post - deliver a message


SYNOPSIS

       /usr/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 valid­
       ity, 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  mes­
       sage  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.

       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.Hark­
       less>" would result  in  "From:  Dan  Harkless  <Dan.Hark­
       less@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 vari­
       able 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

       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

       /etc/nmh/mts.conf                    nmh mts configuration file
       /etc/nmh/MailAliases                 global nmh alias file
       /usr/bin/refile                      Program to process Fcc:s
       /usr/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 /etc/nmh/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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