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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