is compared with the rule's Pattern, which consists of only the + Current Folder Type. Current Folder Type works the same for Other Rules as + it does for Roles, Filtering, Index Coloring, and Scoring. Keep in mind that + the only part of the Pattern which applies to Other Rules is the Current + Folder Type when looking at the description of Patterns given "here". + + Other Rule Actions + + Once a pattern match is found, the rule's Actions are taken. Neither of the + following two rule's depends on a message for its match. That means that all + the parts of the Pattern which depend on matching an attribute of a message + are ignored. So the only part of the Pattern that matters for these Actions + is the Current Folder Type. + + Set Sort Order + + When you enter a new folder, these rules will be checked to see if you have + set a sort order which is different from your default sort order. The + default is set in the Setup/Config screen with the Sort-Key option. If the + Sort Order action is set, then the folder will be displayed sorted in that + sort order instead of in the default order. + + A possible point of confusion arises when you change the configuration of + the Sort Order for the currently open folder. The folder will normally be + re-sorted when you go back to viewing the index. However, if you have + manually sorted the folder with the Sort command, it will not be re-sorted. + + Set Index Format + + When you enter a new folder, these rules will be checked to see if you have + set an Index Format which is different from your default Index Format, which + is set with the Index-Format option. If so, the index will be displayed with + this format instead of the default. + + Set Startup Rule + + When you enter a new folder, these rules will be checked to see if you have + set a startup rule which is different from the default startup rule. The + default for incoming folders is set in the Setup/Config screen with the + "incoming-startup-rule" option. The default for folders other than INBOX + that are not part of your incoming collection (see enable-incoming-folders + feature) is to start with the last message in the folder. If the Startup + Rule is set to something other than "default", then the rule will determine + which message will be the current message when the folder is first opened. + + The various startup rule possibilities work the same here as they do in the + incoming collection, except that the folder can be any specific folder or + any folder type. + +Search Rules Configuration + + One of the commands that becomes available when that feature is turned on is + the "; Select" command, which is used in the MESSAGE INDEX screen to select + a set of messages. One way of selecting messages is to use a Rule. All of + the messages which match (or don't match if you wish) a Rule's Pattern will + be selected. + + Any of your Rules may be used for this purpose. You might already have Rules + set up for filtering, index line color, scores, or roles; and you may use + any of those Rules with the Select command. However, you might find it more + convenient to set up a separate set of Rules just for this purpose without + having to worry about what other effects they may cause. That is the purpose + of these Select Rules. + + Rule Patterns + + In order to determine whether or not a message is selected by a rule the + message is compared with the rule's Pattern. These Patterns are the same for + use with Roles, Filtering, Index Coloring, Scoring, Other Rules, and Search + Rules, so are described in only one place, "here". + + There is no action associated with these Search Rules. Only their Patterns + are used. + +Patterns + + Patterns are used with Roles, Filtering, Index Coloring, Scoring, Other + Rules, and Search Rules. Patterns are compared with a message to see if + there is a match. For Filtering, the messages being checked are all the + messages in the folder, one at a time. For Index Line Coloring, each message + that is visible on the screen is checked for matches with the Index Coloring + Patterns. Roles are used with the Reply, Forward, and Compose commands. For + Reply, the message used to compare the Pattern with is the message being + replied to; for Forward, the message used to compare the Pattern with is the + message being forwarded; and for Compose, there is no message, so the parts + of the Pattern which depend on a message (everything other than Current + Folder Type and the Beginning of Month and Year) are not used. Only the + Current Folder Type matters for Compose (plus the Beginning of Month or + Year, which you wouldn't usually use for a Role). For Scoring, the message + being scored is compared with all of the Score Patterns, and the Score + Values from the ones that match are added together to get the message's + score. For Other Rules, there is no message. Only the Current Folder Type is + checked for Other Rules. + + Each Pattern has several possible parts, all of which are optional. In order + for there to be a match, _ALL_ of the _defined_ parts of the Pattern must + match the message. If a part is not defined it is considered a match. For + example, if the To pattern is not defined it will be displayed as + + To pattern = <No Value Set> + + That is considered a match because it is not defined. This means that the + Pattern with nothing defined is a match if the Current Folder Type matches, + but there is an exception. Because filtering is a potentially destructive + action, filtering Patterns with nothing other than Current Folder Type + defined are ignored. If you really want a filtering Pattern to match all + messages (subject to Current Folder Type) the best way to do it is to define + a Score interval which includes all possible scores. This would be the score + interval (-INF,INF). This can be used even if you haven't defined any rules + to Set Scores. + + There are six predefined header patterns called the To, From, Sender, Cc, + News, and Subject patterns. Besides those six predefined header patterns, + you may add additional header patterns with header fieldnames of your + choosing. You add an extra header pattern by placing the cursor on one of + the patterns while in the role editor and using the "eXtraHdr" command. The + Recip pattern is a header pattern which stands for Recipient (To OR Cc) and + the Partic pattern is a header pattern which stands for Participant (From OR + To OR Cc). (Defining the Recip pattern does not have the same effect as + defining both the To and Cc patterns. Recip is To _OR_ Cc, not To _AND_ Cc.) + Similar to the header patterns are the AllText pattern and the BodyText + pattern. Instead of comparing this pattern's text against only the contents + of a particular header field, the text for the AllText pattern is compared + with text anywhere in the message's header or body, and the text for the + BodyText pattern is compared with text anywhere in the message's body. + + Any of the header patterns, the AllText pattern, or the BodyText pattern may + be negated with the "!" "toggle NOT" command. You can tell that _NOT_ has + been turned on by looking for the character "!" at the beginning of the + pattern line. When the "!" is present, it reverses the meaning of the match. + That is, if the pattern matches then it is considered to NOT be a match, and + if it does not match it is considered to be a match. + + Don't make the mistake of putting the "!" in the data field for a pattern. + For example, if you type the characters "!urgent" into the Subject pattern, + the pattern will look like: + + Subject pattern = !urgent + + This means you want to match the 7 character sequence "!urgent". In order to + match messages which do not have "urgent" in their Subject field, first type + the characters "urgent" followed by carriage return for the value of the + Subject pattern, then negate it by typing the "!" command. It should look + like + + ! Subject pattern = urgent + + The contents of each of these header patterns (or the AllText or BodyText + patterns) may be a complete email address, part of an address, or a random + set of characters to match against. It may also be a list of such patterns, + which means you are looking for a match against the first pattern in the + list _OR_ the second pattern _OR_ the third and so on. For example, a + Subject pattern equal to + + Subject pattern = urgent + emergency + alert + + would match all messages with a subject which contained at least one of + those words. It would also match subjects containing the words "alerts" or + "Urgently". + + The same example with "NOT" turned on would be + + ! Subject pattern = urgent + emergency + alert + + which would match all messages with a subject which did NOT contain any of + those words. You can use the "Add Value" command to add new words to the + list, or you can enter them as a comma-separated list. + + (It is not possible to specify two patterns which must _BOTH_ be present for + a match. It is only possible to specify that _EITHER_ pattern1 _OR_ pattern2 + must be present, and that is exactly what using a list does.) + + The "Current Folder Type" and the "Score Interval" are also part of the + Pattern, although the "Score Interval" is not used when checking for matches + for Scoring. There are five similar settings which relate to the status of + the message. These settings rely on the message being New or not, Deleted or + not, Answered or not, Important or not, and Recent or not. There are also + some other miscellaneous settings. The first is the Age of the message in + days. Another is the Size of the message in bytes. The third is a setting + which detects whether or not the Subject of a message contains raw 8-bit + characters (unencoded characters with the most significant bit set). There + is a setting which detects whether or not this is the first time _Alpine_ + has been run this month (doesn't depend on individual messages), and another + which detects whether or not this is the first time _Alpine_ has been run + this year. Other parts of the Pattern detect whether or not the From address + of a message appears in your address book, whether or not certain keywords + are set for a message, and whether or not certain character sets are used in + a message. + + Parts of a Pattern + + Header patterns + + A header pattern is simply text which is searched for in the corresponding + header field. For example, if a Pattern has a From header pattern with the + value "@company.com", then only messages which have a From header which + contains the text "@company.com" will be possible matches. Matches don't + have to be exact. For example, if the relevant field of a message contains + the text "mailbox@domain" somewhere in it, then header patterns of "box", or + "x@d", or "mailbox@domain" are all matches. + + All parts of the Pattern must match so, for example, if a message matches a + defined From pattern, it still must be checked against the other parts of + the Pattern which have been defined. The To header pattern is a slightly + special case. If the message being checked has a Resent-To header and the + feature Use-Resent-To-in-Rules is turned on, the addresses there are used in + place of the addresses in the To header. This is only true for the To + header. Resent-cc and Resent-From headers are never used unless you add them + with the eXtraHdrs command. + + The meaning of a header pattern may be negated with the "!" "toggle NOT" + command. You can tell that _NOT_ has been turned on by looking for the + character "!" at the beginning of the pattern line. It would look something + like + + ! From pattern = susan@example.com + + When the "!" is present, it reverses the meaning of the match. + + If you want to check for the presence of a header field but don't care about + its value, then the empty pattern which you get by entering a pair of double + quotes ("") should match any message which has the corresponding header + field. + + AllText patterns + + AllText patterns are just like header patterns except that the text is + searched for anywhere in the message's headers or body, not just in the + contents of a particular header field. + + BodyText patterns + + BodyText patterns are just like header patterns except that the text is + searched for anywhere in the message's body, not just in the contents of a + particular header field. + + If there is more than one header pattern or AllText pattern or BodyText + pattern for which you want to take the same action there is a shorthand + notation which may be used. Any of these patterns may be a list of patterns + instead of just a single pattern. If any one of the patterns in the list + matches the message then it is considered a match. For example, if + "company1" and "company2" both required you to use the same role when + replying to messages, you might have a To pattern which looks like + + To pattern = company1.com + company2.com + + This means that if the mail you are replying to was addressed to either + "anything@company1.com" or "anything@company2.com", then this Pattern is a + match and the same actions will be taken. + + The meaning of an AllText or BodyText pattern may be negated with the "!" + "toggle NOT" command. You can tell that _NOT_ has been turned on by looking + for the character "!" at the beginning of the pattern line. When the "!" is + present, it reverses the meaning of the match. + + A technicality: Since comma is the character used to separate multiple + values in any of the fields which may have multiple values (such as header + patterns, AllText patterns, BodyText patterns, keywords, folder lists, and + so on), you must escape comma with a backslash (\) if you want to include a + literal comma in one of those fields. In other words, if you type a + backslash followed by a comma it will be interpreted as a comma by _Alpine_, + instead of as a separator between pattern values. All other backslashes + (those not followed by a comma) are literal backslashes and should not be + escaped. It's unlikely you'll ever need to enter a literal comma or + backslash in any of the patterns. + + Current Folder Type + + The "Current Folder Type" may be set to one of four different values: "Any", + "News", "Email", or "Specific". If the value is set to "News", then the + Pattern will only match if the currently open folder is a newsgroup. The + value "Email" only matches if the current folder is not news and the value + "Any" causes any folder to match. If the value of "Current Folder Type" is + set to "Specific", then you must fill in a value for "Folder", which is on + the line below the "Specific" line. In this case you will only get a match + if the currently open folder is the specific folder you list. You may give a + list of folders instead of just a single folder name, in which case the + Pattern will match if the open folder is any one of the folders in the list. + The name of each folder in the list may be either "INBOX", the technical + specification of the folder (like what appears in your configuration file) + or, if the folder is one of your incoming folders, it may be the nickname + you've given the folder. Here are some samples of specific folder names: + + {monet.art.example.com}mail/art-class + + {news.example.com/nntp}#news.comp.mail.pine + + mail/local-folder + + The easiest way to fill in the "Folder" field is to use the "T" command + which is available when the "Folder" line is hilighted, or to use the "Take" + command with the configuration feature "enable-rules-under-take" turned on. + + When reading a newsgroup, there may be a performance penalty incurred when + collecting the information necessary to check whether or not a Pattern + matches a message. For this reason, the default Current Folder Type is set + to "Email". If you have Patterns with a Current Folder Type of either "Any" + or "News" and those Patterns are used for Index Line Coloring or Scoring, + you may experience slower screen redrawing in the MESSAGE INDEX screen when + in a newsgroup. + + Age Interval + + The "Age Interval" may be set to an interval of message ages which should be + considered a match. Like the other parts of the Pattern, if it is unset it + will be ignored. The Age Interval looks like + + (min_age,max_age) + + where "min_age" and "max_age" are integers greater than or equal to zero. + The special value "INF" may be used for the max value. It represents + infinity. + + Actually, this option may be defined as a list of intervals instead of just + a single interval. The list is separated by commas. It can look like + + (min_age1,max_age1),(min_age2,max_age2),... + + When there is an Age Interval defined, it is a match if the age, in days, of + the message is contained in any of the intervals. The intervals include both + endpoints. + + Even though this option is called Age, it isn't actually the _age_ of the + message. Instead, it is how many days ago the message arrived in one of your + folders. If the current time is a little past midnight, then a message that + arrived just before midnight arrived yesterday, even though the message is + only a few minutes old. By default, the date being used is not the date in + the Date header of the message. It is the date that the message arrived in + one of your folders. When you Save a message from one folder to another that + arrival date is preserved. If you would like to use the date in the Date + header that is possible. Turn on the option _use-date-header-for-age_ near + the bottom of the rule definition. + + A value of 0 is today, 1 is yesterday, 2 is the day before yesterday, and so + on. + + Size Interval + + The "Size Interval" may be set to an interval of message sizes which should + be considered a match. Like the other parts of the Pattern, if it is unset + it will be ignored. The Size Interval looks like + + (min_size,max_size) + + where "min_size" and "max_size" are integers greater than or equal to zero. + The special value "INF" may be used for the max value. It represents + infinity. + + Actually, this option may be defined as a list of intervals instead of just + a single interval. The list is separated by commas. It can look like + + (min_size1,max_size1),(min_size2,max_size2),... + + When there is a Size Interval defined, it is a match if the size, in bytes, + of the message is contained in any of the intervals. The intervals include + both endpoints. + + Score Interval + + The "Score Interval" may be set to an interval of message scores which + should be considered a match. Like the other parts of the Pattern, if it is + unset it will be ignored. The Score Interval looks like + + (min_score,max_score) + + where "min_score" and "max_score" are integers between -32000 and 32000. The + special values "-INF" and "INF" may be used for the min and max values to + represent negative and positive infinity. + + Actually, a list of intervals may be used if you wish. A list would look + like + + (min_score1,max_score1),(min_score2,max_score2),... + + When there is a Score Interval defined, it is a match if the score for the + message is contained in any of the intervals in the list. The intervals + include the endpoints. The score for a message is calculated by looking at + every Score rule defined and adding up the Score Values for the ones which + match the message. When deciding whether or not a Pattern matches a message + for purposes of calculating the score, the Score Interval is ignored. + + Message Status + + There are five separate message status settings. By default, all five are + set to the value "Don't care", which will match any message. The value "Yes" + means that the particular status must be true for a match, and the value + "No" means