alpine(1)						      General Commands Manual							 alpine(1)

NAME

       alpine - an Alternatively Licensed Program for Internet News and Email

SYNTAX

       alpine [ options ] [ address , address ]

       alpinef [ options ] [ address , address ]

DESCRIPTION

       Alpine  is  a screen-oriented message-handling tool.  In its default configuration, Alpine offers an intentionally limited set of functions
       geared toward the novice user, but it also has a large list of optional "power-user" and personal-preference features.  alpinef is a  vari-
       ant of Alpine that uses function keys rather than mnemonic single-letter commands.  Alpine's basic feature set includes:

	      View, Save, Export, Delete, Print, Reply and Forward messages.

	      Compose messages in a simple editor (Pico) with word-wrap and a spelling checker.  Messages may be postponed for later completion.

	      Full-screen selection and management of message folders.

	      Address  book  to  keep  a list of long or frequently-used addresses.  Personal distribution lists may be defined.  Addresses may be
	      taken into the address book from incoming mail without retyping them.

	      New mail checking and notification occurs automatically every 2.5 minutes and after certain commands, e.g. refresh-screen (Ctrl-L).

	      On-line, context-sensitive help screens.

       Alpine supports MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions), an Internet Standard for representing multipart and multimedia data in email.
       Alpine  allows you to save MIME objects to files, and in some cases, can also initiate the correct program for viewing the object.  It uses
       the system's mailcap configuration file to determine what program can process a particular MIME object  type.   Alpine's  message  composer
       does not have integral multimedia capability, but any type of data file --including multimedia-- can be attached to a text message and sent
       using MIME's encoding rules.  This allows any group of individuals with MIME-capable mail software (e.g. Alpine, PC-Alpine, or  many  other
       programs) to exchange formatted documents, spread-sheets, image files, etc, via Internet email.

       Alpine  uses  the c-client messaging API to access local and remote mail folders. This library provides a variety of low-level message-han-
       dling functions, including drivers for a variety of different mail file formats, as well  as  routines  to  access  remote  mail  and  news
       servers,  using	IMAP  (Internet  Message  Access  Protocol)  and  NNTP (Network News Transport Protocol).  Outgoing mail is usually posted
       directly via SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).

OPTIONS

       The command line options/arguments are:

       address		   Send mail to address.  This will cause Alpine to go directly into the message composer.

       -attach file	   Send mail with the listed file as an attachment.

       -attachlist file-list
			   Send mail with the listed file-list as an attachments.

       -attach_and_delete file
			   Send mail with the listed file as an attachment, and remove the file after the message is sent.

       -aux local_directory
			   PC-Alpine only. When using a remote configuration (-p <remote_config>) this tells PC-Alpine the local directory to  use
			   for storing auxiliary files, like debug files, address books, and signature files.

       -bail		   Exit  if the pinerc file does not exist. This might be useful if the config file is accessed using some remote filesys-
			   tem protocol. If the remote mount is missing this will cause Alpine to quit instead of creating a new pinerc.

       -c context-number   context-number is the number corresponding to the folder-collection to which the -f command	line  argument	should	be
			   applied.  By default the -f argument is applied to the first defined folder-collection.

       -conf		   Produce  a sample/fresh copy of the system-wide configuration file, pine.conf, on the standard output. This is distinct
			   from the per-user .pinerc file.

       -convert_sigs -p pinerc
			   Convert signature files into literal signatures.

       -copy_abook <local_abook> <remote_abook>
			   Copy the local address book file to a remote address book folder.

       -copy_pinerc <local_pinerc> <remote_pinerc>
			   Copy the local pinerc file to a remote pinerc folder.

       -d debug-level	   Output diagnostic info at debug-level (0-9) to the current .pine-debug[1-4] file.  A value of 0 turns debugging off and
			   suppresses the .pine-debug file.

       -d key[=val]	   Fine tuned output of diagnostic messages where "flush" causes debug file writing without buffering, "timestamp" appends
			   each message with a timestamp, "imap=n" where n is between 0 and 4 representing none to verbose IMAP telemetry  report-
			   ing,  "numfiles=n"  where n is between 0 and 31 corresponding to the number of debug files to maintain, and "verbose=n"
			   where n is between 0 and 9 indicating an inverse threshold for message output.

       -f folder	   Open folder (in first defined folder collection, use -c n to specify another collection) instead of INBOX.

       -F file		   Open named text file and view with Alpine's browser.

       -h		   Help: list valid command-line options.

       -i		   Start up in the FOLDER INDEX screen.

       -I keystrokes	   Initial (comma separated list of) keystrokes which Alpine should execute on startup.

       -install 	   For PC-Alpine only, this option causes PC-Alpine to prompt for some basic setup information, then exits.

       -k		   Use function keys for commands. This is the same as running the command alpinef.

       -n number	   Start up with current message-number set to number.

       -o		   Open first folder read-only.

