F Using the mailx Commands

The mailx program has a large set of commands, some of which are described in Appendix D and Appendix E. The commands in Table F-1 can help you to use the mailx environment more effectively. The mailx(1) reference page lists some other commands that are useful only under special circumstances.

Table F-1: Commands for the mailx Program

Command	Description
`=`	Echoes the number of the current message.
`#`	Allows the user to write comments in mail script files.
`!command`	Executes the shell command you enter.
`-[n]`	Selects and displays the previous message or the nth previous message. For example, `-4` backs up four messages.
`alias alias alias alias alias name... group`	With no arguments, lists the current aliases. With one argument, displays only that alias. With two or more arguments, creates an alias with the first argument as its name and all subsequent arguments as the members of the alias. The `group` command is an alternate for `alias`.
`alternates [alternate_list]`	Informs mailx that the addresses listed in `alternate_list` refer to the user. If no `alternate_list` is specified in the command, the command displays the current list of alternates.
`chdir path cd path`	Changes your current directory to the pathname specified, as if you had executed the `cd` shell command except that the directory you specify with `chdir` prevails only while you are in the mail environment.
`copy [message_list] file co [message_list] file`	Copies the current message or the specified messages into a file. If `file` exists, the messages are appended. This command works like `save` except that it does not mark copied messages for deletion when you quit from `mailx`.
`Copy [message_list]`	Saves the specified messages in a file whose name is derived from the author of the first message in the `message_list`. This command will not mark the messages as being saved. Otherwise equivalent to the `Save` command.
`delete [message_list] d [message_list]`	Deletes the current message or the specified messages. You can use the `undelete` command to recover messages you have accidentally deleted.
`discard [field_list]`	Identical to the `ignore` subcommand.
`dp dt`	Deletes the current message and prints the next active message.
`echo string`	Echo the given string. Similar to the shell `echo` command.
`edit [message_list]`	Invokes the editor specified by `EDITOR` and loads `message_list` into the editor. When you exit, any changes made are saved back into `message_list`.
`exit ex x`	Exits mail without updating your system mailbox.
`file [file] fi [file] folder [file] fo [file]`	Selects a mail file or folder. If you do not specify a file, this command prints your current path and file name and the number of messages in your current file. If you specify a file or folder, this command displays any changes you have made to your current file and switches to the specified file for reading.
`folders`	Lists the names of the folders in your folder directory.
`followup message`	Responds to a message and record the response in a file whose name is derived from the author of the message. This command overrides the `record` option if set.
`Followup [message_list]`	Responds to the first message in `message_list` and sends the message to the author of each message in `message_list`. The subject line is taken from the first message and the response is recorded in a file whose name is derived from the author of the first message.
`from [login] f [login]`	Prints the active message header. If you specify a login name, this command prints all the active messages from the specified name.
`headers [n] h [n]`	Lists active message headers, using the value of the `screen` variable as the number of headers to display. See Appendix D for a description of the `screen` variable. If you have more than one screenful of messages, you can move forward or backward one screenful with the `z` command. If you specify a message number, the `headers` command displays the screenful that includes the specified message.
`help`	Displays help information.
`hold [message_list] ho [message_list] preserve [message_list] pre [message_list]`	Holds, or preserves, the current message or the specified specified messages in your system mailbox instead of moving them to your `mbox` file.
`if condition else endif`	Construction for conditional execution of `mailx` subcommands. Subcommands following `if` are executed if `condition` is True. Subcommands following `else` are executed if `condition` is not True. An `else` is not required but the `endif` is required. The condition can be `send` for sending mail, or `receive` for receiving mail.
`ignore [field...]`	Sets `mailx` to display messages without the specified fields of the header when you use the `print` or `type` command. Note that this command is different from the `ignore` variable described in Appendix D. If you enter the `ignore` command with no arguments, the current list of ignored fields is displayed.
`list`	Displays a list of valid mailx subcommands.
`local`	List other names for the local host.
`mail user_name m user_name`	Sends a message to the specified user.
`mbox [message_list]`	Marks the current message or the specified messages to be moved to your `mbox` file. This is helpful if you have set the `hold` variable in your `.mailrc` file.