that the particular status must not be true for a match. For + example, one of the five Message Status settings is whether a message is + marked Important or not. A "Yes" means that the message must be Important to + be considered a match and "No" means that the message must not be Important + to be considered a match. The same is true of the other four message status + settings which depend on whether or not the message is New; whether the + message has been Answered or not; whether the message has been Deleted or + not, and whether the message is Recent or not. + + The nomenclature for New and Recent is a bit confusing: + + New means that the message is Unseen. It could have been in your mailbox for + a long time but if you haven't looked at it, it is still considered New. + That matches the default _Alpine_ index display that shows an N for such a + message. + + Recent means that the message was added to this folder since the last time + you opened the folder. _Alpine_ also shows an N by default for these types + of messages. If you were to run two copies of _Alpine_ that opened a folder + one right after the other, a message would only show up as Recent in (at + most) the first _Alpine_ session. + + Message Keywords + + Keywords are similar to Message Status, but they are chosen by the user. + Provided the mail server allows for it, you may add a set of possible + keywords to a folder and then you may set those keywords or not for each + message in the folder. The syntax of this part of the Pattern is similar to + the header patterns. It is a list of keywords. The Keyword part of the + Pattern is a match if the message has any of the keywords in the list set. + Like other parts of the Pattern, if this is unset it will be ignored. + + Message Character Set + + A message may use one or more character sets. This part of the Pattern + matches messages which make use of one or more of the character sets + specified in the pattern. It will be considered a match if a message uses + any of the character sets in the list you give here. The syntax of this part + of the Pattern is similar to the header patterns and the Message Keywords + pattern. It is a list of character sets. + + Besides actual character set names (for example, ISO-8859-7, KOI8-R, or + GB2312) you may also use some shorthand names that _Alpine_ provides. These + names are more understandable shorthand names for sets of character set + names. Two examples are "Cyrillic" and "Greek". Selecting one of these + shorthand names is equivalent to selecting all of the character sets that + make up the set. You can see all of these shorthand names and the lists of + character sets they stand for by typing the "T" command with the Character + Set pattern highlighted. The Character Set part of the Pattern is a match if + the message uses any of the character sets in the list. Like other parts of + the Pattern, if this is unset it will be ignored. + + Raw 8-bit in Subject + + It seems that lots of unwanted email contains unencoded 8-bit characters in + the Subject. Normally, characters with the 8th bit set are not allowed in + the Subject header unless they are MIME-encoded. This option gives you a way + to match messages which have Subjects which contain unencoded 8-bit + characters. Setting this option will affect performance in large folders + because the subject of each message in the folder has to be checked. + + Beginning of Month + + This option gives you a way to take some action once per month. The value + "Yes" means that this must be the first time _Alpine_ has been run this + month in order to count as a match, + + Beginning of Year + + This option gives you a way to take some action once per year. The value + "Yes" means that this must be the first time _Alpine_ has been run this year + in order to count as a match, + + From or Reply-To address in Address Books + + This option gives you a way to match messages which have a From or a + Reply-To address which is in one of your address books. Only the simple + entries in your address books are searched. Address book distribution lists + are ignored! Setting this option will affect performance in large folders + because the From and Reply-To of each message in the folder have to be + checked. + + Categorizer Command + + This is a command that is run with its standard input set to the message + being checked and its standard output discarded. The full directory path + should be specified. The command will be run and then its exit status will + be checked against the Exit Status Interval, which defaults to just the + value zero. If the exit status of the command falls in the interval, it is + considered a match, otherwise it is not a match. + + This option may actually be a list of commands. The first one that exists + and is executable is used. That makes it possible to use the same + configuration with Unix _Alpine_ and _PC-Alpine_. + + If none of the commands in the list exists and is executable then the rule + is _not_ a match. If it is possible that the command may not exist, you + should be careful to structure your rules so that nothing destructive + happens when the command does not exist. For example, you might have a + filter that filters away spam when there is a match but does nothing when + there is not a match. That would continue to work correctly if the command + didn't exist. However, if you have a filter which filters away spam when + there is not a match and keeps it when there is a match, that would filter + everything if the categorizer command didn't exist. + + Help Configuring Pattern Fields + + _Nickname_ + This is a nickname to help you. You should have a different nickname + for each role you define. The nickname will be used in the SETUP ROLE + RULES screen to allow you to pick a role to edit. It will also be + used when you send a message to let you know you are sending with a + different role than you use by default, and it will be useful for + choosing a role when composing with the Role command or when + composing with one of the Role Uses set to With Confirmation. This + field is not used in the outgoing message. + _Comment_ + This is a comment to help you. This comment does not play any + functional role, it is simply an optional comment to help you + remember what the rule is for. + _To pattern_ + If this pattern is non-blank, then for this role to be considered a + match, at least one of the recipients from the To line of the message + being replied to or forwarded must match this pattern. In the case of + the Compose command, this pattern and the other header patterns are + ignored. If this pattern is a list of patterns, then at least one of + the recipients must match at least one of the patterns. (Any other + non-blank parts of the Pattern must match, too.) If the message being + replied to or forwarded has a Resent-To header line, then that is + used in place of the To line. (Note that this special Resent rule + only applies to the To header. The Resent-From, Resent-Subject, and + so on are not consulted.) + It is possible to add a _NOT_ to the To Pattern meaning with the "!" + "toggle NOT" command. This changes the meaning of the To pattern so + that it has the opposite meaning. It will be considered a match if + there are no matches between the addresses in the To: line and the + list of To patterns. + Don't make the mistake of putting the "!" in the data field for the + pattern. For example, if you type the characters "!frizzle" into the + To pattern, the pattern will look like: + To pattern = !frizzle + This means you want to match the 8 character sequence "!frizzle". In + order to match messages which do not have "frizzle" in their To + field, first type the characters "frizzle" followed by carriage + return for the value of the To pattern, then negate it by typing the + "!" command. It should end up looking like + ! To pattern = frizzle + _From pattern_ + This is just like the To pattern except that it is compared with the + address from the From header of the message being replied to or + forwarded instead of the addresses from the To header. + _Sender pattern_ + This is just like the To pattern except that it is compared with the + address from the Sender header of the message being replied to or + forwarded instead of the addresses from the To header. If there is no + Sender header, then the From header is used instead. + _Cc pattern_ + This is just like the To pattern except that it is compared with the + address from the CC header of the message being replied to or + forwarded instead of the addresses from the To header. + _News pattern_ + If this pattern is non-blank, then for this role to be considered a + match, at least one of the newsgroups from the Newsgroups line of the + message must match this pattern. If this pattern is a list of + patterns, then at least one of the newsgroups must match at least one + of the patterns. (Any other non-blank parts of the Pattern must + match, too.) + _Subject pattern_ + This is similar to the other header patterns. It is compared with the + contents from the Subject of the message being replied to or + forwarded. + If you enter non-ascii characters in this field then the search will + be done using the character set you have defined with the + Character-Set configuration variable. (The truly sophisticated may + use an alternate character set for a search by entering the MIME + encoding of the header string here.) + _Extra header patterns_ + There isn't actually a field called Extra header patterns, but you + may add extra header patterns by moving the cursor to one of the + header patterns and using the "eXtraHdr" command to add a new header + pattern. You would do this if the six predefined header patterns + don't cover the header you want to use for pattern matching. Once + you've added an extra header pattern, you use it just like the + Subject pattern. Of course, it is compared with the contents from the + particular header field of the message being replied to or forwarded + rather than the contents from the subject field. To remove an extra + header pattern from a role, use the "RemoveHdr" command on the + highlighted extra header. + If you enter non-ascii characters in this field then the search will + be done using the character set you have defined with the + Character-Set configuration variable. (The truly sophisticated may + use an alternate character set for a search by entering the MIME + encoding of the header string here.) + _Recipient pattern_ + This is just like the To pattern except that it is compared with the + addresses from both the To header and the Cc header instead of just + the addresses from the To header. It's equivalent to having two + different rules; one with a To pattern and the other with the same Cc + pattern. + _Participant pattern_ + This is just like the To pattern except that it is compared with the + addresses from the To header, the Cc header, and the From header + instead of just the addresses from the To header. It's equivalent to + having three different rules; one with a To pattern, another with the + same Cc pattern, and another with the same From pattern. + _AllText pattern_ + This is similar to the header patterns. Instead of comparing with + text in a particular header field it is compared with all of the text + in the message header and body. + If you enter non-ascii characters in this field then the search will + be done using the character set you have defined with the + Character-Set configuration variable. (The truly sophisticated may + use an alternate character set for a search by entering the MIME + encoding of the header string here.) + _BodyText pattern_ + Just like AllText, except it is compared only with the body of the + message, not the body and header. + If you enter non-ascii characters in this field then the search will + be done using the character set you have defined with the + Character-Set configuration variable. (The truly sophisticated may + use an alternate character set for a search by entering the MIME + encoding of the header string here.) + _Age Interval_ + The Age Interval, if defined, is part of the Pattern. If you use + this, it should be set to something like: + + (min_age,max_age) + where "min_age" and "max_age" are non-negative integers. The special + value "INF" may be used for the max value. It represents infinity. + In rare cases it may be useful to use the more general form of the + value, which is a comma-separated list of intervals. It would look + something like: + + (min_age1,max_age1),(min_age2,max_age2),... + When there is an Age Interval defined, it is a match if the age, in + days, of the message is contained in the interval. The interval + includes both endpoints. If the option is set to a list of intervals + then it is a match if the age of the message is contained in any of + the intervals. + Even though this option is called Age, it isn't actually the _age_ of + the message. Instead, it is how many days ago the message arrived in + one of your folders. If the current time is a little past midnight, + then a message that arrived just before midnight arrived yesterday, + even though the message is only a few minutes old. By default, the + date being used is not the date in the Date header of the message. It + is the date that the message arrived in one of your folders. When you + Save a message from one folder to another that arrival date is + preserved. If you would like to use the date in the Date header that + is possible. Turn on the option _use-date-header-for-age_ near the + bottom of the rule definition. + A value of 0 is today, 1 is yesterday, 2 is the day before yesterday, + and so on. The age interval + + (2,2) + matches all messages that arrived on the day before yesterday. The + interval + + (180,INF) + matches all messages that arrived at least 180 days before today. The + interval + + (0,1) + matches all messages that arrived today or yesterday. + _Score Interval_ + The Score Interval, if defined, is part of the Pattern. If you use + this, it should be set to something like: + + (min_score,max_score) + where "min_score" and "max_score" are integers between -32000 and + 32000. The special values "-INF" and "INF" can be used for the min + and max values. These represent negative and positive infinity. + Actually, the value may be a list of intervals rather than just a + single interval if that is useful. The elements of the list are + separated by commas like: + + (min_score1,max_score1),(min_score2,max_score2),... + When there is a Score Interval defined, it is a match if the score + for the message is contained in any of the intervals. The intervals + include both endpoints. The score for a message is calculated by + looking at every scoring rule defined and adding up the Score Values + for the rules which match the message. + _Keyword pattern_ + A folder may have user-defined keywords. These are similar to the + Important flag which the user may set using the Flag command. The + difference is that the Important flag is always present for each + folder. User-defined keywords are picked by the user. You may add new + keywords by defining them in the Keywords option in the Setup/Config + screen. After you have added a potential keyword with the Keywords + option, the Flag command may be used to set or clear the keyword on + individual messages. If you have given a keyword a nickname when + configuring it, that nickname may be used instead of the actual + keyword. + When filling in a value for this field, it may be easiest to use the + "T" command, which presents you with a list of the keywords you have + defined to choose from. + This part of the Pattern matches messages with certain keywords set. + It will be considered a match if a message has any of the keywords in + the list set. + It is possible to add a _NOT_ to the Keyword Pattern meaning with the + "!" "toggle NOT" command. This changes the meaning of the Keyword + pattern so that it has the opposite meaning. It will be considered a + match if none of the keywords in the list are set for a message. + Don't make the mistake of putting the "!" in the data field for the + pattern. For example, if you type the characters "!frizzle" into the + Keyword pattern, the pattern will look like: + Keyword pattern = !frizzle + This means you want to match the 8 character sequence "!frizzle". In + order to match messages which do not have the keyword "frizzle" set, + first type the characters "frizzle" followed by carriage return for + the value of the Keyword pattern, then negate it by typing the "!" + command. It should end up looking like + ! Keyword pattern = frizzle + _Character Set pattern_ + A message may use one or more character sets. This part of the + Pattern matches messages which make use of certain specified + character sets. It will be considered a match if a message uses any + of the character sets in the list you give here. + When filling in a value for this field, you may use the "T" command, + which presents you with a large list of possible character sets to + choose from. You may also just type in the name of a character set, + and it need not be one that Alpine knows about. + Besides actual character set names (for example, ISO-8859-7, KOI8-R, + or GB2312) you may also use some shorthand names that Alpine + provides. These names are more understandable shorthand names for + sets of character set names. Two examples are "Cyrillic" and "Greek". + Selecting one of these shorthand names is equivalent to selecting all + of the character sets that make up the set. You can see all of these + shorthand names and the lists of character sets they stand for by + typing the "T" command. + For the purposes of this Pattern, _Alpine_ will search through a + message for all of the text parts and collect the character sets + declared for each part. It will also look in the Subject line for a + character set used there. _Alpine_ does not actually look at the text + of the message or the text of the Subject to determine if a declared + character set is actually used, it looks only at the declarations + themselves in the MIME part headers and in the Subject. + It is possible to add a _NOT_ to the Character Set Pattern meaning + with the "!" "toggle NOT" command. This changes the meaning of the + Character Set pattern so that it has the opposite meaning. It will be + considered a match if none of the character sets in the list are used + in a message. + Don't make the mistake of putting the "!" in the data field for the + pattern. For example, if you type the characters "!GB2312" into the + Character Set pattern, the pattern will look like: + Charset pattern = !GB2312 + This means you want to match the 7 character sequence "!GB2312". In + order to match messages which do not have the character set "GB2312" + set, first type the characters "GB2312" followed by carriage return + for the value of the Character Set pattern, then negate it by typing + the "!" command. It should end up looking like + ! Charset pattern = GB2312 + A technicality: Since comma is the character used to separate + multiple values in a pattern field, you have to escape comma with a + backslash (\) if you want to include a literal comma in the field. In + other words, if you type a backslash followed by a comma it will be + interpreted as a comma by _Alpine_, instead of as a separator between + pattern values. All other backslashes are literal backslashes and + should not be escaped. + _Current Folder Type_ + The Current Folder Type is part of the Pattern. It refers to the type + of the currently open folder, which is the folder you were last + looking at from the MESSAGE INDEX or MESSAGE TEXT screen. In