vacation(1) (Essential Utilities) vacation(1)
NAME
vacation - automatically respond to incoming mail messages.
SYNOPSIS
vacation [-l logfile] [-m mailfile] [-M canned_msg_file] [-F
failsafe]
DESCRIPTION
When a new mail message arrives, the mail command first checks if the
recipient's mailbox indicates that the message is to be forwarded
elsewhere (to some other recipient or as the input to some command).
vacation is used to set up forwarding on the user's mailbox so that
the new message is saved into an alternative mailbox and a canned
response is sent to the message's originator.
Command-line options are:
-l logfile File to keep track of which originators have already seen
the canned response. If not specified, it defaults to
$HOME/.maillog.
-m mailfile Alternate mailbox to save new messages into. If not
specified, it defaults to $HOME/.mailfile.
-M canned_msg_file
File to send back as the canned response. If
canned_msg_file is not specified, it defaults to
/usr/lib/mail/stdvacmsg, which contains:
Subject: AUTOANSWERED!!!
I am on vacation. I will read (and answer if necessary)
your e-mail message when I return.
This message was generated automatically and you will
receive it only once, although all messages you send
me while I am away WILL be saved.
-F failsafe If mail has troubles delivering to the mailfile
specified, it may optionally be forwarded to another
login id (failsafe) instead of being returned to the
sender.
-d The log file will have the day's date appended.
To remove the vacation functionality, use
mail -F ""
FILES
/tmp/notif* temporary file
/usr/share/lib/mail/stdvacmsg
default canned response
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vacation(1) (Essential Utilities) vacation(1)
/var/mail/* users' standard mailboxes
/usr/lib/mail/vacation2 program that actually sends back the
canned response
SEE ALSO
mail(1)
User's Guide.
NOTES
Because vacation uses the ``Forward to |command'' facility of mail to
implement notifications, /var/mail/username should not be specified
as the place to put newly arrived messages via the -m invocation
option. The mail command uses /var/mail/username to hold either mail
messages, or indications of mail forwarding, but not both
simultaneously.
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