This is a not a complete description. A more detailed and technical description can be found by using the man command. Also use the man command to review the options used with this commandReturn to Main Menu | Mail Menu | What is a mail | UP | DOWNMail is a comfortable, flexible, interactive program for composing, sending messages and receiving messages. While reading messages, mail provides you with commands to browse, display, save , delete and respond to messages. While sending mail, mail allows editing and reviewing of messages being composed, and the inclusion of text from files.
Incoming mail is stored in the system mailbox for each user. This is a file named after the user in /var/spool/mail. mail normally looks in this file for incoming messages, but you can use the MAIL environment variable to have it look in a different file. When you read a message, it is marked to be moved to a secondary file for storage. This secondary file, called the mbox, is normally the file mbox in your home directory. This file can also be changed by setting the MBOX environment variable. Messages remain in the mbox file until deliberately removed.
RECIPENTS
RECIPENT is usually a user name recognized by login(1). When RECIPENTS are named, mail assumes a message is being sent (except in the case of the -F option). It reads from the standard input up to an end-of-file (cntrl-d) or, if reading from a terminal device, until it reads a line con- sisting of just a period. When either of those indicators is received, mail adds the LETTER to the MAILFILE for each RECIPENT.
Recipients can be;
- Local usernames
- Internet addresses of the form:
name@domain
- Alias groups
OPTIONS
-H Print header summary only.
-s subject Sets the Subject header field to subject