order + for a pattern to be considered a match, the current folder must be of + the type you set here. The three types "Any", "News", and "Email" are + all what you might think. + If the Current Folder Type for a Pattern is set to "News", for + example, then that will only be a match if the current folder is a + newsgroup and the rest of the Pattern matches. The value "Specific" + may be used when you want to limit the match to a specific folder + (not just a specific type of folder), or to a list of specific + folders. In order to match a specific folder you must Select the + "Specific" button _AND_ you must fill in the name (or list of names) + of the folder in the "Folder" field. If the current folder is any of + the folders in the list, that is considered a match. The name of each + folder in the list may be either "INBOX", the technical specification + of the folder (like what appears in your configuration file) or, if + the folder is one of your incoming folders, it may be the nickname + you've given the folder. Here are a couple samples of specific folder + names: + + {monet.art.example.com}mail/art-class + + {news.example.com/nntp}#news.comp.mail.pine + The easiest way to fill in the "Folder" field is to use the T command + which is available when the "Folder" line is hilighted. Note that you + won't be able to edit the "Folder" line unless the Current Folder + Type is set to "Specific", and any value that "Folder" has is ignored + unless the type is set to "Specific". + When reading a newsgroup, there may be a performance penalty incurred + when collecting the information necessary to check a Pattern. For + this reason, the default Current Folder Type is set to "Email". For + example, a role with a non-Normal Index Line Color and a Current + Folder Type of "Any" or "News" may cause the MESSAGE INDEX screen to + draw more slowly when in a newsgroup. + _Message Status Important_ + This part of the Pattern may have one of three possible values. The + default value is "Don't care", which matches any message. The other + two values are "Yes", which means the message must be flagged + "Important" in order to be a match; or "No", which means the message + must _not_ be flagged "Important" in order to be considered a match. + _Message Status New_ + This part of the Pattern may have one of three possible values. The + default value is "Don't care", which matches any message. The other + two values are "Yes", which means the message must be "New" in order + to be a match; or "No", which means the message must _not_ be "New" + in order to be a match. "New" is the same as _Unseen_ and not "New" + is the same as _Seen_. + The nomenclature for New and Recent is a bit confusing: + New means that the message is Unseen. It could have been in your + mailbox for a long time but if you haven't looked at it, it is still + considered New. That matches the default _Alpine_ index display that + shows an N for such a message. + Recent means that the message was added to this folder since the last + time you opened the folder. _Alpine_ also shows an N by default for + these types of messages. If you were to run two copies of _Alpine_ + that opened a folder one right after the other, a message would only + show up as Recent in (at most) the first _Alpine_ session. + _Message Status Recent_ + This part of the Pattern may have one of three possible values. The + default value is "Don't care", which matches any message. The other + two values are "Yes", which means the message must be "Recent" in + order to be a match; or "No", which means the message must _not_ be + "Recent" in order to be a match. "Recent" means that the message was + added to the folder since the last time the folder was opened. If + more than one mail client has the folder opened, the message will + appear to be "Recent" to only one of the clients. + The nomenclature for New and Recent is a bit confusing: + New means that the message is Unseen. It could have been in your + mailbox for a long time but if you haven't looked at it, it is still + considered New. That matches the default _Alpine_ index display that + shows an N for such a message. + Recent means that the message was added to this folder since the last + time you opened the folder. _Alpine_ also shows an N by default for + these types of messages. If you were to run two copies of _Alpine_ + that opened a folder one right after the other, a message would only + show up as Recent in (at most) the first _Alpine_ session. + _Message Status Deleted_ + This part of the Pattern may have one of three possible values. The + default value is "Don't care", which matches any message. The other + two values are "Yes", which means the message must be marked + "Deleted" in order to be a match; or "No", which means the message + must _not_ be marked "Deleted" in order to be a match. + If you are thinking of using this part of the Pattern as a way to + prevent messages from being filtered more than once in a Filter + Pattern, take a look at the Filter Option "move-only-if-not-deleted" + instead. It should work better than using this field since it will + hide the filtered messages even if they are already Deleted. + _Message Status Answered_ + This part of the Pattern may have one of three possible values. The + default value is "Don't care", which matches any message. The other + two values are "Yes", which means the message must be marked + "Answered" in order to be a match; or "No", which means the message + must _not_ be marked "Answered" in order to be a match. + _Subject Contains Raw 8-bit_ + This part of the Pattern may have one of three possible values. The + default value is "Don't care", which matches any message. The other + two values are "Yes", which means the Subject of the message must + contain unencoded 8-bit characters (characters with the most + significant bit set) in order to be a match; or "No", which means the + Subject must _not_ contain unencoded 8-bit characters in order to be + a match. + _Beginning of Month_ + This part of the Pattern may have one of three possible values. The + default value is "Don't care", which matches any message. The other + two values are "Yes", which means this is the first time _Alpine_ has + been run this month; or "No", which means this is _not_ the first + time _Alpine_ has been run this month. The way that _Alpine_ decides + if it is the beginning of the month or not is to compare today's date + with the date stored in the Last-Time-Prune-Questioned variable in + the config file. If the month of today's date is later than the month + stored in the variable, then this is considered to be the first time + you have run Alpine this month, and that turns the Beginning of the + Month option on. + _Beginning of Year_ + This part of the Pattern may have one of three possible values. The + default value is "Don't care", which matches any message. The other + two values are "Yes", which means this is the first time _Alpine_ has + been run this year; or "No", which means this is _not_ the first time + _Alpine_ has been run this year. The way that _Alpine_ decides if it + is the beginning of the year or not is to compare today's date with + the date stored in the Last-Time-Prune-Questioned variable in the + config file. If the year of today's date is later than the year + stored in the variable, then this is considered to be the first time + you have run Alpine this year, and that turns the Beginning of the + Year option on. + _From or Reply-To in Address Book_ + This part of the Pattern may have one of five possible values. The + default value is "Don't care", which matches any message. The value + "Yes, in any address book" means either the From address or the + Reply-To address of the message must be in at least one of your + address books in order to be a match. The value "No, not in any + address book" means neither the From nor the Reply-To addresses may + be in any of your address books in order to be a match. + The values "Yes, in specific address books" and "No, not in any of + specific address books" are similar but instead of depending on all + address books you are allowed to give a list of address books to look + in. Usually this would be a single address book but it may be a list + of address books as well. For each of these "specific" address book + options you Select which of the Specific options you want (Yes or No) + _AND_ fill in the name (or list of names) of the address book in the + "Abook List" field. The names to be used are those that appear in the + ADDRESS BOOK LIST screen. The easiest way to fill in the Abook List + field it to use the "T" command which is available when the "Abook + List" line is highlighted. Note that you won't be able to edit the + "Abook List" line unless the option is set to one of the two + "Specific", values. + _Categorizer Command_ + This is a command that is run with its standard input set to the + message being checked and its standard output discarded. The full + directory path should be specified. The command will be run and then + its exit status will be checked against the _Exit Status Interval_, + which defaults to just the value zero. If the exit status of the + command falls in the interval, it is considered a match, otherwise it + is not a match. + This option may actually be a list of commands. The first one that + exists and is executable is used. That makes it possible to use the + same configuration with Unix _Alpine_ and _PC-Alpine_. + If none of the commands in the list exists and is executable then the + rule is _not_ a match. If it is possible that the command may not + exist, you should be careful to structure your rules so that nothing + destructive happens when the command does not exist. For example, you + might have a filter that filters away spam when there is a match but + does nothing when there is not a match. That would continue to work + correctly if the command didn't exist. However, if you have a filter + which filters away spam when there is not a match and keeps it when + there is a match, that would filter everything if the categorizer + command didn't exist. + The categorizer command is run and the result is the exit status of + that command. If that exit status falls in the _Exit Status Interval_ + then it is considered a match, otherwise it is not a match. Of course + for the entire rule to match, it must also be checked against the + other defined parts of the Pattern. + The _Exit Status Interval_ defaults to the single value 0 (zero). If + you define it, it should be set to something like: + + (min_exit_value,max_exit_value) + where "min_exit_value" and "max_exit_value" are integers. The special + values "INF" and "-INF" may be used for large positive and negative + integers. + Actually, a list of intervals may be used if you wish. A list would + look like + + (min_exit_value1,max_exit_value1),(min_exit_value2,max_exit_value2),... + When there is an _Exit Status Interval_ defined, it is a match if the + exit status of the categorizer command is contained in any of the + intervals. The intervals include both endpoints. + The default interval is + + (0,0) + and it matches only if the command exits with exit status equal to + zero. + It is also possible to set a _Character Limit_ for the categorizer + command. Setting this option makes it possible to limit how much of + the message is made available to the categorizer command as input. + The default value (-1) means that the entire message is fed to the + command. A value of 0 (zero) means that only the headers of the + message are made available. A positive integer means that the headers + plus that many characters from the body of the message are passed to + the categorizer. + +Configuring News + + _Alpine_ can access news folders in any one of three different ways: + + REMOTE NNTP + Using the Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP) to access news on a + remote news server. In this case the newsrc file is stored on the + machine where _Alpine_ is running. + + To specify a remote news-collection accessed via NNTP use the + SETUP/collectionList screen's "Add" command. Set the Server: value to + the NNTP server's hostname appended with the communication method + "/service=NNTP", and set the Path: value to the "#news." namespace + (without the quotes). + + Instead of specifying a news-collection, you may simply set the + nntp-server option, which will cause _Alpine_ to create a default + news-collection for you. Another NNTP option which may be of interest + is nntp-range. + + REMOTE IMAP + Using the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) to access news on a + remote news server. In this case, your newsrc file is stored on the + news server, in your home directory, so you must have an account on + the news server, but you would be running _Alpine_ on a different + machine. The news server must be running an IMAPd server process. + + To specify a remote news-collection accessed via IMAP use the + SETUP/collectionList screen's "Add" command. Set the Server: value to + the IMAP server's hostname, and set the Path: value to the "#news." + namespace (without the quotes). + + LOCAL + Using local file access to the news database. In this case, your + newsrc file is stored on the news server, in your home directory, so + you must have an account on the news server, and you would be running + _Alpine_ on the same machine. + + To specify a local news-collection use the SETUP/collectionList + screen's "Add" command. Leave the Server: value blank, and set the + Path: value to the "#news." namespace (without the quotes). + + NOTE: Should no news-collection be defined as above, _Alpine_ will + automatically create one using the Setup/Config screen's "nntp-server" + variable's value if defined. The collection will be created as a "Remote + NNTP" as described above. + + If you are a _PC-Alpine_ user, either option 1 (NNTP) or option 2 (IMAP) is + possible. If you don't have an account on the news server, or if the news + server is not running an IMAP daemon, then you must use NNTP. (If you are + not sure, ask your service provider, university, or company for help.) In + this case, your Unix .newsrc file can be transferred to your PC. A good + place to put it would be in the same directory as your PINERC file, under + the name NEWSRC, but you can specify a different location. + + Other configuration features related to news are Enable-8bit-Nntp-Posting. + Compose-Sets-Newsgroup-Without-Confirm, News-Approximates-New-Status, + News-Deletes-Across-Groups, News-Offers-Catchup-On-Close, + News-Post-Without-Validation, News-Read-in-Newsrc-Order, and + Quell-Extra-Post-Prompt. + _________________________________________________________________ + + Notes on Configuration and Preferences + +Alpine in Function Key Mode + + The standard _Alpine_ uses alphabetic keys for most commands, and control + keys in the composer. Despite possible appearances, the current bindings are + the result of much discussion and thought. All the commands in the composer + are single control characters. This keeps things very neat and simple for + users. Two character commands in the composer are a possibility, but we're + trying to avoid them because of the added complexity for the user. + + _Alpine_ can also operate in a function-key mode. To go into this mode + invoke _alpine -k_ or (on some UNIX systems) _alpinef._ On a UNIX system, + you can link or copy the _Alpine_ executable to _alpinef_ to install + _alpinef._ Alternatively, users and systems administrators can set the + _use-function-keys_ feature in the personal or system-wide _Alpine_ + configuration file. The command menus at the bottom of the screen will show + _F1-F12 _instead of the alphabetic commands. In addition, the help screens + will be written in terms of function keys and not alphabetic keys. + + One of the results of using _Alpine_ in function-key mode is that users can + only choose from twelve commands at any given time. In alphabetic-key mode, + a user can press a key for a command (say, q to quit) and that command can + be fulfilled. In function-key mode, the command must be visible on the + bottom key-menu in order to be used. There are some screens where four + screens of commands are operational; function-key users can get to all of + them, just not all at once. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Domain Settings + + _Alpine_ uses the default domain for a few different tasks. First, it is + tacked onto the user-id for outgoing email. Second, it is tacked onto all + "local" (unqualified) addresses in the "To:" or "Cc:" fields of messages + being composed (unless they are found in the address book or on an LDAP + server). The domain name is also used to generate message-id lines for each + outgoing message and to allow _Alpine_ to check if an address is that of the + current _Alpine_ user. + + _Alpine_ determines the domain name according to whichever of these it + finds. The list here is in decreasing order of precedence. + 1. Value of the variable user-domain in the system fixed configuration file + 2. Value of the variable _user-domain_ in the personal configuration file + 3. Value of the variable _user-domain_ in the system-wide configuration + file + 4. Value from an external database (DNS, /etc/hosts, NIS) as modified by a + system fixed configuration file if use-only-domain-name set to _yes_ + 5. Value from an external database (DNS, /etc/hosts, NIS) as modified by a + personal configuration file if _use-only-domain-name_ set to _yes_ + 6. Value from an external database (DNS, /etc/hosts, NIS) as modified by a + system configuration file if _use-only-domain-name_ set to _yes_ + 7. Unmodified value (host name) from an external database + + The easiest way for this system to work is for _PC-Alpine_ users and UNIX + _Alpine_ system administrators to set the _user-domain_ variable. The + variable _use-only-domain-name_ is helpful if your site supports/requires + hostless addressing, but for some reason you don't want to use the + _user-domain_ variable. