dist
PURPOSE
Redistributes a message to additional addresses.
SYNOPSIS
dist [+folder][msg][-annotate][-noannotate][-draftfolder
+folder][-draftmessage msg][-nodraftfolder]
[-editor editor][-noedit][-form formfile][-inplace]
[-noinplace][-whatnowproc program][-nowhatnowproc]
[-help]
DESCRIPTION
The dist command is used to redistribute messages to a
new list of addresses. dist is part of the MH (Message
Handling) package and can be used with other MH and AIX
commands.
By default, dist copies a message form to a new draft
message and invokes an editor. You can then fill in the
message header fields Resent-To: and Subject: and fill in
or delete the other header fields (such as Resent-cc: and
Resent-Bcc:). Since the body of the message will be the
message you are redistributing, do not fill in the body.
dist 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. "whatnow" describes the subcommands.
When you send the draft message, the recipients are sent
the headers and body of the original message appended to
the new message. dist does not automatically store a
copy of the original message with the new draft message.
The draft message you create using the dist command con-
sists 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, dist 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 prepends 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.
-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 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 fol-
lowing message references as 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 Prepends the form contained in
the specified file to the message
being resent. dist treats each
line in file as a format string.
-help Displays help information for the
command.
-inplace Forces annotation to be done in
place in order 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.
-nowhatnowproc Does not invoke a program that
guides you through the distrib-
ution tasks. The -nowhatnowproc
flag also prevents any edit from
occurring.
-whatnowproc cmdstring Invokes cmdstring as the program
to guide you through the distrib-
ution tasks. See "whatnow" for
information about the default
whatnow program and its subcom-
mands.
Note: If you specify "whatnow"
for cmdstring, dist 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 The system default message
skeleton
user_mh_directory/distcomps The user's default message
skeleton. (If it exists,
it overrides the system
default message skeleton.)
$HOME/.mh_profile The MH user profile.
user_mh_directory/draft The draft file.
RELATED INFORMATION
Other MH commands: "ali," "anno," "comp," "forw,"
"prompter," "refile," "repl," "send," "whatnow."
The mh-alias, mh-format, mh-mail, and mh-profile files in
AIX Operating System Technical Reference.
The "Overview of the Message Handling Package" in Man-
aging the AIX Operating System.