DIST(1m,C) AIX Commands Reference DIST(1m,C)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dist
PURPOSE
Redistributes a message to additional addresses.
SYNTAX
Processed November 8, 1990 DIST(1m,C) 1
DIST(1m,C) AIX Commands Reference DIST(1m,C)
+-----------+ +------- cur -------+ +-- -noannotate --+
dist----| |---| |---| |--->
+- +folder -+ | one of | | one of |
| +---------------+ | | +-------------+ |
+-| num cur |-+ +-| -annotate |-+
| sequence . | | -noannotate |
| first next | +-------------+
| prev last |
+---------------+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
>---| +--- -nodraftfolder ---------------------------------------------+ |--->
| | | |
+-| one of +------- new -------+ |-+
| +------------------------------------+ | | |
| | -draftfolder +folder -draftmessage | | one of | |
+-| -draftfolder +folder |---| +---------------+ |-+
| -draftmessage | +-| num . |-+
+------------------------------------+ | sequence next |
| first last |
| prev new |
| cur |
+---------------+
+--------------+ +-----------------+ +-- -noinplace --+
>---| |---| one of |---| |--->
+- -form file -+ | +-------------+ | | one of |
+-| -editor cmd |-+ | +------------+ |
| -noedit | +-| -inplace |-+
+-------------+ | -noinplace |
+------------+
+----------------------------+
>---| one of |---|
| +------------------------+ |
+-| -whatnowproc cmdstring |-+
| -nowhatnowproc |
+------------------------+
dist --- -help ---|
DESCRIPTION
The dist command is used to redistribute messages to a new list of addresses.
This command is part of the Message Handling (MH) package and can be used with
other MH and AIX commands.
By default, the dist command copies a message form to a new draft message and
invokes an editor. You then can fill in the message header fields Resent-To:
and Subject: and fill in or delete the other header fields (such as Resent-cc:
Processed November 8, 1990 DIST(1m,C) 2
DIST(1m,C) AIX Commands Reference DIST(1m,C)
and Resent-Bcc:). Since the body of the message is the message you are
redistributing, do not fill in the body. The dist command does not
automatically display the body of the message. When you exit the editor, the
dist command invokes the MH command whatnow. You can press Enter to see a list
of the available whatnow subcommands. These subcommands enable you to continue
editing the message header, list the message header, direct the disposition of
the message, or end the processing of the dist command. See "whatnow" for a
description of the subcommands.
When you send the draft message, the recipients are sent the headers and body
of the original message, which are appended to the new message. The dist
command does not automatically store a copy of the original message with the
new draft message. The draft message you create using the dist command
consists of header fields only.
You can specify the message that you want to distribute by using the
+folder msg flag. If you do not specify a message, the dist command
redistributes the current message.
You can specify the format of the message header by using the -form flag. If
you do not specify this flag, dist uses your default message format located in
the file user_mh_directory/distcomps. If this file does not exist, dist uses
the system default message format located in /usr/lib/mh/distcomps. dist
assigns the form to the message being redistributed.
Note: The line of dashes or a blank line must be left between the header and
the body of the message for the message to be identified when it is
sent.
FLAGS
-annotate Annotates the message being redistributed with the
lines:
Resent: date
Resent: addrs
The annotation appears in the original draft message
so that you can maintain a complete list of
recipients with the original message. If you do not
actually redistribute the message using the immediate
dist command, the -annotate flag may fail to provide
annotation. The -inplace flag forces annotation to
be done in place.
-draftfolder +folder Places the draft message in the specified folder. If
you do not specify this flag, dist selects a default
draft folder according to the information supplied in
the MH profiles. You can define a default draft
folder in $HOME/.mh_profile. If -draftfolder +folder
is followed by msg, msg represents the -draftmessage
attribute.
Processed November 8, 1990 DIST(1m,C) 3
DIST(1m,C) AIX Commands Reference DIST(1m,C)
-draftmessage msg Specifies the draft message. You can specify one of
the following message references as msg:
num sequence first
prev cur .
next last new
The default draft message is new. If you specify a
draft message, that message becomes the current
message.
-editor cmd Specifies that cmd is the initial editor for
preparing the message for distribution. If you do
not specify this flag, dist selects a default editor
or suppresses the initial edit, according to the
information supplied in the MH profiles. You can
define a default initial editor in $HOME/.mh_profile.
+folder msg Redistributes the specified message in the specified
folder. You can specify one of the following message
references for msg:
num sequence first
prev cur .
next last
The default message is the current message in the
current folder. If you specify a folder, that folder
becomes the current folder.
-form file Assigns the form contained in the specified file to
the message being resent. The dist command treats
each line in file as a format string.
-help Displays help information for the command.
-inplace Forces annotation to be done in place to preserve
links to the annotated message.
-noannotate Does not annotate the message. This flag is the
default.
-nodraftfolder Places the draft in the file user_mh_directory/draft.
-noedit Suppresses the initial edit.
-noinplace Does not perform annotation in place. This flag is
the default.
Processed November 8, 1990 DIST(1m,C) 4
DIST(1m,C) AIX Commands Reference DIST(1m,C)
-nowhatnowproc Does not invoke a program that guides you through the
distribution tasks. The -nowhatnowproc flag also
prevents any edit from occurring.
-whatnowproc cmdstring Invokes cmdstring as the program to guide you through
the distribution tasks. See "whatnow" for
information about the default whatnow program and its
subcommands.
Note: If you specify "whatnow" for cmdstring, the
dist command invokes an internal whatnow
procedure rather than a program with the file
name whatnow.
PROFILE ENTRIES
Current-Folder: Sets your default current folder.
Draft-Folder: Sets your default folder for drafts.
Editor: Sets your default initial editor.
fileproc: Specifies the program used to refile messages.
Path: Specifies your user_mh_directory.
whatnowproc: Specifies the program used to prompt "What now?" questions.
FILES
/usr/lib/mh/distcomps System default message skeleton.
user_mh_directory/distcomps User's default message skeleton. If it exists,
it overrides the system default message
skeleton.
$HOME/.mh_profile MH user profile.
user_mh_directory/draft Draft file.
RELATED INFORMATION
See other MH commands: "ali," "anno," "comp," "forw," "prompter,"
"refile," "repl," "send," and "whatnow."
See the mh-alias, mh-format, mh-mail, and mh-profile files in AIX Operating
System Technical Reference.
"See Overview of the Message Handling Package" in Managing the AIX Operating
System.
Processed November 8, 1990 DIST(1m,C) 5