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Syntax for Collections + + In many environments, it is quite common to have collections of archived + mail on various hosts around the network. Using the folder collections + facility in _Alpine_, access to these archives is just as simple as access + to folders on _Alpine_'s local disk. + + "Collection" is the word we use in _Alpine_ to describe a set of folders. A + collection corresponds loosely to a "directory" containing mail folders. + Folders within a defined collection can be manipulated (opened, saved-to, + etc) using just their simple name. Any number of folder collections can be + defined, and _Alpine_ will adjust its menus and prompts to help navigate + them. + + The way collections are defined in _Alpine_ is with the folder-collections + variable in the _Alpine_ configuration file. _Folder-collections_ takes a + list of one or more collections, each (optionally) preceded by a + user-defined logical name (label). Once collections are defined, _Alpine_ + adjusts its menus and behavior to allow choosing files by their simple name + within the collection. + + Consider the following: + folder-collections= Local-Mail C:\MAIL\[], + Remote-Mail {imap.u.example.edu}mail/[] + + The example shows two collections defined (a comma separated list; newlines + in the list are OK if there's one or more spaces before the next entry), one + local and one remote. Each collection is a space-delimited pair of + elements-first an optional logical-name and second the collection specifier. + The logical-name can have spaces if it has quotes around it (but keeping the + logical name short and descriptive works best). _Alpine_ will use the + logical-name (if provided) to reference all folders in the collection, so + the user never has to see the ugliness of the collection specifier. + + The collection specifier can be thought of as an extended IMAP format (see + the Remote Folders section for a description of IMAP format names). + Basically, a pair of square-brackets are placed in the fully qualified IMAP + path where the simple folder name (the part without the host name and path) + would appear. Like IMAP, the path can be either fully qualified (i.e., with + a leading '/') or relative to your home directory. + + An advanced feature of this notation is that a pattern within the square + brackets allows the user to define a collection to be a subset of a + directory. For example, a collection defined with the specifier: + M-Mail C:MAIL/[m*] + + will provide a view in the folder lister of all folders in the PC's "C:MAIL" + directory that start with the letter 'm' (case insensitive under DOS, of + course). Further, the wildcard matching will honor characters trailing the + '*' in the pattern. + + From within _Alpine_, the "Folder List" display will be adjusted to allow + browsing of the folders in any defined collection. Even more, you'll notice + in the _Goto_ and _Save_ commands a pair of sub-commands to rotate through + the list of logical collection names, so only a simple name need be input in + order to operate on a folder in any collection. + + The first collection specified in the _folder-collections_ has special + significance. That folder is the "default collection for saves". By default, + in cases where the user does not specify which collection should be used to + _Save_ a message, the default collection for saves will be used. Also, if the + default-fcc is a relative file name, then it is relative to the default + collection for saves. (See also saved-msg-name-rule. + + The notion of collections encompasses both email folders and news reading. + The variable news-collections uses nearly the same format as + _folder-collections_. Newsgroups can be defined for convenient access via + either IMAP or NNTP. There are advantages and disadvantages to both access + methods. In the IMAP case, your news environment state is maintained on the + server and, thus, will be seen by any client. The downside is that, at the + moment, you must have an account on the server. In the NNTP case, server + access is mostly anonymous and no state/accounting need be maintained on it. + The downside is that each client, for now, must individually maintain news + environment state. + + An example pinerc entry might be: + news-collections= Remote-State {news.u.example.edu}#news.[], + Local-State {news.u.example.edu/nntp}#news.[] + + Only newsgroups to which you are subscribed are included in the collection. + + The pattern matching facility can be applied so as to define a news + collection which is a subset of all the newsgroups you subscribe to. For + example, this could be a valid collection: + Newsfeed-News {news.u.example.edu/nntp}#news.[clari.* +] + + Collection handling is a tough problem to solve in a general way, and the + explanation of the syntax is a bit ugly. The upside is, hopefully, that for + a little complexity in the _Alpine_ configuration file you get simple + management of multiple folders in diverse locations. + + Collection setup is handled by the _Setup/collectionList_ screen. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Syntax for Folder Names + + Remote folders are distinguished from local folders by a leading host name + bracketed by '{' and '}'. The path and folder name immediately following the + closing bracket, '}', is interpreted by the remote server and is in a form + compatible with that server (i.e., path delimiters and naming syntax + relative to that server). + + The full syntax for a _Alpine_ folder name looks like + + [{<remote-specification>}][#<namespace>]<namespace-specific-part> + + The square brackets ([]) mean that the part is optional. + + If there is no remote-specification, then the folder name is interpreted + locally on the computer running _Alpine_. Local folder names depend on the + operating system used by the computer running _Alpine_, as well as the + configuration of that system. For example, "C:\ALPINE\FOLDERS\OCT-94" might + exist on a PC, and "~/mail/september-1994" might be a reasonable folder name + on a system running Unix. + + _Alpine_ users have the option of using folders which are stored on some + other computer. _Alpine_ accesses remote folders via IMAP (the Internet + Message Access Protocol), or in the case of news, via NNTP (the Network News + Transport Protocol). To be able to access remote folders in _Alpine_, the + remote host must be running the appropriate server software (imapd or nntpd) + and you must correctly specify the name of the folder to _Alpine_, including + the domain name of the remote machine. For example, + + {monet.art.example.com}INBOX + + could be a remote folder specification, and so could + + {unixhost.art.example.com}~/mail/september-1994 + + and + + {winhost.art.example.com}\mymail\SEP-94 + + Note that in the case of remote folders, the directory/file path in the + specification is determined by the operating system of the remote computer, + _not_ by the operating system of the computer on which you are running + _Alpine_. + + As you can tell, the name of the computer is in {} brackets followed + immediately by the name of the folder. (In each of these cases the optional + namespace is missing.) If, as in these examples, there is no remote access + protocol specified, then IMAP is assumed. Check Server Name Syntax for a + more detailed look at what options can be placed between the brackets. If + there are no brackets at all, then the folder name is interpreted locally on + the computer on which you are running _Alpine_. + + To the right of the brackets when a server name is present, or at the start + of the foldername if no server is present, the sharp sign, "#", holds + special meaning. It indicates a folder name outside the area reserved for + your personal folders. In fact, it's used to indicate both the name of the + folder, and a special phrase telling _Alpine_ how to interpret the name that + follows. + + So, for example, _Alpine_ can be used to access a newsgroup that might be + available on your computer using: + + #news.comp.mail.pine + + The sharp sign indicates the folder name is outside your personal folder + area. The "news." phrase after it tells _Alpine_ to interpret the remainder + of the name as a newsgroup. + + Similarly, to access a newsgroup on your IMAP server, you might use + something like: + + {wharhol.art.example.com}#news.comp.mail.misc + + There are a number of such special phrases (or "namespaces") available. For + a more detailed explanation read about Namespaces. + + Note that "INBOX" has special meaning in both local and remote folder names. + The name INBOX refers to your "principal incoming message folder" and will + be mapped to the actual file name used for your INBOX on any given host. + Therefore, a name like "{xxx.art.example.com}INBOX" refers to whatever file + is used to store incoming mail for you on that particular host. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Server Name Syntax + + This section describes the syntax which may be used for server names which + may be associated with remote folders or SMTP servers. + + A server name is the hostname of the server. It's a good idea to use the + host's fully-qualified network name. + + foo.example.com + + However, IP addresses are allowed if surrounded with square-brackets. + + [127.0.0.1] + + An optional network port number may be supplied by appending a colon (:) + followed by the port number to the server name. By default, the IMAP port + number, 143, is used. + + foo.example.com:port + + Besides server name and optional port number, various other optional + parameters may be supplied that alter _Alpine_'s interaction with the + server. A parameter is supplied by appending a slash (/) character followed + by the parameter's name and, depending on the particular parameter, the + value assigned to that name, to the server name (and optional port number). + Parameter names are _not_ case sensitive. Currently supported parameters + include: + + User + This parameter requires an associated value, and is intended to + provide the username identifier with which to establish the server + connection. If your SMTP server offers SMTP AUTH authentication, + adding this parameter to the SMTP-Server option will cause _Alpine_ + to attempt to authenticate to the server using the supplied username. + Similarly, if your NNTP server offers NNTP "AUTHINFO SASL" or + "AUTHINFO USER" authentication, adding this parameter to the + NNTP-Server option (or to the server name for any folder collection + using NNTP) will cause _Alpine_ to attempt to authenticate to the + server using the supplied username. An example might be: + + /user=katie + + TLS + Normally, when a new connection is made an attempt is made to + negotiate a secure (encrypted) session using Transport Layer Security + (TLS). If that fails then a non-encrypted connection will be + attempted instead. This is a unary parameter indicating communication + with the server must take place over a TLS connection. If the attempt + to use TLS fails then this parameter will cause the connection to + fail instead of falling back to an unsecure connection. + + /tls + + SSL + This is a unary parameter indicating communication with the server + should take place over a Secure Socket Layer connection. The server + must support this method, and be prepared to accept connections on + the appropriate port (993 by default). _Alpine_ must be linked with + an SSL library for this option to be operational. + + /ssl + + NoValidate-Cert + Do not validate certificates (for TLS or SSL connections) from the + server. This is needed if the server uses self-signed certificates or + if _Alpine_ cannot validate the certificate for some other known + reason. + + Anonymous + This is a unary parameter (that means it does not have a value) + indicating that the connection be logged in as "anonymous" rather + than a specific user. Not all servers offer anonymous access; those + which do generally only offer read-only access to certain "public" + folders. + + /anonymous + + Secure + This is a unary parameter indicating that the connection use the most + secure authentication method mutually supported by _Alpine_ and the + server. _Alpine_ is capable of authenticating connections to the + server using several methods. By default, _Alpine_ will attempt each + method until either a connection is established or the list of + methods is exhausted. This parameter causes _Alpine_ to instead fail + the connection if the first (generally most "secure") method fails. + + /secure + + Submit + This is a unary parameter for use with the "SMTP-Server" option. It + indicates that the connection should be made to the Submit server + (RFC 3676) (port 587) instead of the SMTP port (25). At the time this + help was written the submit option was equivalent to specifying port + 587. + + /submit + + or + + host:587 + + Debug + This is a unary parameter indicating that the connection be + established in a verbose mode. Basically, it causes _Alpine_ to log + the communication with the server in _Alpine_'s debug file. Normally, + the alpine -d command-line flag would be used instead. + + NoRsh + By default, _Alpine_ attempts to login using "rsh", the UNIX remote + shell program. Including "NoRsh" will cause connections to this + server to skip the "rsh" attempt. This might be useful to avoid long + timeouts caused by rsh firewalls, for example. + + Service + This parameter requires an associated value. The default value is + "IMAP" which indicates communication with the server based on the + IMAP4rev1 protocol (defined in RFC 3501 -- see + http://www.imap.org/docs/rfc3501.html). Other service values include: + + NNTP + This value indicates communication with the server takes place + via the Network News Transfer Protocol. Use this to define a + collection of newsgroups on a remote news server. So + + /service=NNTP + + or just + + /NNTP + + is the way to specify NNTP access. + + POP3 + This value indicates communication with the server takes place + via the Post Office Protocol 3 protocol. + + /service=POP3 + + or just + + /POP3 + + Note that there are several important issues to consider when + selecting this option: + + 1. POP3 provides access to only your INBOX. In other words, + secondary folders such as your "saved-messages" are + inaccessible. + 2. _Alpine_'s implementation of POP3 does not follow the + traditional POP model and will leave your mail on the server. + Refer to the Mail Drop functionality for a possible way around + this problem. + 3. See the discussion about new-mail checking in + Folder-Reopen-Rule. + + Note that it is possible to include more than one parameter in a server + specification by concatenating the parameters. For example: + + foo.example.com:port/user=katie/novalidate-cert/debug + _________________________________________________________________ + +Folder Namespaces + + A _Alpine_ folder name looks like + + [{<remote-specification>}][#<namespace>][<namespace-specific-part>] + + The local part of a folder name has an optional "Namespace" which tells + _Alpine_ how to interpret the rest of the name. + + By default the folder name is interpreted as defining a section of your + personal folder area. This area and how you specify it are defined by the + server, if one is specified, or, typically, the home directory, if no server + is defined. + + If a namespace is specified, it begins with the sharp, "#", character + followed by the name of the namespace and then the namespace's + path-element-delimiter. Aside from the path's format, namespaces can also + imply access rights, content policy, audience, location, and, occasionally, + access methods. + + Each server exports its own set (possibly of size one) of namespaces. Hence, + it's likely communication with your server's administrator will be required + for specific configurations. Some of the more common namespaces, however, + include: + + #news. + This specifies a set of folders in the newsgroup namespace. Newsgroup + names are hierarchically defined with each level delimited by a + period. + + #news.comp.mail.pine + + #public/ + This specifies a folder area that the server may export to the + general public. + + #shared/ + This specifies a folder area that the folder may export to groups of + users. + + #ftp/ + This specifies a folder area that is the same as that it may have + exported via the "File Transfer Protocol". + + #mh/ + This specifies the personal folder area associated with folders and + directories that were created using the MH message handling system. + + #move/ + This namespace is interpreted locally by _Alpine_. It has an unusual + interpretation and format. + + #move<DELIM><MailDropFolder><DELIM><DestinationFolder> + + The #move namespace is followed by two folder names separated by a + delimiter character. The delimiter character may be any character + which does not appear in the MailDropFolder name. The meaning of + #move is that mail will be copied from the MailDropFolder to the + DestinationFolder and then deleted (if possible) from the + MailDropFolder. Periodic checks at frequency Mail-Check-Interval, but + with a minimum time between checks set by MailDrop-Check-Minimum, are + made for new mail arriving in the MailDropFolder. An example which + copies mail from a POP inbox to a local folder follows + + #move+{popserver.example.com/pop3/ssl}inbox+local folder + + To you it appears that mail is being delivered to the local folder + when it is copied from the MailDropFolder, and you read mail from the + local folder. + + Note that if the DestinationFolder does not exist then the messages + are not copied from the MailDropFolder. A #move folder may only be + used as an Incoming folder or an Inbox. When you are in the FOLDER + LIST of Incoming Message Folders (after turning on the + enable-incoming-folders option) the Add command has a subcommand "Use + Mail Drop" which may be helpful for defining the folder in your + _Alpine_ configuration. The same is true when you edit the Inbox-Path + option in Setup/Config. Each of these configuration methods will also + create the DestinationFolder if it doesn't already exist. If you are + having problems, make sure the DestinationFolder exists. + + In addition, the server may support access to other user's folders, provided + you have suitable permissions. Common methods use a prefix of either + "~user/", or "/user/" to indicate the root of the other user's folder area. + _________________________________________________________________ + +What is a Mail Drop? + + In some situaions it may make sense to have your mail delivered to one + folder (the Mail Drop) and then when you want to read mail that has been + delivered to the Mail Drop folder _Alpine_ will move it to another + destination folder. Often the Mail Drop will be a remote folder and messages + will be moved from there to a local destination folder. + + One example where this might make sense is if the Mail Drop folder is + accessible only with the POP protocol. You could designate your POP inbox as + the Mail Drop folder and have _Alpine_ move mail from there to a local (on + the same machine _Alpine_ is running on) destination folder, where you'll + read it. + + A Mail Drop may only be used as your Inbox or as an Incoming folder. + + There is no attempt to synchronize the contents of the destination folder + with the contents of the Mail Drop folder. All that happens is that all of + the messages in the Mail Drop folder are copied to the destination folder + and then they are deleted and expunged (if possible) from the Mail Drop + folder. The next time a check for new mail is made, any messages in the Mail + Drop folder are once again copied to the destination folder and deleted and + expunged from the Mail Drop folder. (If the Mail Drop folder is a news + group, then the messages can't be expunged from the newsgroup. Instead, only + Recent messages are copied from the newsgroup to the destination folder.) + + Configuration of a Mail Drop is a little different from configuration of a + folder which does not use a Mail Drop because you have to specify two folder + names instead of one. The two folders may be any types of folders that + _Alpine_ can normally use. They don't have to be a remote folder and a local + folder, that is simply the most common usage. When you use a Mail Drop + folder _Alpine_ will periodically re-open the Mail Drop to check for new + mail. The new-mail checks will happen at the frequency set with the + Mail-Check-Interval option, but with a minimum time (MailDrop-Check-Minimum) + between checks. Because of this minimum you may notice that new mail does + not appear promptly when you expect it. The reason for this is to protect + the server from over-zealous opening and closing of the Mail Drop folder. If + the user initiates the check by typing ^L (Ctrl-L) or the Next command when + at the end of the folder index, then the check will happen, regardless of + how long it has been since the previous check. + + If there is new mail, that mail will be copied to the destination folder and + then will be deleted from the Mail Drop. Note that using a Mail Drop with a + local destination folder does not make sense if you read mail from more than + one machine, because the mail is downloaded to the destination folder (which + is accessible from only one machine) and deleted from the Mail Drop. + + The feature Maildrops-Preserve-State modifies the operation of Mail Drops. + + The actual syntax used by _Alpine_ for a folder that uses a Mail Drop is: + + #move<DELIM><MailDropFolder><DELIM><DestinationFolder> + + The brackets are not literal. + + <DELIM> + + is a single character which does not appear in the MailDropFolder name. If + the name doesn't contain spaces then it can be a space character. The two + folder names are full technical folder names as used by _Alpine_. Here are a + couple examples to give you an idea what is being talked about: + + #move {popserver.example.com/pop3}inbox localfolder + + #move+{nntpserver.example.com/nntp}#news.comp.mail.pine+local folder + + A #move folder may only be used as an Incoming folder or an Inbox. When you + are in the FOLDER LIST of Incoming Message Folders (after turning on the + Enable-Incoming-Folders option) the Add command has a subcommand "Use Mail + Drop" which may be helpful for defining the folder in your _Alpine_ + configuration. The same is true when you edit the Inbox-Path option in + Setup/Config. + if it doesn't already exist. If you are having problems, make sure the + DestinationFolder exists. