mh-mail(4)						     Kernel Interfaces Manual							mh-mail(4)

NAME

       mh-mail - Message format for the MH message system

DESCRIPTION

       MH  processes  messages	in  a  particular  format.  Although neither Bell nor Berkeley mailers produce message files in the format that MH
       prefers, MH can read message files in that format.

       Each user has a maildrop that initially receives all messages processed by the post command (see post(8)).

       The inc command reads from the maildrop and incorporates the new messages found there into the user's own +inbox folder.  The maildrop con-
       sists of one or more messages.

       Messages  are  expected to consist of lines of text.  Graphics and binary data are not handled.	No data compression is accepted.  All text
       is in ASCII 7-bit data.

       The general memo framework of RFC 822 is used.  A message consists of a block of information in a rigid format, followed  by  general  text
       with  no  specified  format.  The rigidly-formatted first part of a message is called the message header; the free-format portion is called
       the body.  The header must always exist, but the body is optional.  These parts are separated by a blank line or by a line of dashes.   The
       following example shows the standard default MH mail header:

       To: cc: Subject: --------

       The  header  is composed of one or more header items.  Each header item can be viewed as a single logical line of ASCII characters.  If the
       text of a header item extends across several real lines, the continuation lines are indicated by leading spaces or tabs.

       Each header item is called a component and is composed of a keyword or name, along with associated text.  The keyword begins  at  the  left
       margin, and is terminated by a colon (:).  It cannot contain spaces or tabs, and cannot exceed 63 characters, as specified by RFC 822.

       The  text  for most formatted components, such as Date: and Message-Id:, is produced automatically.  The user enters address fields such as
       To: and cc:, and the Subject: field.  Internet addresses are assigned mailbox names and host computer specifications.  The  general  format
       is  local@domain,  for example, MH@UCI or MH@UCI-ICSA.ARPA.  A comma (,) separates multiple addresses.  A missing host/domain is assumed to
       be the local host/domain.

       A blank line (or a line of dashes) signals that all following text up to the end of the file is the body of the message.  No formatting	is
       expected or enforced within the body.

       The  following  is  a list of header components that are considered meaningful to MH programs: Added by post, contains the date and time of
       the message's entry into the transport system.  Added by post, contains the address of the author or authors (there may be more than one if
       a  Sender:  field  is present).	Replies are typically directed to addresses in the Reply-To: or From: field. The former has precedence, if
       present.  Added by post in the event that the message already has a From: line.	This line contains  the  address  of  the  actual  sender.
       Replies	are  never  sent  to  addresses  in the Sender: field.	Contains addresses of primary recipients.  Contains addresses of secondary
       recipients.  Contains the addresses of recipients who receive blind carbon copies of the message.  The Bcc: line does  not  appear  on  the
       message	as sent, so these recipients are not listed.  Recipients in the Bcc: field receive a copy of the message with a minimal header. MH
       uses an encapsulation method for blind copies; see send(1).  Causes post to copy the message into the specified folder for the  sender,	if
       the  message  was  successfully	given  to  the	transport  system.   A unique message identifier added by post, if the -msgid flag is set.
       Sender's commentary.  It is displayed by scan.  A commentary line added by repl when replying to a message.  Added by post when	a  message
       is  redistributed.   Added by post when a message is redistributed.  New recipients for a message resent by dist.  New secondary recipients
       for a message resent by dist.  New blind carbon copy recipients for a message resent by dist.  Places a copy of a message  resent  by  dist
       into  the  sender's folder.  A unique identifier of a message resent by dist.  This is appended by post if the -msgid flag is set.  Annota-
       tion added by dist when the -annotate flag is specified.  Annotation added by forw when the -annotate flag is specified.  Annotation  added
       by  repl  when the -annotate flag is specified.	Specifies the MIME version number.  This header entry is used or added by MH software only
       when codeset conversion of mail messages is enabled and requested.  For more information on codeset conversion, see the section on interna-
       tionalization features in mh(1).  Specifies the content type, which is always TEXT/PLAIN, plus a charset value that names a coded character
       set (codeset).  This header entry is used or added by MH software only when codeset conversion of mail messages is enabled  and	requested.
       For more information on codeset conversion, see the section on internationalization features in mh(1).

FILES

       Standard location of mail drop

RELATED INFORMATION

       Standard for the Format of ARPA Internet Text Messages (RFC 822) delim off

																	mh-mail(4)