dist(1) 						      General Commands Manual							   dist(1)

NAME

       dist - redistribute a message to additional addresses (only available within the message handling system, mh)

SYNOPSIS

       dist [msg] [+folder] [options]

OPTIONS

       Annotates the message that you are redistributing. The following lines are added to the message that you are redistributing:

	      Resent: date Resent: addrs

	      The  first  line	records the time at which the message was redistributed; the second records the addresses of the recipients of the
	      redistributed message.

	      The dist command only annotates messages when they are successfully sent. If you do not send the message immediately  and  file  the
	      unsent  draft, it will not be annotated.	Specifies the folder in which the draft message is created.  If you do not send the draft,
	      the mail system will store it in this folder.

	      This option is usually set up in your See mh_profile(4) for more information. If you have this option set up, you can override it by
	      using  the  -nodraftfolder option.  Specifies the file in which the draft message is created.  If no absolute pathname is given, the
	      file is assumed to be in your Mail directory, standardly $HOME/Mail.  If you do not send the message, it is stored in the named file
	      until you delete it, or send it at a later date.	Specifies the editor that you want to use to edit your forwarded message.

	      You  can also set up an editor in your file; see mh_profile(4) for more information.  Specifies the message header to be used in the
	      draft message.  If this option is present, dist takes the header of the draft message from the named file. If  this  option  is  not
	      present,	the  header is taken from the distcomps file in your Mail directory, or failing that, from the mail system default header.
	      Causes annotation to be done in place, to preserve links to the annotated message. This option only works with the -annotate option.
	      Prints  a list of the valid options for this command.  Suppresses editing of the draft message altogether.  Specifies an alternative
	      whatnow program.	Normally, dist invokes the default whatnow program. See whatnow(1) for a discussion of available options. You  can
	      specify  your  own alternative to the default program using the -whatnowproc program option. If you do specify your own program, you
	      should not call it whatnow.

	      You can suppress the whatnow program entirely by using the -nowhatnowproc option. However, as the program normally starts  the  ini-
	      tial edit, the -nowhatnowproc option will prevent you from editing the message.

       The defaults for dist are:

       +folder defaults to the current folder msg defaults to cur -noannotate -nodraftfolder -noinplace

DESCRIPTION

       Use dist to redistribute a message to addresses that are not on the original address list.

       You  can  specify the message which you want to redistribute by giving a message number as the msg argument. If you do not supply a message
       number, dist takes the current message.	You can only redistribute one message at a time. You can also specify a message in another  folder
       by giving the +folder argument.	This argument can be used in conjunction with the msg argument.

       The  program  dist  is  similar	to forw.  The main difference between the two commands is that forw encapsulates the message, whereas dist
       merely resends it.  You cannot add any new text of your own to a message that you re-distribute using dist. A message that  has	been  for-
       warded  will appear to have been sent by the person who forwarded the message. A message that has been redistributed using dist will appear
       to have come from the sender of the original message. This is shown in the scan listing of the messages. In the following example, messages
       1 and 2 are identical apart from the method used to send the message on to additional recipients:

	  1  20/06 goodman	      Hello <<As you will see from th
	  2+ 21/06 John 	      As previous, but forwarded <<---

       When you use dist, you will get a message form to fill in with the details of the additional recipients.  The default message form contains
       the following elements:

       Resent-To: Resent-cc:

       If the file named dist comps exists in your Mail directory, standardly $HOME/Mail, it is used instead of the standard mail header.  If  the
       option -form formfile is given, it overrides both of these.

       You can only put recognized header lines in your message form. The dist program recognizes values in the following fields:

       Resent-To: Resent-cc: Resent-Bcc: Resent-Fcc: Resent-Xmts:

       The headers and the body of the original message are copied to the draft when the message is sent. You cannot add any new body text of your
       own when redistributing a message with dist.

       If you do not have a draft folder set up, dist creates the message form in a file called draft in your Mail directory.  This file  must	be
       empty  before you can create a new draft, which means that you can only store one draft at a time. If it is not empty, the mail system asks
       you what you want to do with the existing contents. The options are: Aborts dist, leaving the draft intact.  Replaces  the  existing  draft
       with the appropriate message form.  Displays the draft message.	Refiles the existing draft message in the specified folder, and provides a
       new message form for you to complete.

       If you want to be able to have more than one draft at a time, you can set up a draft folder in your you to keep as many	unsent	drafts	as
       space allows, and still create new messages as you wish. To do this, make sure that the following line is in your

       Draft-folder: +drafts

       For more information on how to do this, see mh_profile(4).

       You  cannot  store unsent messages created using dist in your draft folder. If you attempt to do so, only the message form is stored.  This
       does not contain the original message that you are redistributing, so you will not be able to send it later.

       If you use repl to reply to a message resent to you by dist, the reply will go to the sender of the original message, rather than the  per-
       son who forwarded it to you. The repl command ignores the Resent-xxx: fields when creating the header for your draft reply.

PROFILE COMPONENTS

       Path: To determine your Mail directory (<mh-dir>)

       Draft-Folder: To find the default draft folder

       Editor: To override the default editor

       fileproc: Program to refile the message

       whatnowproc: Program to ask the What now? questions

FILES

       The  default system template for re-distributed messages.  The user-supplied alternative to the default system template.  The user profile.
       The draft file.

SEE ALSO

       comp(1), forw(1), repl(1), send(1), whatnow(1)

																	   dist(1)