NAME

vacation − automatically respond to incoming mail messages

SYNOPSIS

vacation [−M canned_msg_file] [−l logfile] [−m savefile] [−d] [−f forward-id] [−F forward-id]
vacation −n

DESCRIPTION

When a new mail message arrives, the mail command first checks the recipient’s forwarding file, /var/mail/:forward/user, to see if 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 via a Post-Processing Personal Surrogate so that the new message is both saved into the user’s mailbox and a canned response is sent to the message’s originator. 

NOTE: If you are using /usr/bin/vacation, you must use /bin/mail/ as the mail delivery agent. /usr/bin/vacation does not work with the default delivery agents used by sendmail(1M). 

If the Enhanced Security Utilities are installed, mail forwarding is separate for each security level at which the user can log in.  Therefore, if you wish to have vacation processing done for all of your login security levels, you must execute the vacation program separately for each security level. 

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.  The log file prevents the originator from seeing the vacation message multiple times. 

−M canned_msg_file
File to send back as the canned response. If canned_msg_file is not specified, it defaults to /usr/share/lib/mail/std_vac_msg, 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.

−m savefile Normally, the user’s mailbox is used to store the mail.  This option allows a different filename to be specified.  If the file cannot be written, the user’s mailbox will be used. 

−f forwarding-id
The mail will be forwarded to this user id in addition to being stored in the user’s mailbox.

−i forwarding-id
The mail will be forwarded to this user id instead of being stored in the user’s mailbox.  If both −f and −i are given, the mail will not be stored in the user’s mailbox. 

−d The day’s date will be appended to the filename specified by −m. 

−n Remove the vacation processing.  It is equivalent to using

mail −F "" 

FILES

/usr/share/lib/mail/std_vac_msg
default canned response

/var/mail/∗ users’ standard mailboxes

/var/mail/:forward/∗ users’ forwarding information

/usr/lib/mail/vacation2 program that actually sends back the canned response

SEE ALSO

mail(1), vacation_bsd(1). 

NOTES

vacation uses the personal surrogate facility of mail to implement notifications. 

If you are using /usr/bin/vacation, you must use /bin/mail as the mail delivery agent.