procmail
[Top] [All Lists]

Mail folder format(s)

1997-04-16 18:12:00
On Wed, 16 Apr 1997 15:58:43 +0100, Nevel, Simeon wrote:

: >From:        revjack(_at_)Radix(_dot_)Net
: 
: >What is the message separator in a standard unix mail folder? All I
: >see between messages in folders is a blank line, and I don't know of
: >any way to look for control characters. How does Pine, for example,
: >know where one message ends and the next one begins? I'll need to know
: >this if I am going to use a custom script to deliver mail to a folder.
: 
: AFAIK, "standard" Unix mail folders (aka MBOX or Berkeley Mail folders)
: are simply a file 
: containing the concatenation all the messages in the "folder."  The
: standard separator is
: a "From " line (NOT a "From:" line).

But but but, what if a message contains a paragraph that starts with
the word "From "?

I typed "From the halls of Montezuma" preceded and followed by a blank
line into my large mail/filtered file, in the middle of an extant
message, and Pine didn't react to it. I added a few "Received:" lines
immediately after it, and it did. (It became upset).

Things I will atone for this Sunday:

* filtering to /dev/null

* failing to use word boundaries

* sending messages to procmail-request

* forgetting to type in the subject

* using the phrase "standard unix mail folder" with a straight face


_________________
revjack(_at_)radix(_dot_)net

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>