POST(8) [nmh-1.0.4] (MH.6.8) POST(8)
NAME
post - deliver a message
SYNOPSIS
/usr/freeware/lib/nmh/post [-alias aliasfile]
[-filter filterfile] [-nofilter] [-format] [-noformat]
[-mime] [-nomime] [-msgid] [-nomsgid] [-verbose]
[-noverbose] [-watch] [-nowatch] [-width columns]
file [-version] [-help]
DESCRIPTION
Post is the default program called by send (1) to deliver
the message in file to local and remote users. In fact,
most of the features attributed to send in its manual page
are performed by post, with send acting as a relatively
simple preprocessor. Thus, it is post which parses the
various header fields, appends From: and Date: lines, and
interacts with the mail transport system. Post will not
normally be called directly by the user.
Post searches the To:, cc:, Bcc:, Fcc:, and Resent-xxx:
header lines of the specified message for destination
addresses, checks these addresses for validity, and formats
them so as to conform to ARPAnet Internet Message Format
protocol, unless the `-noformat' flag is set. This will
normally cause @local-site to be appended to each local
destination address, as well as any local return addresses.
The `-width columns' switch can be used to indicate the
preferred length of the header components that contain
addresses.
If a Bcc: field is encountered, its addresses will be used
for delivery, and the Bcc: field will be removed from the
message sent to sighted recipients. The blind recipients
will receive an entirely new message with a minimal set of
headers. Included in the body of the message will be a copy
of the message sent to the sighted recipients. If
`-filter filterfile' is specified, then this copy is
filtered (re-formatted) by mhl prior to being sent to the
blind recipients. Alternately, if the `-mime' switch is
given, then post will use the MIME rules for encapsulation.
The `-alias aliasfile' switch can be used to specify a file
that post should take aliases from. More than one file can
be specified, each being preceded with `-alias'. In any
event, the primary alias file is read first.
The `-msgid' switch indicates that a Message-ID: or
Resent-Message-ID: field should be added to the header.
The `-verbose' switch indicates that the user should be
informed of each step of the posting/filing process.
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POST(8) [nmh-1.0.4] (MH.6.8) POST(8)
The `-watch' switch indicates that the user would like to
watch the transport system's handling of the message (e.g.,
local and fast delivery).
Under normal circumstances, post constructs the "From:" line
of the message from the user's login name, the full name
from the GECOS field of the passwd file, and the
fully-qualified name of the local machine (or the value of
"localname" in mts.conf, if set). An example is "From: Dan
Harkless <dan@machine.company.com>". There are four ways to
override these values, however. Note that they apply
equally to "Resent-From:" lines in messages sent with dist.
The first way is GECOS-based username masquerading. If the
"masquerade:" line in mts.conf contains "mmailid", this
processing is activated. If a user's GECOS field in the
passwd file is of the form "Full Name <fakename>" then
"fakename" will be used in place of the real username. For
instance, a GECOS field of "Dan Harkless <Dan.Harkless>"
would result in "From: Dan Harkless
<Dan.Harkless@machine.company.com>". Naturally if you were
doing something like this you'd want to set up an MTA alias
(e.g. in /etc/aliases) from, for instance, "Dan.Harkless" to
"dan".
The second way to override default construction of "From:"
is to set the $SIGNATURE environment variable. This
variable overrides the full name from the GECOS field, even
if GECOS-based masquerading is being done. This processing
is always active, and does not need to be enabled from
mts.conf.
The third way is controlled by the "user_extension" value of
"masquerade:" line of mts.conf. When that's turned on,
setting the $USERNAME_EXTENSION environment variable will
result in its value being appended the user's login name.
For instance, if I set $USERNAME_EXTENSION to "+www", my
"From:" line will contain "Dan Harkless
<dan+www@machine.company.com>" (or "Dan.Harkless+www" if I'm
using mmailid masquerading as well). Recent versions of
sendmail automatically deliver all mail sent to user+string
to user. qmail has a similar feature which uses '-' as the
delimiter by default, but can use other characters as well.
The fourth method of address masquerading is to specify a
"From:" line manually in the message draft. It will be used
as provided (after alias substitution), but normally, to
discourage email forgery, the user's real address will be
used in the SMTP envelope "From:" and in a "Sender:" header.
However, if the "masquerade:" line of mts.conf contains
"draft_from", the SMTP envelope "From:" will use the
address given in the draft "From:", and there will be no
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POST(8) [nmh-1.0.4] (MH.6.8) POST(8)
"Sender:" header. This is useful in pretending to send
mail "directly" from a remote POP3 account, or when remote
email robots give improper precedence to the envelope
"From:". Note that your MTA may still reveal your real
identity (e.g. sendmail's "X-Authentication-Warning:"
header).
FILES
/usr/freeware/lib/nmh/etc/mts.conf nmh mts configuration file
/usr/freeware/lib/nmh/etc/MailAliasesglobal nmh alias file
/usr/freeware/bin/refile Program to process Fcc:s
/usr/freeware/lib/nmh/mhl Program to process Bcc:s
PROFILE COMPONENTS
post does NOT consult the user's .mh_profile
SEE ALSO
Standard for the Format of ARPA Internet Text Messages
(RFC-822),
mhmail(1), send(1), mh-mail(5), mh-alias(5), mh-tailor(5)
DEFAULTS
`-alias /usr/freeware/lib/nmh/etc/MailAliases'
`-format'
`-nomime'
`-nomsgid'
`-noverbose'
`-nowatch'
`-width 72'
`-nofilter'
CONTEXT
None
BUGS
Reply-To: fields are allowed to have groups in them
according to the 822 specification, but post won't let you
use them.
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