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Sorting a Folder + + The mail index may be sorted by arrival, date, subject, from, size, score, + to, or cc order. Each sort order can also be reversed. The _$_ command will + prompt the user for the sort order. The sort order can also be specified on + the command line with the _-sort_ flag or (equivalently) with the sort-key + variable in the _pinerc_ file. When a user changes folders, the sort order + will go back to the original sort order. The command line (_-sort_) or + configuration file sort specification (_sort-key_) changes the original sort + order. + + When a folder is sorted and new mail arrives in the folder it will be + inserted in its properly sorted place. This can be a little odd when the + folder is sorted by something like the subject. It can also be a little slow + if you are viewing a large, sorted _INBOX_, since the _INBOX_ will have to + be re-sorted whenever new mail arrives. + + The sorts are all independent of case and ignore leading or trailing white + space. There are actually two forms of subject sort. One called _Subject_ + and the other called _OrderedSubj_. They both ignore "Re:" at the beginning + and "(fwd)" at the end of the subjects. _Subject_ sorts all the subjects + alphabetically. _OrderedSubj_ sorts by subjects alphabetically, groups + messages with the same subject (pseudo-threads), then sorts the groups by + the date of the first message of the group. Sorting by _Thread_ was added + after _OrderedSubj_ and is usually a better method. Thread sorting uses + information in the message headers References, Message-ID, and Subject. It + is possible the sort will be slightly slower with a Thread sort than with an + OrderedSubj sort. The sort by sender sorts by the user-id (part before the + "@"), not the full name. The arrival sort is no sort at all and the date + sort depends on the format of the date. Some dates are in strange formats + and are unparsable. The time zone is also taken into account. + + Sorting large mail folders can be very slow since it requires fetching all + the headers of the mail messages. With UNIX _Alpine_, only the first sort is + slow since _Alpine_ keeps a copy of all the headers. One exception is + sorting in reverse arrival order. This is fast because no headers have to be + examined. _Alpine_ will show progress as it is sorting. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Alternate Editor + + In the _Alpine_ composer you can use any text editor, such as _vi_ or + _emacs,_ for composing the message text. The addresses and subject still must + be edited using the standard _Alpine_ composer. If you include the feature + enable-alternate-editor-cmd in your _pinerc_ you can type _^__ while in the + body of the message in the composer and be prompted for the editor. If you + also set the editor variable in your _pinerc_ then _^__ will invoke the + configured editor when you type it. + + Turning on the feature enable-alternate-editor-implicitly will automatically + invoke the editor you have defined with the _editor_ variable whenever you + enter the body of a message you are composing. For example, when you move + out of the last header line and into the body of the message, the alternate + editor will be automatically invoked. + + We know that many people would like to use the alternate editor to edit the + mail header as well. We considered several designs for this and didn't come + up with one that we liked and that was easy to implement. One of the main + problems is that you lose access to the address book. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Signatures and Signature Placement + + If the file _~/.signature_ (UNIX) or _<PINERC_directory>\PINE.SIG (PC) + exists, it will be included in all outgoing messages. It is included before + composition starts so that the user has a chance to edit it out if he or she + likes. The file name for the signature can be changed by setting the + signature-file variable in the _pinerc_. If the feature enable-sigdashes is + turned on then the line consisting of the three characters "-- " is + prepended to the signature file. When Replying or Forwarding a message + different signatures my be automatically included by configuring them in the + Roles setup screen. It's easy to include different signatures by hand, by + having multiple signature files (_.sig1, .sig2, .sig3, etc_) and choosing to + include (^R in the composer) the correct one for the message being sent. + + _Alpine_'s default behavior encourages a user to put his or her contribution + before the inclusion of the original text of the message being forwarded or + replied to, This is contrary to some conventions, but makes the conversation + more readable when a long original message is included in a reply for + context. The reader doesn't have to scroll through the original text that he + or she has probably already seen to find the new text. If the reader wishes + to see the old message(s), the reader can scroll further into the message. + Users who prefer to add their input at the end of a message should set the + signature-at-bottom feature. The signature will then be appended to the end + of the message after any included text. This feature applies when + _Reply_ing, not when _Forward_ing. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Feature List Variable + + _Alpine_ used to have _feature levels_ for users with different amounts of + experience. We found that this was too restrictive. _Alpine_ now has a + feature-list instead. Each user may pick and choose which features they + would like enabled (simple to do in the _Setup/Config_ screen). There is a + short description of each in Configuration Features. There is also a short + on-line help explaining the effect of each of the features in the + _Setup/Config_ screen. When the cursor is highlighting a feature, the _?_ + command will show the help text for that feature. Features don't have + values, they are just turned on or off. They are all off by default. + + The _feature-list_ variable is different from all other configuration + variables in that its value is additive. That is, the system-wide + configuration file can have some features turned on by default. The user can + select other features in their personal configuration file and those + features will be _added_ to the set of features turned on in the system-wide + configuration file. (With all other configuration variables, the user's + values _replace_ the system-wide values.) Likewise, additional features may + be set on the command-line with the argument "-feature-list=". These will be + added to the others. + + The treatment of _feature-list_ in the system-wide _fixed_ configuration + file is also different from other variables. The system management can fix + the value of individual features by placing them in the fixed configuration + file. Users will not be able to alter those features, but will still be able + to set the other non-restricted features the way they like. + + Because _feature-list_ is additive, there is a way to turn features off as + well as on. Prepending the prefix "no-" to any feature sets it to off. This + is useful for over-riding the system-wide default in the personal + configuration file or for over-riding the system-wide default or the + personal configuration value on the command line. For example, if the + system-wide default configuration has the _quit-without-confirm_ feature + set, the user can over-ride that (and turn it off) by including + _no-quit-without-confirm_ in the personal configuration file or by giving the + command line argument _-feature-list=no-quit-without-confirm._ More features + (options) will no doubt continue to be added. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Configuration Inheritance + + We start with an explanation of how configuration works in hopes of making + it easier to describe how inheritance works. + + _Alpine_ uses a hierarchy of configuration values from different locations. + There are five ways in which each configuration option (configuration + variable) can be set. In increasing order of precedence they are: + + 1. the system-wide configuration file. + 2. the personal configuration file + 3. the personal exceptions file + 4. a command line argument + 5. the system-wide _fixed_ configuration file (Unix _Alpine_ only) + + The fixed configuration file is normally /usr/local/lib/pine.conf.fixed. + + The system-wide configuration file is normally /usr/local/lib/pine.conf for + Unix _Alpine_ and is normally not set for _PC-Alpine_. For _PC-Alpine_, if + the environment variable _$PINECONF_ is set, that is used for the + system-wide configuration. This location can be set or changed on the + command line with the -P flag. The system-wide configuration file can be + either a local file or a remote configuration folder. + + For Unix _Alpine_, the personal configuration file is normally the file + .pinerc in the user's home directory. This can be changed with the -p + command line flag. For _PC-Alpine_, the personal configuration file is in + $PINERC or <PineRC registry value> or ${HOME}\ALPINE\PINERC or <ALPINE.EXE + dir>\PINERC. This can be changed with the -p command line flag. If -p or + $PINERC is used, the configuration data may be in a local file or a remote + config folder. + + For Unix _Alpine_, the personal exceptions configuration file is specified + with the "-x exceptions_config" command line argument. "Exceptions_config" + may be either a local file or a remote configuration folder. If there is no + "-x" command line option, _Alpine_ will look for the file ".pinercex" in the + same local directory that the regular config file is located in. If the + regular config file is remote then Unix _Alpine_ looks in the home directory + for ".pinercex". + + For _PC-Alpine_, the personal exceptions configuration file is specified + with the "-x exceptions_config" command line argument. If there is no "-x" + command line argument the environment variable $PINERCEX may be set to the + name of the "exceptions_config" instead. "Exceptions_config" may be either a + local file or a remote configuration folder. If there is no "-x" command + line option and $PINERCEX is not set, _PC-Alpine_ will look for the file + "PINERCEX" in the same local directory that the regular config file is + located in. If the regular config file is remote then _PC-Alpine_ looks in + the local directory specified by the "-aux local_directory" command line + argument, or the directory ${HOME}\ALPINE, or in <ALPINE.EXE directory> for + a file named "PINERCEX". + + To reiterate, the value of a configuration option is taken from the last + location in the list above in which it is set. Or, thinking about it + slightly differently, a default value for an option is established in the + system-wide configuration file (or in the source code if there is no value + in the system-wide file). That default remains in effect until and unless it + is overridden by a value in a location further down the list, in which case + a new "default" value is established. As we continue down the list of + locations we either retain the value at each step or establish a new value. + The value that is still set after going through the whole list of + configuration locations is the one that is used. + + So, for example, if an option is set in the system-wide configuration file + and in the personal configuration file, but is not set in the exceptions, on + the command line, or in the fixed file; then the value from the personal + configuration file is the one that is used. Or, if it is set in the + system-wide config, in the personal config, not in the exceptions, but is + set on the command line; then the value on the command line is used. + + Finally we get to inheritance. For configuration options which are lists, + like "smtp-server" or "incoming-folders", the inheritance mechanism makes it + possible to _combine_ the values from different locations instead of + _replacing_ the value. This is true of all configuration lists other than the + "feature-list", for which you may already set whatever you want at any + configuration location (by using the "no-" prefix if necessary). + + To use inheritance, set the first item in a configuration list to the token + "INHERIT". If the first item is "INHERIT", then instead of replacing the + default value established so far, the rest of the list is appended to the + default value established so far and that is the new value. + + Here is an example which may make it clearer. Suppose we have: + + System-wide config : smtp-server = smtp1.corp.com, smtp2.corp.com + Personal config : smtp-server = INHERIT, mysmtp.home + Exceptions config : smtp-server = <No Value Set> + Command line : smtp-server = <No Value Set> + Fixed config : smtp-server = <No Value Set> + + This would result in an effective smtp-server option of + + smtp-server = smtp1.corp.com, smtp2.corp.com, mysmtp.home + + The "INHERIT" token can be used in any of the configuration files and the + effect cascades. For example, if we change the above example to: + + System-wide config : smtp-server = smtp1.corp.com, smtp2.corp.com + Personal config : smtp-server = INHERIT, mysmtp.home + Exceptions config : smtp-server = INHERIT, yoursmtp.org + Command line : smtp-server = <No Value Set> + Fixed config : smtp-server = <No Value Set> + + This would result in: + + smtp-server = smtp1.corp.com, smtp2.corp.com, mysmtp.home, yoursmtp.org + + Unset variables are skipped over (the default value is carried forward) so + that, for example: + + System-wide config : smtp-server = smtp1.corp.com, smtp2.corp.com + Personal config : smtp-server = <No Value Set> + Exceptions config : smtp-server = INHERIT, yoursmtp.org + Command line : smtp-server = <No Value Set> + Fixed config : smtp-server = <No Value Set> + + produces: + + smtp-server = smtp1.corp.com, smtp2.corp.com, yoursmtp.org + + If any later configuration location has a value set (for a particular list + option) which does _not_ begin with "INHERIT", then that value replaces + whatever value has been defined up to that point. In other words, that + cancels out any previous inheritance. + + System-wide config : smtp-server = smtp1.corp.com, smtp2.corp.com + Personal config : smtp-server = INHERIT, mysmtp.org + Exceptions config : smtp-server = yoursmtp.org + Command line : smtp-server = <No Value Set> + Fixed config : smtp-server = <No Value Set> + + results in: + + smtp-server = yoursmtp.org + + For some configuration options, like "viewer-hdr-colors" or + "patterns-roles", it is difficult to insert the value "INHERIT" into the + list of values for the option using the normal Setup tools. In other words, + the color setting screen (for example) does not provide a way to input the + text "INHERIT" as the first item in the viewer-hdr-colors option. The way to + do this is to either edit the pinerc file directly and manually insert it, + or turn on the "expose-hidden-config" feature and insert it using the + Setup/Config screen. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Using Environment Variables + + The values of _Alpine_ configuration options may include environment + variables which are replaced by the value of the variable at the time + _Alpine_ is run (and also at the time the config option is changed). The + syntax to use environment variables is a subset of the common Unix shell + dollar-syntax. For example, if + + $VAR + + appears in the value of a _Alpine_ configuration option it is looked up in + the environent (using getenv("VAR")) and its looked-up value replaces the + $VAR part of the option value. To include a literal dollar sign you may + precede the dollar sign with another dollar sign. In other words, if the + text + + $$text + + is the value of a configuration option, it will be expanded to + + $text + + and no environment lookup will be done. For Unix _Alpine_ it will also work + to use a backslash character to escape the special meaning of the dollar + sign, but $$ is preferable since it works for both _PC-Alpine_ and Unix + _Alpine_, allowing the configuration option to be in a shared configuration + file. + + This all sounds more complicated than it actually is. An example may make it + clearer. Unfortunately, the way in which environment variables are set is + OS-dependent and command shell-dependent. In some Unix command shells you + may use + + PERSNAME="Fred Flintstone" + + export PERSNAME + + Now, if you use _Alpine_'s Setup/Config screen to set + + personal-name=$PERSNAME + + the $PERSNAME would be replaced by Fred Flintstone so that this would be + equivalent to + + personal-name=Fred Flintstone + + Note, environment variable substitution happens after configuration options + which are lists are split into the separate elements of the list, so a + single environment variable can't contain a list of values. + + The environment variable doesn't have to be the only thing after the equal + sign. However, if the name of the variable is not at the end of the line or + followed by a space (so that you can tell where the variable name ends), it + must be enclosed in curly braces like + + ${VAR} + + It is always ok to use the braces even if you don't need to. + + It is also possible to set a default value for an environment variable. This + default value will be used if the environment variable is not set (that is, + if getenv("VAR") returns NULL). The syntax used to set a default value is + + ${VAR:-default value} + + If the config file contains + + personal-name=${VAR:-Fred Flintstone} + + then when _Alpine_ is run VAR will be looked up in the environment. If VAR + is found then personal-name will have the value that VAR was set to, + otherwise, personal-name will be set to Fred Flintstone, the default value. + + An example where an environment variable might be useful is the variable + inbox-path in the global configuration file. Suppose most users used the + server + + imapserver.example.com + + but that there were some exceptions who used + + altimapserver.example.com + + In this case, the system manager might include the following line in the + systemwide default _Alpine_ configuration file + + inbox-path=${IMAPSERVER:-imapserver.example.com} + + For the exceptional users adding + + IMAPSERVER=altimapserver.example.com + + to their environment should work. + + Another example might be the case where a user has to use a different SMTP + server from work and from home. The setup might be something as simple as + + smtp-server=$SMTP + + or perhaps a default value could be given. Note that, as mentioned above, + the variable SMTP cannot contain a list of SMTP servers. + _________________________________________________________________ + +SMTP Servers + + It is sometimes desirable to set smtp-server=localhost instead of setting + sendmail-path to overcome the inability to negotiate ESMTP options when + _sendmail_ is invoked with the _-t_ option. Sendmail can also be subject to + unacceptable delays due to slow DNS lookups and other problems. + + It is sometimes desirable to configure an SMTP server on a port other than + the default port 25. This may be used to provide an alternate service that + is optimized for a particular environment or provides different features + from the port 25 server. An example would be a program that negotiates ESMTP + options and queues a message, but does not attempt to deliver messages. This + would avoid delays frequently encountered when invoking _sendmail_ directly. + + A typical configuration would consist of + * A program that implements the SMTP or ESMTP protocol via stdio. + * An entry in /etc/services for the alternate service. + * An entry in /etc/inetd.conf for the alternate service. + * An entry in /usr/local/lib/pine.conf, /usr/local/lib/pine.conf.fixed or + ~/.pinerc. + _________________________________________________________________ + +MIME.Types file + + _Alpine_'s MIME-TYPE support is based on code contributed by Hans Drexler + <drexler@mpi.nl>. _Alpine_ assigns MIME Content-Types according to + file name extensions found in the system-wide files + /usr/local/lib/mime.types and /etc/mime.types, and a user specific + ~/.mime.types file. + + In Windows, _Alpine_ looks in the same directory as the PINERC file and the + same dir as ALPINE.EXE. This is similar to the UNIX situation with personal + config info coming before potentially shared config data. An alternate + search path can be specified by setting the mimetype-search-path variable in + the user or system-wide configuration or by setting the MIMETYPES + environment variable. + + These files specify file extensions that will be connected to a mime type. + Lines beginning with a '#' character are treated as comments and ignored. + All other lines are treated as a mime type definition. The first word is a + _type/subtype_ specification. All following words are file _extensions_ + belonging to that type/subtype. Words are separated by whitespace + characters. If a file extension occurs more than once, then the first + definition determines the file type and subtype. A couple sample lines from + a mime.types file follow: + +image/gif gif +text/html html htm +video/mpeg mpeg mpg mpe + _________________________________________________________________ + +Color Details + + UNIX _Alpine_ may display color if the terminal or terminal emulator you are + using is capable of displaying colors. If the terminal supports ANSI color + escape sequences you will be able to turn color on using the color-style + option and setting it to the value _force-ansi-8color_ or + _force-ansi-16color_. If instead you'd like _Alpine_ to automatically detect + whether or not you are on a color terminal, set _color-style_ to + _use-termdef_ _and_ configure the termcap entry to describe your terminal's + color capabilities. + + If the _color-style_ option is set to _use-termdef_, _Alpine_ looks in the + terminal capabilities database, TERMINFO or TERMCAP, depending on how + _Alpine_ was compiled, to decide whether or not your terminal is capable of + color. For TERMINFO compiled _Alpine_s, the capabilities that are used for + color are "colors", "setaf", "setab", "op", and "bce". If you have a + terminal with color capabilities described by the "scp" capability, _Alpine_ + does not support it. The capabilities "setf" and "setb" may be used instead + of "setaf" and "setab". The capability "bce" is optional and is used as an + optimization, the other capabilities are required. For TERMCAP compiled + _Alpine_s, the capabilities that are used for color are "Co", "AF", "AB", + "op", and "ut". The capabilities "Sf" and "Sb" may be used instead of "AF" + and "AB", though this isn't a useful feature. + + Here are some short descriptions of the capabilities listed above. The + TERMINFO name is listed, followed by the TERMCAP name in parentheses. + _colors_ (_Co_) + The number of different colors. + _setaf_ (_AF_) + Set ANSI foreground color. + _setab_ (_AB_) + Set ANSI background color. + _setf_ (_Sf_) + Set foreground color. Alternate form of _setaf_. + _setb_ (_Sb_) + Set background color. Alternate form of _setab_. + _op_ (_op_) + Set default pair to its original value. + _bce_ (_ut_) + Screen is erased with current background color instead of default + background. + + A standard ANSI terminal which supports color will have a TERMINFO entry + which contains: + colors#8 + setaf=\E[3%p1%dm + setab=\E[4%p1%dm + op=\E[39;49m + bce + + or the TERMCAP equivalent: + Co#8 + AF=\E[3%dm + AB=\E[4%dm + op=\E[39;49m + ut + + If there are eight colors, the program uses colors 0, 1, ..., 7. For an ANSI + terminal, the foreground color is set by sending the escape sequence "Escape + LeftBracket 3 color_number m" to the terminal. The background color is set + by sending the sequence "Escape LeftBracket 4 color_number m". ANSI colors + zero through seven are defined to be "black", "red", "green", "yellow", + "blue", "magenta", "cyan", and "white". Some terminal emulators will swap + blue and red and swap yellow and cyan. The capabilities "setf" and "setb" + are usually designed for those terminals so that they will flip the color + numbers 1 and 4 and the numbers 3 and 6 to compensate for this. _Alpine_ + will use the ANSI versions of the capabilities if they exist, and will use + the non-ANSI versions (setf and setb) if the ANSI versions don't exist. + Here's a version which does the flipping. This can only be used with + TERMINFO _Alpine_s, because of the arithmetic, which is not supported by + TERMCAP. + colors#8 + setf=\E[3%?%p1%{1}%=%t4%e%p1%{3}%=%t6%e%p1%{4}%=%t1%e%p1%{6}%=%t3%e%p1%d%;m + setb=\E[4%?%p1%{1}%=%t4%e%p1%{3}%=%t6%e%p1%{4}%=%t1%e%p1%{6}%=%t3%e%p1%d%;m + op=\E[39;49m + bce + + Some terminal emulators are capable of displaying eight more colors when the + foreground colors 30-37 are replaced with 90-97 and the background colors + 40-47 are replaced with 100-107. These terminals require a fancy termcap + entry which can take foreground colors 0, 1, ..., 15 and map that into 30, + 31, ..., 37, 90, 91, ..., 97, and similarly for the background colors. Here + is a terminfo entry which will do just that: + colors#16 + setaf=%p1%{8}%/%{6}%*%{3}%+\E[%d%p1%{8}%m%dm + setab=%p1%{8}%/%{6}%*%{4}%+\E[%d%p1%{8}%m%dm + op=\E[39;49m + bce + + and here is the termcap equivalent: + Co#16 + AF=\E[%i%i%>\001\034%>\045\064%dm + AB=\E[%i%i%>\001\046%>\057\064%dm + op=\E[39;49m + ut + + This is a terminfo entry for 16 colors that also does the color flipping: + colors#16 + setf=%p1%{8}%/%{6}%*%{3}%+\E[%d%p1%{8}%m%Pa%?%ga%{1}%=%t4%e%ga%{3}%=%t6%e%ga% +{4}%=%t1%e%ga%{6}%=%t3%e%ga%d%;m + setb=%p1%{8}%/%{6}%*%{4}%+\E[%d%p1%{8}%m%Pa%?%ga%{1}%=%t4%e%ga%{3}%=%t6%e%ga% +{4}%=%t1%e%ga%{6}%=%t3%e%ga%d%;m + op=\E[39;49m + bce + + If you are always using the same display it probably won't matter to you if + the color pairs red/blue and cyan/yellow are flipped, since you'll always be + seeing them flipped. You will get different defaults than on a display with + them not flipped, but that's about all. If you are trying to use the same + pinerc file from displays with different color characteristics, or from + _Alpine_ and _PC-Alpine_, you will have to be more careful. The colors + numbered 0 through 7 may be used portably between different systems if you + are careful to make them correspond to the ANSI order mentioned above. You + can check this by looking at a color configuration screen for one of the + colors. The first eight colors should be in the order above. If they aren't, + you could fix that by modifying your termcap entry on the UNIX system. This + is not possible if your system uses TERMCAP instead of TERMINFO. + _________________________________________________________________ + +S/MIME Overview + + UNIX _Alpine_ only. + + S/MIME is a standard for the public key encryption and signing of email. + UNIX _Alpine_ contains a basic implementation of S/MIME based on the OpenSSL + libraries. + + Some limitations: + * There is no _PC-Alpine_ implementation. + * There is no provision for checking for CRLs (Certificate Revocation + Lists) in _Alpine_. + * This built-in S/MIME implementation is not compatible with and does not + help with PGP. + * There is no mechanism available for feeding either an entire incoming or + an entire outgoing message to an external filter and using that external + filter to do S/MIME or PGP processing. + * Because the implementation currently uses OpenSSL, there is only a very + limited integration with the Mac OS Keychain (the storing and access of + public certificates). + * There is no way to view or manipulate the lists of certificates from + within _Alpine_. + + The S/MIME configuration screen is reached by going to the Main Menu and + typing the "S Setup" command followed by "M S/MIME". + + S/MIME BASICS + + In order to digitally sign messages you send you must have a public/private + key-pair. This may be obtained from a public Certificate Authority (CA) such + as Thawte, Verisign, Comodo, or GoDaddy; or from a smaller CA such as a + university which provides certificates for its users or a company which + provides certificates for its workers. These certificates are bound to an + email address, so the identity being verified is the email address not a + person's name. + + Mail is signed by using the sender's private key, which only the owner of + the private key has access to. The signature is verified using the signer's + public key, which anyone can have access to. With _Alpine_, the first time + you receive a signed message the public key of the sender will be stored for + future use. + + Mail is encrypted using the recipient's public key and decrypted by the + recipient with their private key. + + You need a key of your own in order to sign outgoing messages and to have + others encrypt messages sent to you. You do not need a key of your own to + verify signed messages sent by others or to encrypt messages sent to others. + + ALPINE S/MIME CERTIFICATE STORAGE + + By default UNIX _Alpine_ stores the certificates it uses in a directory in + your home directory. The directory name is + + .alpine-smime + + Within that directory are three subdirectories. Each of the three + subdirectories contains files with PEM-encoded contents, the default format + for OpenSSL. The "public" directory contains public certificates. The files + within that directory have names that are email addresses with the suffix + ".crt" appended. An example filename is + + user@example.com.crt + + The "private" directory contains private keys, probably just one for your + private key. These are also email addresses but with the suffix ".key" + instead. The third directory is "ca" and it contains certificates for any + Certificate Authorities that you want to trust but that aren't contained in + the set of system CAs. Those files may have arbitrary names as long as they + end with the suffix ".crt". + + HOW TO SIGN AND ENCRYPT + + If you have a certificate you may sign outgoing messages. After typing the + Ctrl-X command to send a message you will see the prompt + + Send message? + + Available subcommands include "G Sign" and "E Encrypt". Typing the "G" + command will change the prompt to + + Send message (Signed)? + + Typing the "E" command will change the prompt to + + Send message (Encrypted)? + + You may even type both to get + + Send message (Encrypted, Signed)? + + HOW TO READ SIGNED OR ENCRYPTED MESSAGES + + The reading of a signed message should not require any special action on + your part. There should be an editorial addition at the start of the message + which says either + + This message was cryptographically signed. + + or + + This message was cryptographically signed but the signature could not be + verified. + + If an encrypted message is sent to you the encrypted text will not be shown. + You will have to type the "Ctrl-D Decrypt" command (from the screen where + you are viewing the message) and supply your passphrase when asked. + + For a signed or encrypted message there is also a "Ctrl-E Security" command + which gives you some information about the certificate used to sign or + encrypt the message. + + MISCELLANEOUS + + You may have access to a private certificate in the PKCS12 format, which + would sometimes be in a file with a ".p12" suffix. The UNIX shell command + + openssl pkcs12 -in file.p12 -out file.pem + + may work to convert that from the PKCS12 format to the PEM format. Then that + file could be placed in the "private" directory with a filename of your + email address followed by the suffix ".key". + _________________________________________________________________ + +Additional Notes on PC-Alpine + + Below are a few odds and ends worth mentioning about _PC-Alpine_. They have + to do with DOS-specific behavior that is either necessary or useful (and + sometimes both!). + + As _PC-Alpine_ runs in an environment with limited access control, + accounting or auditing, an additional line is automatically inserted into + the header of mail messages generated by _PC-Alpine_: + X-Sender: <userid>@<imap.host> + + By popular demand of system administrators, _PC-Alpine_ has been modified to + prevent sending messages until the user has successfully logged into a + remote mail server. Even though _PC-Alpine_ cannot prevent users from + changing the apparent identity of the sender of a message, the IMAP server + login name and host name included in the _X-Sender_ line provide some level + of traceability by the recipient. However, this should not be considered a + rigorous form of authentication. It is extremely lightweight, and is not a + replacement for true authentication. + + Hand in hand with authentication and accounting is user information. Since + _PC-Alpine_ has no user database to consult for _user-id_, _personal-name_, + etc., necessary information must be provided by the user/installer before + _PC-Alpine_ can properly construct the "From" address required for outbound + messages. _PC-Alpine_ will, by default, prompt for the requisite pieces as + they are needed. This information corresponds to the _PINERC_ variables + user-id, personal-name, user-domain, and smtp-server. + + The user is then asked whether or not this information should automatically + be saved to the _PINERC_. This is useful behavior in general, but can lead + to problems in a lab or other shared environment. Hence, these prompts and + automatic saving of configuration can be turned off on an entry by entry + basis by setting any of the above values in the _PINERC_ to the null string + (i.e., a pair of double quotes). This means that the user will be prompted + for the information once during each _Alpine_ session, and no opportunity to + save them in the _PINERC_ will be offered. + + Another feature of DOS is the lack of standard scratch area for temporary + files. During the course of a session, _PC-Alpine_ may require numerous + temporary files (large message texts, various caches, etc.). Where to create + them can be a problem, particularly when running under certain network + operating systems. _PC-Alpine_ observes the _TMPDIR_, _TMP_, and _TEMP_ + environment variables, and creates temporary files in the directory + specified by either. In their absence, _PC-Alpine_ creates these files in + the root of the current working drive. Some temporary files have to be + created in the same directory as the file they are a temporary copy of. For + example, a pinerc file or a address book file. + + Behind the Scenes + + Many people ask how certain _Alpine_ features are implemented. This section + outlines some of the details. + +Address Books + + There are two types of address book storage. There are _local_ address + books, which are the address books that are stored in a local file; and + there are _remote_ address books, which are stored on an IMAP server. + + Information About Remote Address Books + + NOTE: The remote address book capability does not allow you to access an + existing local address book from a remote system! That is, you can't set + the remote address book to something like {remote.host}.addressbook and + expect to access the existing .addressbook _file_ on remote.host. Instead, + you need to create a new remote address book in a new, previously unused + remote mail _folder_. Then you can use the _Select_ and _Apply Save_ + commands in the address book screen to _Save_ all of the entries from an + existing local address book to the new remote address book. + + A remote address book is stored in a mail folder on an IMAP server. An + _Alpine_ remote address book is just like an _Alpine_ local address book in + that it is not interoperable with other email clients. The folder is a + regular folder containing mail messages but those messages are special. The + first message must be an alpine remote address book header message which + contains the header _x-pine-addrbook_. The last message in the folder + contains the address book data. In between the first and the last message + are old versions of the address book data. The address book data is simply + stored in the message as it would be on disk, with no MIME encoding. When it + is used the data from the last message in the folder is copied to a local + file and then that file is used exactly like a local address book file is + used. When a change is made the modified local file is appended to the + remote folder in a new message. In other words, the local file is just a + cache copy of the data in the remote folder. Each client which uses the + remote address book will have its own cache copy of the data. Whenever a + copy is done the entire address book is copied, not just the entries which + have changed. + + _Alpine_ can tell that the remote data has changed by one of several + methods. If the date contained in the Date header of the last message has + changed then it knows it has changed. If the UID of the last message has + changed, or the number of messages in the folder has changed, it knows that + it has changed. When _Alpine_ discovers the folder has changed it gets a new + copy and puts it in the local cache file. + + There is a configuration file variable for remote address books called + remote-abook-metafile. The variable is the name of a file in which + information about remote address books is stored. There is one line in the + metafile for each remote address book. The information stored there is the + name of the cache file and information to help figure out when the remote + folder was last changed. If the metafile or any of the cache files is + deleted then _Alpine_ will rebuild them the next time it runs. + + Remote address books have names that look just like regular remote mail + folder names. For example: + + {host.domain}foldername + + _Alpine_ decides whether or not an address book is remote simply by looking + at the first character of the address book name and comparing it to '{'. + + Information About All Address Books + + The address book is named, by default, .addressbook in the user's Unix home + directory, or in the case of _PC-Alpine_, ADDRBOOK, in the same directory as + the PINERC file. There may be more than one address