procmail
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: /var/spool/mail question

2000-01-31 20:11:25
OTR Comm <otrcomm(_at_)wildapache(_dot_)net> writes:
I do not know if this is a procmail question specifically, but here
goes.

As procmail has no builtin handling of the Status: header, this isn't
a procmail question.


Where can I get a list of the 'Status' switches that are added to
messages in the mail spools (usually in /var/spool/mail) after the
messages have been read?

I looked in the internet-draft
    ftp://ftp.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-palme-mailext-headers-02.txt

I quote it below.


I see Status: RO, Status: O, or Status: x.x.x on messages that have
been read, but left in a particular user spool.  I am writing a script
that will purge my user mail spools of messages that have been there
for over three months and need to know what these Status codes mean.

I am not subscribed to the procmail list yet, so if you could, please
reply directly to otrcomm(_at_)wildapache(_dot_)net

Harumph.  The least you could do when asking a potentially off-topic
question is subscribe to the list.

Here's the information on the Status: header given in the internet-draft
cited above.  Note that since this header has not been standardized, the
following is simply an observation on how the majority of software using
that header uses it.  The Status: header is not marked as "controversial"
so this would seem to be fairly safe, but since it's considered local
to a system (or even a mailbox!) MUAs may silently extend it...

--------
This field is used by some mail      Status:         Non-standard,
delivery systems to indicate the                     should never
status of delivery for this                          appear in mail in
message when stored. Common                          transit.
values of this field are:

U    message is not downloaded
     and not deleted.

R    message is read or
     downloaded.

O    message is old but not
     deleted.

D    to be deleted.

N    new (a new message also
     sometimes is distinguished
     by not having any "Status:"
     header field.

Combinations of these characters
can occur, such as "Status: OR"
to indicate that a message is
downloaded but not deleted.
--------


Philip Guenther

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
  • Re: /var/spool/mail question, Philip Guenther <=