@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
-@c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 2000
+@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node Sending Mail, Rmail, Picture, Top
@chapter Sending Mail
to make a new @samp{*mail*} buffer. Once you've done that, you can work
with each mail buffer independently.
+@ignore
+@c Commented out because it is not user-oriented;
+@c it doesn't say how to do some job. -- rms.
+@cindex directory servers
+@cindex LDAP
+@cindex PH/QI
+@cindex names and addresses
+There is an interface to directory servers using various protocols such
+as LDAP or the CCSO white pages directory system (PH/QI), described in a
+separate manual. It may be useful for looking up names and addresses.
+@xref{Top,,EUDC, eudc, EUDC Manual}.
+@end ignore
+
@menu
* Format: Mail Format. Format of the mail being composed.
* Headers: Mail Headers. Details of permitted mail header fields.
* Aliases: Mail Aliases. Abbreviating and grouping mail addresses.
* Mode: Mail Mode. Special commands for editing mail being composed.
-* Spook: Distracting NSA. How to distract the NSA's attention.
-* Mail Methods:: Using alternative mail-composition methods.
+* Amuse: Mail Amusements. Distracting the NSA; adding fortune messages.
+* Methods: Mail Methods. Using alternative mail-composition methods.
@end menu
@node Mail Format
Copies sent this way are called @dfn{blind carbon copies}.
@vindex mail-self-blind
+@cindex copy of every outgoing message
To send a blind carbon copy of every outgoing message to yourself, set
-the variable @code{mail-self-blind} to @code{t}.
+the variable @code{mail-self-blind} to @code{t}. To send a blind carbon
+copy of every message to some other @var{address}, set the variable
+@code{mail-default-headers} to @code{"Bcc: @var{address}\n"}.
@item FCC
This field contains the name of one file and directs Emacs to append a
By adding a @samp{Reply-to} field to your header, you can work around
any problems your @samp{From} address may cause for replies.
-@cindex @code{REPLYTO} environment variable
+@cindex @env{REPLYTO} environment variable
@vindex mail-default-reply-to
To put a fixed @samp{Reply-to} address into every outgoing message, set
the variable @code{mail-default-reply-to} to that address (as a string).
Then @code{mail} initializes the message with a @samp{Reply-to} field as
specified. You can delete or alter that header field before you send
the message, if you wish. When Emacs starts up, if the environment
-variable @code{REPLYTO} is set, @code{mail-default-reply-to} is
+variable @env{REPLYTO} is set, @code{mail-default-reply-to} is
initialized from that environment variable.
@item In-reply-to
Allow the system to insert the @samp{From} field.
@end table
+@vindex mail-default-headers
+ You can direct Emacs to insert certain default headers into the
+outgoing message by setting the variable @code{mail-default-headers}
+to a string. Then @code{C-x m} inserts this string into the message
+headers. If the default header fields are not appropriate for a
+particular message, edit them as appropriate before sending the
+message.
+
@node Mail Aliases
@section Mail Aliases
@cindex mail aliases
following:
@example
-(add-hook 'mail-setup-hook 'mail-abbrevs-setup)
+(add-hook 'mail-mode-hook 'mail-abbrevs-setup)
@end example
@noindent
expansion as well. Here's how to do that:
@smallexample
-(add-hook 'mail-setup-hook
- '(lambda ()
- (substitute-key-definition
- 'next-line 'mail-abbrev-next-line
- mail-mode-map global-map)
- (substitute-key-definition
- 'end-of-buffer 'mail-abbrev-end-of-buffer
- mail-mode-map global-map)))
+(add-hook 'mail-mode-hook
+ (lambda ()
+ (substitute-key-definition
+ 'next-line 'mail-abbrev-next-line
+ mail-mode-map global-map)
+ (substitute-key-definition
+ 'end-of-buffer 'mail-abbrev-end-of-buffer
+ mail-mode-map global-map)))
@end smallexample
@node Mail Mode
result, you don't get a warning if you try to send the same message
twice.
-@vindex sendmail-coding-system
+@c This is indexed in mule.texi, node "Recognize Coding".
+@c @vindex sendmail-coding-system
When you send a message that contains non-ASCII characters, they need
to be encoded with a coding system (@pxref{Coding Systems}). Usually
the coding system is specified automatically by your chosen language
environment (@pxref{Language Environments}). You can explicitly specify
the coding system for outgoing mail by setting the variable
-@code{sendmail-coding-system}.
+@code{sendmail-coding-system} (@pxref{Recognize Coding}).
If the coding system thus determined does not handle the characters in
a particular message, Emacs asks you to select the coding system to use,
@code{mail-setup} function puts in the default contents of the buffer.
After these default contents are inserted, @code{mail-setup-hook} runs.
-@node Distracting NSA
-@section Distracting the NSA
+@node Mail Amusements
+@section Mail Amusements
@findex spook
@cindex NSA
mail message. The keywords are chosen from a list of words that suggest
you are discussing something subversive.
- The idea behind this feature is the suspicion that the NSA snoops on
+ The idea behind this feature is the suspicion that the
+NSA@footnote{The US National Security Agency.} snoops on
all electronic mail messages that contain keywords suggesting they might
find them interesting. (The NSA says they don't, but that's what they
@emph{would} say.) The idea is that if lots of people add suspicious
Whether or not this confuses the NSA, it at least amuses people.
+@findex fortune-to-signature
+@cindex fortune cookies
+ You can use the @code{fortune} program to put a ``fortune cookie''
+message into outpoing mail. To do this, add
+@code{fortune-to-signature} to @code{mail-setup-hook}:
+
+@example
+(add-hook 'mail-setup-hook 'fortune-to-signature)
+@end example
+
@node Mail Methods
@section Mail-Composition Methods
@cindex mail-composition methods
- This chapter describes the usual Emacs mode for editing and sending
-mail---Mail mode. Emacs has alternative facilities for editing and
-sending mail, including MH-E and Message mode, not documented in this
-manual. You can choose any of them as your preferred method. The
-commands @code{C-x m}, @code{C-x 4 m} and @code{C-x 5 m} use whichever
-agent you have specified. So do various other Emacs commands and
-facilities that send mail.
+@cindex MH mail interface
+@cindex Message mode for sending mail
+ In this chapter we have described the usual Emacs mode for editing
+and sending mail---Mail mode. Emacs has alternative facilities for
+editing and sending mail, including
+MH-E and Message mode, not documented in this manual.
+@xref{,MH-E,,mh-e, The Emacs Interface to MH}. @xref{,Message,,message,
+Message Manual}. You can choose any of them as your preferred method.
+The commands @code{C-x m}, @code{C-x 4 m} and @code{C-x 5 m} use
+whichever agent you have specified. So do various other Emacs commands
+and facilities that send mail.
@vindex mail-user-agent
- To specify your mail-composition method, set the variable
+ To specify your mail-composition method, customize the variable
@code{mail-user-agent}. Currently legitimate values include
-@code{sendmail-user-agent}, @code{mh-e-user-agent}, and
-@code{message-user-agent}.
+@code{sendmail-user-agent} (Mail mode), @code{mh-e-user-agent},
+@code{message-user-agent} and @code{gnus-user-agent}.
- If you select a different mail-composition method, the information in
-this chapter about the @samp{*mail*} buffer and Mail mode does not
-apply; other methods may use completely different commands with a
-different format in a differently named buffer.
+ If you select a different mail-composition method, the information
+in this chapter about the @samp{*mail*} buffer and Mail mode does not
+apply; the other methods use a different format of text in a different
+buffer, and their commands are different as well.