book, and the default + name can be overridden via an entry in any of the _Alpine_ configuration + files. The two configuration variables address-book and global-address-book + are used to specify the names of the address books. Each of these variables + is a list variable. The total set of address books for a user is the + combination of all the address books specified in these two lists. Each + entry in the list is an optional nickname followed by an address book name. + The nickname is everything up to the last space before the file name. The + _global-address-book_ list will typically be configured in the system-wide + configuration file, though a user may override it like most other variables. + Address books which are listed in the _global-address-book_ variable are + forced read-only, and are typically shared among multiple users. + + Local address books (or local cache files for remote address books) are + simple text files with lines in the format: + + <nickname>TAB<fullname>TAB<address>TAB<fcc>TAB<comments> + + The last two fields are optional. A "line" may be made up of multiple actual + lines in the file by using continuation lines, which are lines beginning + with SPACE characters. The line breaks may be after TABs or in between + addresses in a distribution list. Each _actual_ line in the file must be + less than 1000 characters in length. + + Nicknames (the first field) are short names that the user types instead of + typing in the full address. There are several characters which aren't + allowed in nicknames in order to avoid ambiguity when parsing the address + (SPACE, COMMA, @, ", ;, :, (, ), [, ], <, >, \). Nicknames aren't required. + In fact, none of the fields is required. + + The _fullname_ field is usually stored as Last_name, First_name, in order + that a sort on the fullname field comes out sorted by Last_name. If there is + an unquoted comma in the fullname, _Alpine_ will flip the first and last + name around and get rid of the comma when using the entry in a composition. + It isn't required that there be a comma, that's only useful if the user + wants the entries to sort on last names. + + The _address_ field takes one of two forms, depending on whether the entry + is a single (simple) address or a distribution list. For a simple entry, the + address field is an RFC 2822 address. This could be either the email-address + part of the address, i.e., the part that goes inside the brackets (<>), or + it could be a full RFC 2822 address. The phrase part of the address (the + fullname) is used unless there is a fullname present in the fullname field + of the address book entry. In that case, the fullname of the address book + entry replaces the fullname of the address. For a distribution list, the + <address> is in the format: + + "(" <address>, <address>, <address>, ... ")" + + The only purpose for the parentheses around the list of addresses is to make + it easier for the parsing routines to tell that it is a simple entry instead + of a list. The two are displayed differently and treated slightly + differently in some cases, though most of the distinction has disappeared. + Each of the addresses in a list can be a full RFC 2822 address with fullname + included, or it may be just the simple email-address part of the address. + This allows the user to have a list which includes the fullnames of all the + list members. In both the simple and list cases, addresses may also be other + nicknames which appear in this address book or in one of the other address + books. (Those nicknames are searched for by looking through the address + books in the order they appear in the address book screen, with the first + match winning.) Lists may be nested. If addresses refer to each other in a + loop (for example, list A includes list B which includes list A again) this + is detected and flagged. In that case, the address will be changed to "**** + address loop ****". + + The optional _fcc_ field is a folder name, just like the fcc field in the + composer headers. If the first address in the To field of a composition + comes from an address book entry with an fcc field, then that fcc is placed + in the fcc header in the composer. + + The _comments_ field is just a free text field for storing comments about an + entry. By default, neither the fcc nor the comments field is shown on the + screen in the address book screen. You may make those fields visible by + configuring the variable addressbook-formats. They are also searched when + you use the _WhereIs_ command in the address book screen and are visible + when you _View_ or _Update_ an entry. + + The address book is displayed in the order that it is stored. When the user + chooses a different sorting criterion, the data is actually sorted and + stored, as opposed to showing a sorted view of the data. + + When the address book is written out, it is first written to a temporary + file and if that write is successful it is renamed. This guards against + errors writing the file that might destroy the whole address book. The + address book is re-written after each change. If the address book is a + remote address book, the file is then appended to the remote mail folder + using IMAP. + + The end-of-line character(s) in the address book file are those native to + the system writing it. So it is <LF> on Unix and <CR><LF> on PC's. However, + both Unix and PC versions of _Alpine_ can read either format, so it should + be possible to share a read-only address book among the two populations + (using NFS, for example). + _________________________________________________________________ + + Address Book Lookup File + + _Pine_ used an additional file for each address book, called the LookUp + file. It had the same name as the address book file with the suffix ".lu" + appended. _Alpine_ no longer uses a lookup file. + + Validity Checking of Address Books + + There is no file locking done on _Alpine_ address books, however, there is + considerable validity checking done to make sure that the address book + hasn't changed unexpectedly. Whenever the address book is about to be + changed, a check is made to see if the file is newer than when we read it or + the remote address book folder has changed since we last copied it. If + either of these is true, the change is aborted. + + There is an automatic, behind-the-scene check that happens every so often, + also. For example, if someone else changes one of the address books that you + have configured, your _Alpine_'s copy of the address book will usually be + updated automatically without you noticing. This checking happens at the + same time as new mail checking takes place, unless you are actively using + the address book, in which case it happens more frequently. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Remote Configuration + + Configuration information may be stored remotely. Remote configuration + information is stored in a folder on an IMAP server. This should be a folder + which is used only for storing the configuration information. In other + words, it should be a folder which didn't exist before. + + Remote configuration folders are very similar to remote address book + folders. They both consist of a header message, which serves to identify the + type of folder; the last message, which contains the data; and intermediate + messages, which contain old versions of the data. The first message must + contain the header _x-pine-pinerc_. + + When a remote configuration is being used, the folder is checked to make + sure it is a remote configuration folder, then the data contained in the + last message is copied to a temporary file. That file is treated just like + any regular local configuration file from that point on. Whenever a + configuration change is made, the entire file is copied back to the IMAP + server and is appended to the folder as a new message. + + Because remote configuration folders are so similar to remote address books, + the configuration variable remote-abook-metafile is used by both. + + Remote configuration folders have names that look just like regular remote + mail folder names. For example: + + {host.domain}mypinerc + + _Alpine_ decides whether or not a configuration file is remote simply by + looking at the first character of the name and comparing it to '{'. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Checkpointing + + Periodically _Alpine_ will save the whole mail folder to disk to prevent + loss of any mail or mail status in the case that it gets interrupted, + disconnected, or crashes. The period of time _Alpine_ waits to do the + checkpoint is calculated to be minimally intrusive. The timing can be + changed (but usually isn't) at compile time. Folder checkpointing happens + for both local folders and those being accessed with IMAP. The delays are + divided into three categories: + + The exact algorithm given below is no longer correct. It has gotten more + complicated over time. However, this gives the general idea _Alpine_ uses + when deciding whether or not to do a checkpoint. + + Good Time: + This occurs when _Alpine_ has been idle for more than 30 seconds. In + this case _Alpine_ will checkpoint if 12 changes to the file have + been made or at least one change has been made and a checkpoint + hasn't been done for five minutes. + Bad Time: + This occurs just after _Alpine_ has executed some command. _Alpine_ + will checkpoint if there are 36 outstanding changes to the mail file + or at least one change and no checkpoint for ten minutes. + Very Bad Time: + Done when composing a message. In this case, _Alpine_ will only + checkpoint if at least 48 changes have been made or at least one + change has been made in the last twenty minutes with no checkpoint. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Debug Files + + If UNIX _Alpine_ is compiled with the compiler _DEBUG_ option on (the + default), then _Alpine_ will produce debugging output to a file. This can be + disabled at compile-time with the --disable-debug configure option, or at + run-time with the command line flag -d0. The file is normally .pine-debugX + in the user's home directory where _X_ goes from 1 to 4. Number 1 is always + the most recent session and 4 the oldest. Four are saved because often the + user has gone in and out of _Alpine_ a few times after a problem has + occurred before the expert actually gets to look at it. The amount of output + in the debug files varies with the debug level set when _Alpine_ is compiled + and/or as a command line flag. The default is level 2. This shows very + general things and records errors. Level 9 produces copious amounts of + output for each keystroke. + + Similarly, _PC-Alpine_ creates debug files named pinedebg.txtX in the same + directory as the PINERC file. + _________________________________________________________________ + +INBOX and Special Folders + + The _INBOX_ folder is treated specially. It is normally kept open constantly + so that the arrival of new mail can be detected. The name _INBOX_ refers to + wherever new mail is retrieved on the system. If the inbox-path variable is + set, then _INBOX_ refers to that. IMAP servers understand the concept of + _INBOX_, so specifying the folder _{imap.u.example.edu}INBOX_ is meaningful. + The case of the word _INBOX_ is not important, but _Alpine_ tends to display + it in all capital letters. + + The folders for sent mail and saved messages folders are also somewhat + special. They are automatically created if they are absent and recreated if + they are deleted. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Internal Help Files + + The file pine.hlp in the alpine subdirectory of the distribution contains + all the help text for _Alpine_. It is compiled right into the _Alpine_ + binary as strings. This is done to simplify installation and configuration. + The pine.hlp file is in a special format that is documented at the beginning + of the file. It is divided into sections, each with a name that winds up + being referenced as a global variable. This file is processed during the + build process and turned into a C file that is compiled into _Alpine_. + _________________________________________________________________ + +International Character Sets + + _Alpine_ uses Unicode characters internally and it is a goal for _Alpine_ to + handle email in many different languages. _Alpine_ will properly display + only left-to-right character sets in a fixed-width font. Specifically, + _Alpine_ assumes that a fixed-width font is in use, in the sense that + characters are assumed to take up zero, one, or two character cell widths + from left to right on the screen. This is true even in _PC-Alpine_. + + _Alpine_ recognizes some local character sets which are right-to-left + (Arabic, Hebrew, and Thai) or not representable in a fixed-width font + (Arabic) and properly converts texts in these character sets to/from + Unicode; however, there are known display bugs with these character sets. + + There are three possible configuration character settings and some + environment variable settings which can affect how _Alpine_ handles + international characters. The first two of these are only available in UNIX + _Alpine_. The three configuration options are _display-character-set_, + _keyboard-character-set_, and _posting-character-set_. The + _keyboard-character-set_ defaults to being the same value as the + _display-character-set_, and that is usually correct, because the keyboard + almost always produces characters in the same character set as the display + displays. The _display-character-set_ is the character set that _Alpine_ + will attempt to use when sending characters to the display. + + Besides those variables there is also use-system-translation which can be + used instead of these. That usage is only lightly tested and is not + recommended. + + By default, the _display-character-set_ variable is not set and UNIX _Alpine_ + will attempt to get this information from the environment. In particular, + the nl_langinfo(CODESET) call is used. This usually depends on the setting + of the environment variables LANG or LC_CTYPE. An explicit configuration + setting for _display-character-set_ will, of course, override any default + setting. + + For _PC-Alpine_ the _display-character-set_ and the _keyboard-character-set_ + are always equivalent to UTF-8 and this is not settable. + + It is probably best to use UNIX _Alpine_ in a terminal emulator capable of + displaying UTF-8 characters, since that will allow you to view just about + any received text that is correctly formatted (note, however, the above + comments about known index display bugs with certain character sets). You'll + need to have an emulator which uses a UTF-8 font and you'll need to set up + your environment to use a UTF-8 charmap. For example, on a Linux system you + might include + + setenv LANG en_US.UTF-8 + + or something similar in your UNIX startup files. You'd also have to select a + UTF-8 font in your terminal emulator. + + The types of values that the character set variables may be set to are + UTF-8, ISO-8859-1, or EUC-JP. The ISO-2022 character sets are not supported + for input or for display, but as a special case, ISO-2022-JP is supported + for use only as a _posting-character-set_. In the Setup/Config screen you + may choose from a list of all the character sets _Alpine_ knows about by + using the "T" ToCharsets command. Here is a list of many of the possible + character sets: + + UTF-8 Unicode + US-ASCII 7 bit American English characters + ISO-8859-1 8 bit European "Latin 1" character set + ISO-8859-2 8 bit European "Latin 2" character set + ISO-8859-3 8 bit European "Latin 3" character set + ISO-8859-4 8 bit European "Latin 4" character set + ISO-8859-5 8 bit Latin and Cyrillic + ISO-8859-6 8 bit Latin and Arabic + ISO-8859-7 8 bit Latin and Greek + ISO-8859-8 8 bit Latin and Hebrew + ISO-8859-9 8 bit European "Latin 5" character set + ISO-8859-10 8 bit European "Latin 6" character set + ISO-8859-11 Latin and Thai + ISO-8859-12 Reserved + ISO-8859-13 8 bit European "Latin 7" character set + ISO-8859-14 8 bit European "Latin 8" character set + ISO-8859-15 8 bit European "Latin 9" character set + ISO-8859-16 8 bit European "Latin 10" character set + KOI8-R 8 bit Latin and Russian + KOI8-U 8 bit Latin and Ukranian + WINDOWS-1251 8 bit Latin and Russian + TIS-620 8 bit Latin and Thai + VISCII 8 bit Latin and Vietnamese + GBK Latin and Chinese Simplified + GB2312 Latin and Chinese Simplified + CN-GB Latin and Chinese Simplified + BIG5 Latin and Chinese Traditional + BIG-5 Latin and Chinese Traditional + EUC-JP Latin and Japanese + SHIFT-JIS Latin and Japanese + EUC-KR Latin and Korean + KSC5601 Latin and Korean + + When reading incoming email, _Alpine_ understands many different character + sets and is able to convert the incoming mail into Unicode. The Unicode will + be converted to the _display-character-set_ for display on your terminal. + Characters typed at the keyboard will be converted from the + _keyboard-character-set_ to Unicode for _Alpine_'s internal use. You may find + that you can read some malformed messages that do not contain a character + set label by setting the option unknown-character-set. + + The _posting-character-set_ is used when sending messages. The default + behavior obtained by leaving this variable unset is usually what is wanted. + In that default case, _Alpine_ will attempt to label the message with the + most specific character set from the rather arbitrary set + + US-ASCII, ISO-8859-15, ISO-8859-1, ISO-8859-2, VISCII, KOI8-R, KOI8-U, + ISO-8859-7, ISO-8859-6, ISO-8859-8, TIS-620, ISO-2022-JP, GB2312, BIG5, + EUC-KR, and UTF-8. + + For example, if the message is made up of only US-ASCII characters, it will + be labeled US-ASCII. Otherwise, if it is all ISO-8859-15 characters, that + will be the label. If that doesn't work the same is tried for the remaining + members of the list. + + It might make sense to set _posting-character-set_ to an explicit value + instead. For example, if you usually send messages in Greek, setting this + option to ISO-8859-7 will result in messages being labeled as US-ASCII if + there are no non-ascii characters, ISO-8859-7 if there are only Greek + characters, or UTF-8 if there are some characters which aren't representable + in ISO-8859-7. Another possibility is to set this option explicitly to + UTF-8. In that case _Alpine_ labels only ascii messages as US-ASCII and all + other messages as UTF-8. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Interrupted and Postponed Messages + + If the user is composing mail and is interrupted by being disconnected + (SIGHUP, SIGTERM or end of file on the standard input), _Alpine_ will save + the interrupted composition and allow the user to continue it when he or she + resumes _Alpine_. As the next _Alpine_ session starts, a message will be + given that an interrupted message can be continued. To continue the + interrupted message, simply go into the composer. To get rid of the + interrupted message, go into the composer and then cancel the message with + _^C._ + + Composition of half-done messages may be postponed to a later time by giving + the _^O_ command. Other messages can be composed while postponed messages + wait. All of the postponed messages are kept in a single folder. Postponing + is a good way to quickly reference other messages while composing. