vacation(1)             (BSD Compatibility Package)             vacation(1)


   NAME
         vacation - reply to mail automatically

   SYNOPSIS
         /usr/ucb/vacation [ -I ]
         /usr/ucb/vacation [ -j ] [ -aalias ] [ -tN ] username

   DESCRIPTION
         vacation automatically replies to incoming mail.  The reply is
         contained in the file .vacation.msg, that you create in your home
         directory.

         This file should include a header with at least a `Subject:'  line
         (it should not include a `From:'  or a `To:'  line).  For example:
               Subject: I am on vacation
               I am on vacation until July 22.  If you have something urgent,
               please contact Joe Jones (jones@f40).
                     --John

         If the string $SUBJECT appears in the .vacation.msg file, it is
         replaced with the subject of the original message when the reply is
         sent; thus, a .vacation.msg file such as
               Subject: I am on vacation
               I am on vacation until July 22.
               Your mail regarding "$SUBJECT" will be read when I return.
               If you have something urgent, please contact
               Joe Jones (jones@f40).
                     --John

         will include the subject of the message in the reply.

         No message is sent if the `To:'  or the `Cc:'  line does not list the
         user to whom the original message was sent or one of a number of
         aliases for them, if the initial From line includes the string
         -REQUEST@, or if a `Precedence: bulk' or `Precedence: junk' line is
         included in the header.

         The following options are available:

         -I    Initialize the .vacation.pag and .vacation.dir files and start
               /usr/ucb/vacation.

         If the -I flag is not specified, and a user argument is given,
         /usr/ucb/vacation reads the first line from the standard input (for a
         `From:'  line, no colon).  If absent, it produces an error message.
         The following options may be specified:

         -aalias
               Indicate that alias is one of the valid aliases for the user
               running /usr/ucb/vacation, so that mail addressed to that alias
               generates a reply.


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   vacation(1)             (BSD Compatibility Package)             vacation(1)


         -j    Do not check whether the recipient appears in the `To: ' or the
               `Cc:'  line.

         -tN   Change the interval between repeat replies to the same sender.
               The default is 1 week.  A trailing s, m, h, d, or w scales N to
               seconds, minutes, hours, days, or weeks respectively.

   USAGE
         To start /usr/ucb/vacation, create a .forward file in your home
         directory containing a line of the form:

               \username, "|/usr/ucb/vacation username"

         where username is your login name.

         Then type in the command:

               /usr/ucb/vacation -I

         To stop /usr/ucb/vacation, remove the .forward file, or move it to a
         new name.

         If /usr/ucb/vacation is run with no arguments, it will permit you to
         interactively turn /usr/ucb/vacation on or off.  It will create a
         .vacation.msg file for you, or edit an existing one, using the editor
         specified by the VISUAL or EDITOR environment variable, or vi(1) if
         neither of those environment variables are set.  If a .forward file
         is present in your home directory, it will ask whether you want to
         remove it and turn off /usr/ucb/vacation.  If it is not present in
         your home directory, it creates it for you, and automatically
         performs a `/usr/ucb/vacation -I' function, turning on
         /usr/ucb/vacation.

   FILES
         ~/.forward
         ~/.vacation.mesg

         A list of senders is kept in the files .vacation.pag and
         .vacation.dir in your home directory.

   SEE ALSO
         sendmail(1M).

         vi(1) in the User's Reference Manual.









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