       -p config-file	   Use config-file as the personal configuration file instead of the default .pinerc.

       -P config-file	   Use config-file as the configuration file instead of default system-wide configuration file pine.conf.

       -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.  <IP> -registry cmd 20 For PC-Alpine only, this option affects the values
			   of Alpine's registry entries.  Possible values for cmd are set, clear, and dump.  Set will always reset  Alpine's  reg-
			   istry  entries  according  to  its  current settings.  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 cur-
			   rently aren't any values set.

       -r		   Use restricted/demo mode.  Alpine will only send mail to itself and functions like save and export are restricted.

       -sort order	   Sort the FOLDER INDEX display in one of the following orders: arrival, date, subject, orderedsubj, thread, from,  size,
			   score,  to,	cc, or reverse. Arrival order is the default.  The OrderedSubj choice simulates a threaded sort.  Any sort
			   may be reversed by adding /reverse to it.  Reverse by itself is the same as arrival/reverse.

       -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.

       -uninstall	   For PC-Alpine only, this option causes PC-Alpine to remove references to Alpine in Windows settings.

       -url url 	   Open the given url.	Cannot be used with -f or -F options.

       -v		   Version: Print version information.

       -version 	   Version: Print version information.

       -x config	   Use	configuration exceptions in config.  Exceptions are used to override your default pinerc settings for a particular
			   platform, can be a local file or a remote folder.

       -z		   Enable ^Z and SIGTSTP so alpine may be suspended.

       -option=value	   Assign value to the config option option e.g. -signature-file=sig1 or -feature-list=signature-at-bottom (Note: feature-
			   list values are additive)

CONFIGURATION

       There  are  several  levels of Alpine configuration.  Configuration values at a given level over-ride corresponding values at lower levels.
       In order of increasing precedence:

	o built-in defaults.
	o system-wide pine.conf file.
	o personal .pinerc file (may be set via built-in Setup/Config menu.)
	o command-line options.
	o system-wide pine.conf.fixed file.

       There is one exception to the rule that configuration values are replaced by the value of the same option in a higher-precedence file:  the
       feature-list  variable  has  values  that are additive, but can be negated by prepending "no-" in front of an individual feature name. Unix
       Alpine also uses the following environment variables:

	 TERM
	 DISPLAY     (determines if Alpine can display IMAGE attachments.)
	 SHELL	     (if not set, default is /bin/sh )
	 MAILCAPS    (semicolon delimited list of path names to mailcap files)

FILES

       /usr/spool/mail/xxxx	   Default folder for incoming mail.
       ~/mail			   Default directory for mail folders.
       ~/.addressbook		   Default address book file.
       ~/.pine-debug[1-4]	   Diagnostic log for debugging.
       ~/.pinerc		   Personal alpine config file.
       ~/.newsrc		   News subscription/state file.
       ~/.mailcap		   Personal mail capabilities file.
       ~/.mime.types		   Personal file extension to MIME type mapping
       /etc/mailcap		   System-wide mail capabilities file.
       /etc/mime.types		   System-wide file ext. to MIME type mapping
       /etc/pine.info		   Local pointer to system administrator.
       /etc/pine.conf		   System-wide configuration file.
       /etc/pine.conf.fixed	    Non-overridable configuration file.
       /tmp/.usrspoolmailxxxx  Per-folder mailbox lock files.
       ~/.pine-interrupted-mail    Message which was interrupted.
       ~/mail/postponed-msgs	   For postponed messages.
       ~/mail/sent-mail 	   Outgoing message archive (FCC).
       ~/mail/saved-messages	   Default destination for Saving messages.

SEE ALSO

       pico(1), binmail(1), aliases(5), mailaddr(7), sendmail(8), spell(1), imapd(8)

       Newsgroup:  comp.mail.pine
       Alpine Information Center:  http://www.washington.edu/alpine
       Source distribution:  ftp://ftp.cac.washington.edu/alpine/alpine.tar.gz
       Alpine Technical Notes, included in the source distribution.
       C-Client messaging API library, included in the source distribution.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

       The University of Washington Alpine development team (part of the UW Office
       of Computing & Communications) includes:

	Project Leader: 	  Mike Seibel
	Principal authors:	  Mike Seibel, Steve Hubert, Jeff Franklin
	C-Client library & IMAPd: Mark Crispin
	Documentation:		  Many people!
	Project oversight:	  Terry Gray, Lori Stevens
	Principal Patrons:	  Ron Johnson, Mike Bryant
	Initial Alpine code base: Pine - by the University of Washington,
				  Elm - by Dave Taylor & USENET Community Trust
	Initial Pico code base:   MicroEmacs 3.6, by Dave G. Conroy
	User Interface design:	  Inspired by UCLA's "Ben" mailer for MVS
	Suggestions/fixes/ports:  Folks from all over!

       $Date: 2009-02-02 20:54:23 +0100 (pon, 02 feb 2009) $

								   Version 2.02 							 alpine(1)