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Message Status + + The c-client library allows for several flags or status marks to be set for + each message. _Alpine_ uses four of these flags: UNSEEN, DELETED, ANSWERED, + and FLAGGED. The N in _Alpine_'s FOLDER INDEX means that a message is + unseen-it has not been read from this folder yet. The D means that a message + is marked for deletion. Messages marked with D are removed when the user + _Expunges_ the folder (which usually happens when the folder is closed or the + user quits _Alpine_). The A in _Alpine_'s FOLDER INDEX means that the + message has been replied-to. The * in _Alpine_'s FOLDER INDEX means that the + message has been ``flagged'' as important. That is, the user used the _Flag_ + command to turn the FLAGGED flag on. This flag can mean whatever the user + wants it to mean. It is just a way to mark some messages as being different + from others. It will usually probably be used to mark a message as somehow + being ``important''. For Berkeley format folders, the message status is + written into the email folder itself on the header lines marked Status: and + X-Status. + + It is also possible for a user to define their own flags in addition to the + standard system flags above. In _Alpine_ these user defined flags are called + Keywords. + _________________________________________________________________ + +MIME: Reading a Message + + _Alpine_ should be able to handle just about any MIME message. When a MIME + message is received, _Alpine_ will display a list of all the parts, their + types and sizes. It will display the attachments when possible and + appropriate and allow users to _Save_ all other attachments. + + _Alpine_ honors the "mailcap" configuration system for specifying external + programs for handling attachments. The mailcap file maps MIME attachment + types to the external programs loaded on your system which can display + and/or print the file. A sample mailcap file comes bundled with the _Alpine_ + distribution. It includes comments which explain the syntax you need to use + for mailcap. With the mailcap file, any program (mail readers, newsreaders, + WWW clients) can use the same configuration for handling MIME-encoded data. + + If a MAILCAPS environment variable is defined, _Alpine_ will use that to + look for one or more mailcap files, which are combined. In the absence of + MAILCAPS, Unix _Alpine_ will look for a personal mailcap file in ~/.mailcap + and combine that with a system-wide file in /etc/mailcap. _PC-Alpine_ will + look for a file named MAILCAP in the same directory as the PINERC file, + and/or the directory containing the ALPINE.EXE executable. + + Messages which include _rich text_ or _enriched text_ in the main body will + be displayed in a very limited way (it will show bold and underlining). + + If _Alpine_ sees a MIME message part tagged as type IMAGE, and _Alpine_'s + image-viewer configuration variable is set, _Alpine_ will attempt to send + that attachment to the named image viewing program. In the case of UNIX + _Alpine_, the DISPLAY environment variable is checked to see if an X-terminal + is being used (which can handle the images). If the _image-viewer_ variable + is not set, _Alpine_ uses the _mailcap_ system to determine what to do with + IMAGE types, just as it does for any other non-TEXT type, e.g. type + APPLICATION. For MIME's generic "catch all" type, APPLICATION/OCTET-STREAM, + the _mailcap_ file will probably not specify any action, but _Alpine_ users + may always _Save_ any MIME attachment to a file. + + MIME type "text/plain" is handled a little bit differently than the other + types. If you are viewing the main body part in the MESSAGE TEXT viewing + screen, then _Alpine_ will use its internal viewer to display it. This + happens even if there is a mailcap description which matches this particular + type. However, if you view a part of type "text/plain" from the ATTACHMENT + INDEX screen, then _Alpine_ will check the mailcap database for a matching + entry and use it in preference to its internal viewer. + + Some text attachments, specifically those which are just other email + messages forwarded as MIME messages, are displayed as part of the main body + of the message. This distinction allows easy display when possible (the + forward as MIME case) and use of an attachment viewer when that is desirable + (the plain text file attachment case). + + If the parts of a multipart message are alternate versions of the same thing + _Alpine_ will select and display the one best suited. For parts of type + "message/external-body", the parameters showing the retrieval method will be + displayed, and the retrieval process is automated. Messages of type + "message/partial" are not supported. + _________________________________________________________________ + +MIME: Sending a Message + + There are two important factors when trying to include an attachment in a + message: encoding and labeling. _Alpine_ has rules for both of these which + try to assure that the message goes out in a form that is robust and can be + handled by other MIME mail readers. + + MIME has two ways of encoding data-Quoted-Printable and Base64. + Quoted-Printable leaves the ASCII text alone and only changes 8-bit + characters to "=" followed by the hex digits. For example, "=09" is a tab. + It has the advantage that it is mostly readable and that it allows for end + of line conversions between unlike systems. Base64 encoding is similar to + _uuencode_ or _btoa_ and just encodes a raw bit stream. This encoding is + designed to get text and binary files through even the most improperly + implemented and configured gateways intact, even those that distort + uuencoded data. + + _All_ attachments are encoded using Base64 encoding. This is so that the + attachment will arrive at the other end looking exactly like it did when it + was sent. Since Base64 is completely unreadable except by MIME-capable + mailers or programs, there is an obvious tradeoff being made here. We chose + to ensure absolutely reliable transport of attachments at the cost of + requiring a MIME-capable mailer to read them. If the user doesn't want + absolute integrity he or she may always _include_ text (with the _^R_ + command) in the body of a message instead of attaching it. With this policy, + the only time quoted-printable encoding is used is when the main body of a + message includes special foreign language characters. + + When an attachment is to be sent, _Alpine_ sniffs through it to try to set + the right label (content-type and subtype). An attachment with any lines + longer than 500 characters in it or more than 10% of the characters are + 8-bit it will be considered binary data. _Alpine_ will recognize (and + correctly label) a few special types including GIF, JPEG, PostScript, and + some audio formats. Another method which can be more robust and flexible for + determining the content-type and subtype is to base it on the file + extension. This method uses a MIME.Types File. + + If it is not binary data (has only a small proportion of 8-bit characters in + it,) the attachment is considered 8-bit text. 8-bit text attachments are + labeled "text/plain" with charset set to the value of the user's + _keyboard-character-set_ variable. If an attachment is ASCII (no 8-bit + characters) and contains no control characters then it is considered plain + ASCII text. Such attachments are given the MIME label "text/plain; + charset=US-ASCII", regardless of the setting of the user's + _keyboard-character-set_ variable. + + All other attachments are unrecognized and therefore given the generic MIME + label "application/octet-stream". + _________________________________________________________________ + +New Mail Notification + + _Alpine_ checks for new mail in the _INBOX_ and in the currently open folder + every two and a half minutes by default. This default can be changed in the + system-wide configuration file or at compile-time with the + --with-mailcheck-interval=VALUE configuration option. A user can change it + by changing the option mail-check-interval. A new mail check can be manually + forced by redrawing the screen with a _^L_. + + When there is new mail, the message(s) will appear in the index, the screen + will beep, and a notice showing the sender and subject will be displayed. If + there has been more than one new message since you last issued a command to + _Alpine_, the notice will show the count of new messages and the sender of + the most recent one. + _________________________________________________________________ + +NFS + + It is possible to access mail folders on _NFS_ mounted volumes with + _Alpine_, but there are some drawbacks to doing this, especially in the case + of incoming-message folders that may be concurrently updated by _Alpine_ and + the system's mail delivery agent. One concern is that _Alpine_'s + user-contention locks don't work because _/tmp_ is usually not shared, and + even if it was, _flock()_ doesn't work across _NFS._ + + The implementation of the standard UNIX ".lock" file locking has been + modified to work with _NFS_ as follows. Standard hitching post locking is + used so first a uniquely named file is created, usually something like + _xxxx.host.time.pid._ Then a link to it is created named _xxxx.lock_ where + the folder being locked is _xxxx._ This file constitutes the lock. This is a + standard UNIX locking scheme. After the link returns, a _stat(2)_ is done on + the file. If the file has two links, it is concluded that the lock succeeded + and it is safe to proceed. + + In order to minimize the risks of locking failures via _NFS_, we strongly + recommend using IMAP rather than _NFS_ to access remote incoming message + folders, e.g. your _INBOX_. However, it is generally safe to access personal + saved-message folders via _NFS_ since it is unlikely that more than one + process will be updating those folders at any given time. Still, some + problems may occur when two _Alpine_ sessions try to access the same mail + folder from different hosts without using IMAP. Imagine the scenario: + _Alpine_-A performs a write that changes the folder. _Alpine_-B then attempts + to perform a write on the same folder. _Alpine_-B will get upset that the + file has been changed from underneath it and abort operations on the folder. + _Alpine_-B will continue to display mail from the folder that it has in its + internal cache, but it will not read or write any further data. The only + thing that will be lost out of the _Alpine_-B session when this happens is + the last few status changes. + + If other mail readers besides _Alpine_ are involved, all bets are off. + Typically, mailers don't take any precautions against a user opening a + mailbox more than once and no special precautions are taken to prevent _NFS_ + problems. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Printers and Printing + + UNIX _Alpine_ can print to the standard UNIX line printers or to generic + printers attached to ANSI terminals using the escape sequences to turn the + printer on and off. The user has a choice of three printers in the + configuration. + + The first setting, _attached-to-ansi_, makes use of escape sequences on + ANSI/VT100 terminals. It uses "<ESC>[5i" to begin directing all output sent + to the terminal to the printer and then "<ESC>[4i" to return to normal. + _Alpine_ will send these escape sequences if the printer is set to + _attached-to-ansi._ This works with most ANSI/VT100 emulators on Macs and PCs + such as kermit, NCSA telnet, VersaTerm Pro, and WinQVT. Various terminal + emulators implement the print feature differently. There is also a closely + related method called _attached-to-ansi-no-formfeed_ which is the same + except for the lack of formfeed character at the end of the print job. + + _Attached-to-wyse_ and _attached-to-wyse-no-formfeed_ are very similar to + "attached-to-ansi". The only difference is in the control characters sent to + turn the printer on and off. The Wyse version uses Ctrl-R for on, and Ctrl-T + for off. + + The second selection is the standard UNIX print command. The default is + _lpr_, but it can be changed on a system basis to anything so desired in + /usr/local/lib/pine.conf. + + The third selection is the user's personal choice for a UNIX print command. + The text to be printed is piped into the command. _Enscript_ or _lpr_ with + options are popular choices. The actual command is retained even if one of + the other print selections is used for a while. + + Both the second and third sections are actually lists of possible commands + rather than single commands. + + If you have a PostScript printer attached to a PC or Macintosh, then you + will need to use a utility called _ansiprt_ to get printouts on your + printer. _Ansiprt_ source code and details can be found in the ./contrib + directory of the _Alpine_ distribution. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Save and Export + + _Alpine_ users get two options for moving messages in _Alpine_: _Save_ and + _Export_. _Save_ is used when the message should remain ``in the _Alpine_ + realm.'' Saved messages include the complete header (including header lines + normally hidden by _Alpine_), are placed in a _Alpine_ folder collection and + accumulate in a standard folder format which _Alpine_ can read. In contrast, + the _Export_ command is used to write the contents of a message to a file + for use outside of _Alpine_. Messages which have been exported are placed in + the user's home directory (unless the feature use-current-dir is turned on), + not in a _Alpine_ folder collection. Unless FullHeaderMode is toggled on, + all delivery-oriented headers are stripped from the message. Even with + _Export_, _Alpine_ retains message separators so that multiple messages can + accumulate in a single file and subsequently be accessed as a folder. On + UNIX systems, the _Export_ command pays attention to the standard _umask_ + for the setting of the file permissions. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Sent Mail + + _Alpine_'s default behavior is to keep a copy of each outgoing message in a + special "sent mail" folder. This folder is also called the fcc for "file + carbon copy". The existence, location and name of the sent mail folder are + all configurable. Sent mail archiving can be turned off by setting the + configuration variable default-fcc="". The sent mail folder is assumed to be + in the default collection for _Save_s, which is the first collection named + in folder-collections. The name of the folder can be chosen by entering a + name in _default-fcc_. With _PC-Alpine_, this can be a bit complicated. If + the default collection for _Save_s is local (DOS), then the _default-fcc_ + needs to be SENTMAIL, which is syntax for a DOS file. However, if the + default collection for _Save_s is remote, then the _default-fcc_ needs to be + sent-mail to match the UNIX syntax. + + The configuration variable fcc-name-rule also plays a role in selecting the + folder to save sent mail in. + + A danger here is that the sent mail could grow without bound. For this + reason, we thought it useful to encourage the users to periodically prune + their sent mail folder. The first time _Alpine_ is used each month it will + offer to archive all messages sent from the month before. _Alpine_ also + offers to delete all the sent mail archive folders which are more than 1 + month old. If the user or system has disabled sent mail archiving (by + setting the configuration variable _default-fcc=""_) there will be no + pruning question. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Spell Checker + + Both UNIX _Alpine_ and _PC-Alpine_ depend on the system for their spell + checking and dictionary. _Pico_, the text editor, uses the same spell + checking scheme as _Alpine_. + + Lines beginning with ">" (usually messages included in replies) are not + checked. The message text to be checked is on the standard input and the + incorrect words are expected on the standard output. + + The default spell checker is UNIX _spell_. You can replace this by setting + the speller configuration variable. A common choice for a superior + replacement is _ispell_. + + _PC-Alpine_ relies on the aspell library being installed. Aspell is + independent of Alpine. The Windows version has traditionally been available + at http://aspell.net/win32/. You'll need to download and install both Aspell + and a precompiled dictionary. Aspell is provided in an installer package. + Dictionaries, to be installed after Aspell, are in '.exe' files to download + and run. + _________________________________________________________________ + +Terminal Emulation and Key Mapping + + UNIX _Alpine_ has been designed to require as little as possible from the + terminal. At the minimum, _Alpine_ requires cursor positioning, clear to end + of line, and inverse video. Unfortunately, there are terminals that are + missing some of these such as a vt52. _Alpine_ makes no assumptions as to + whether the terminal wraps or doesn't wrap. If the terminal has other + capabilities it may use some of them. _Alpine_ won't run well on older + terminals that require a space on the screen to change video attributes, + such as the Televideo 925. One can get around this on some terminals by + using "protected field" mode. The terminal can be made to go into protected + mode for reverse video, and then reverse video is assigned to protected + mode. + + _Alpine_ handles screens of most any size and resizing on the fly. It + catches SIGWINCH and does the appropriate thing. + + On the input side of things, _Alpine_ uses all the standard keys, most of + the control keys and (in function-key mode) the function keys. _Alpine_ + avoids certain control keys, specifically ^S, ^Q, ^H, and _^\_ because they + have other meanings outside of _Alpine_ (they control data flow, etc.) _^H_ + is treated the same as the _delete_ key, so the _backspace_ or _delete_ keys + always work regardless of any configuration. There is a feature + _compose-maps-delete-key-to-ctrl-d_ which makes the delete key behave like ^D + rather than ^H (deletes current character instead of previous character). + + Sometimes a communications program or communications server in between you + and the other end will eat certain control characters. There is a + work-around when you need it. If you type two escape characters followed by + a character that will be interpreted as the character with the control key + depressed. For example, _ESC ESC T_ is equivalent to _^T_. + + When a function key is pressed and _Alpine_ is in regular (non-function key) + mode, _Alpine_ traps escape sequences for a number of common function keys + so users don't get an error message or have an unexpected command executed + for each character in the function key's escape sequence. _Alpine_ expects + the following escape sequences from terminals defined as VT100: + + ANSI/VT100 + F1: <ESC>OP + F2: <ESC>OQ + F3: <ESC>OR + F4: <ESC>OS + F5: <ESC>Op + F6: <ESC>Oq + F7: <ESC>Or + F8: <ESC>Os + F9: <ESC>Ot + F10: <ESC>Ou + F11: <ESC>Ov + + Arrow keys are a special case. _Alpine_ has the escape sequences for a + number of conventions for arrow keys hard coded and does not use _termcap_ + to discover them. This is because _termcap_ is sometimes incorrect, and + because many users have PC's running terminal emulators that don't conform + exactly to what they claim to emulate. There is a feature called + termdef-takes-precedence which can be set to cause the _termcap_ or + _terminfo_ definitions to be used instead of the built in definitions. Some + arrow keys on old terminals send single control characters like _^K_ (one + even sends _^\_). These arrow keys will not work with _Alpine_. The most + popular escape sequences for arrow keys are: + + Up: <ESC>[A <ESC>?x <ESC>A <ESC>OA + Down: <ESC>[B <ESC>?r <ESC>B <ESC>OB + Right: <ESC>[C <ESC>?v <ESC>C <ESC>OC + Left: <ESC>[D <ESC>?t <ESC>D <ESC>OD |