`more [message_list]`	Displays the messages in `message_list` using the defined pager program in `PAGER`. Identical to the `page` subcommand.
`More [message_list]`	Similar to the `more` subcommand, but also displays the ignored header fields. See `more` and `ignore` subcommands.
`new [message_list]`	Marks each message in the `message_list` as not having been read. Identical to `New`, `unread`, and `Unread` subcommands.
`New [message_list]`	Marks each message in the `message_list` as not having been read. Identical to `new`, `unread,` and `Unread` subcommands.
`page [message_list]`	Displays the messages in `message_list` using the defined pager program in `PAGER`. Identical to the `more` subcommand.
`Page [message_list]`	Similar to `page` but also displays the ignored header fields. Identical to the `More` subcommand.
`Command`	Description
`pipe [message_list] [shell_command]` `\| [message_list] [shell_command]`	Pipes the `message_list` through the `shell_command`. The message is treated as being read. If no arguments are given, the current message is piped through the command given in `cmd`. If the `page` option is set, a formfeed is inserted after each message.
`next n + [Return]`	Displays the next message.
`Print [message] P [message] Type [message] T [message]`	Displays the current message or the specified message, including any header fields specified by the `ignore` command.
`print [message] p [message] type [message] t [message]`	Displays the current message or the specified message without any header fields specified by the `ignore` command.
`quit q`	Leaves the `mailx` program and updates your system mailbox. If you do not have the `hold` variable set, all messages that you have not deleted, saved, or preserved are moved to your `mbox` file. If you do have `hold` set, all these messages will be left in your system mailbox and marked as having been read.
`Reply R Respond`	Replies to a message. If the original message was addressed to a group of people, replies sent with the `Reply` command are sent only to the originator of the message.
`reply r respond`	Replies to a message. If the original message was addressed to a group of people, replies sent with the `reply` and `respond` commands are sent to everyone who received the original message.
`retain [field_list]`	Adds the header fields in `field_list` to the list of headers to be retained when displaying message with the `print` or `type` subcommands. Use `type` and `print` to view messages in their entirety, including fields that are not retained. If `retain` is executed with no arguments, it lists the current set of retained fields.
`save [message_list] file s [message_list] file`	Saves the current message or the specified messages in the file. Note that the messages are added to the specified file so that you will not delete the contents of the file.
`Save [message_list]`	Saves the specified messages in a file whose name is derived from the author of the first messages. The name of the file is assumed to be the author's name with all network addressing stripped off.
`set [variable] se [variable]`	If entered with no variables, the `set` command displays all the options you have set. If you specify a variable, the option will be set. (Appendix E lists the available variables.)
`shell sh`	Invokes the shell interactively.
`source file so file`	Reads mail commands from a file (usually `.mailrc`).
`size [message_list]`	Displays the size in lines and characters of the messages in `message_list`.
`top [message_list] to [message_list]`	Displays the first five lines in the current message or each of the specified messages.
`touch [message_list]`	Marks the messages in `message_list` to be moved from your system mailbox to your personal mbox when you quit the `mailx` program even though you have not read the listed messages. The messages appear in your mbox as unread messages. When you use touch, the last message in `message_list` becomes the current message.
`unalias alias_list`	Deletes the specified alias names.
`undelete message_list u message_list`	Undeletes the specified messages.
`unread [message_list]`	Marks each message in `message_list` as not having been read. Identical to the `new`, `New`, and `Unread` subcommands.
`Unread [message_list]`	Marks each message in `message_list` as not having been read. Identical to the `new`, `New`, and `unread` subcommands.
`unset`	Unsets (turns off) options. For example, if your `.mailrc` file includes a `set hold` command, you can use the `unset` command to disable the `hold` variable for the current `mailx` session.
`version`	Displays the version banner for the `mailx` command.
`visual`	Invokes the editor specified by the `VISUAL` mail variable to edit the current message.
`write [message_list] file w [message_list] file`	Saves the current message or the specified messages in the named file. This is similar to the `save` command, except that `write` saves only the body of each message; the headers are deleted.
`z[+] z-`	Moves forward or backward one screenful of messages. You can specify the number of messages in a screenful with the `screen` variable. (See Appendix D.) To move forward one full screen, enter `z` or `z+`; to move backward, enter `z-`.