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pine command help


       pine - a Program for Internet News and Email
 

SYNTAX

       pine [ options ] [ address , address ]
 
       pinef [ options ] [ address , address ]
 

DESCRIPTION

       Pine  is  a screen-oriented message-handling tool.  In its
       default configuration, Pine offers an  intentionally  lim­
       ited  set  of functions geared toward the novice user, but
       it also has a growing list of  optional  "power-user"  and
       personal-preference  features.  pinef is a variant of Pine
       that uses function keys rather than mnemonic single-letter
       commands.  Pine's basic feature set includes:
 
              View,  Save,  Export, Delete, Print, Reply and For­
              ward messages.
 
              Compose messages in a  simple  editor  (Pico)  with
              word-wrap  and a spelling checker.  Messages may be
              postponed for later completion.
 
              Full-screen selection  and  management  of  message
              folders.
 
              Address  book to keep a list of long or frequently-
              used addresses.  Personal distribution lists may be
              defined.   Addresses  may be taken into the address
              book from incoming mail without retyping them.
 
              New mail checking and notification occurs automati­
              cally every 2.5 minutes and after certain commands,
              e.g. refresh-screen (Ctrl-L).
 
              On-line, context-sensitive help screens.
 
       Pine supports  MIME  (Multipurpose  Internet  Mail  Exten­
       sions),  an  Internet  Standard for representing multipart
       and multimedia data in email.  Pine  allows  you  to  save
       MIME  objects to files, and in some cases, can also initi­
       ate the correct program for viewing the object.   It  uses
       the  system's mailcap configuration file to determine what
       program can process a particular MIME object type.  Pine's
       message  composer  does not have integral multimedia capa­
       bility, but any type of data file --including multimedia--
       can  be  attached  to a text message and sent using MIME's
       encoding rules.  This allows any group of individuals with
       MIME-capable  mail  software  (e.g. Pine, PC-Pine, or many
       other programs) to exchange formatted  documents,  spread-
       sheets, image files, etc, via Internet email.
 
       low-level  message-handling  functions,  including drivers
       for a variety of different mail file formats, as  well  as
       routines  to  access  remote  mail and news servers, using
       IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) and NNTP  (Network
       News   Transport  Protocol).   Outgoing  mail  is  usually
       handed-off to  the  Unix  sendmail,  program  but  it  can
       optionally be posted directly via SMTP (Simple Mail Trans­
       fer Protocol).
 

OPTIONS

       The command line options/arguments are:
 
       address             Send mail to address.  This will cause
                           Pine  to  go directly into the message
                           composer.
 
       -attach file        Send mail with the listed file  as  an
                           attachment.
 
       -attachlist file-list
                           Send mail with the listed file-list as
                           an attachments.
 
       -attach_and_delete file
                           Send mail with the listed file  as  an
                           attachment,  and remove the file after
                           the message is sent.
 
       -aux local_directory
                           PC-Pine only. When using a remote con­
                           figuration  (-p  <remote_config>) this
                           tells PC-Pine the local  directory  to
                           use  for storing auxiliary files, like
                           debug files, address books, and signa­
                           ture files.
 
       -bail               Exit  if  the  pinerc  file  does  not
                           exist. This might  be  useful  if  the
                           config  file  is  accessed  using some
                           remote  filesystem  protocol.  If  the
                           remote  mount  is  missing  this  will
                           cause Pine to quit instead of creating
                           a new pinerc.
 
       -c context-number   context-number  is  the  number corre­
                           sponding to the  folder-collection  to
                           which  the  -f  command  line argument
                           should be applied.  By default the  -f
                           argument   is  applied  to  the  first
                           defined folder-collection.
 
       -conf               Produce a  sample/fresh  copy  of  the
                           This  is  distinct  from  the per-user
                           .pinerc file.
 
       -convert_sigs -p pinerc
                           Convert signature files  into  literal
                           signatures.
 
       -copy_abook <local_abook> <remote_abook>
                           Copy  the local address book file to a
                           remote address book folder.
 
       -copy_pinerc <local_pinerc> <remote_pinerc>
                           Copy the local pinerc file to a remote
                           pinerc folder.
 
       -create_lu addrbook sort-order
                           Creates   auxiliarly  index  (look-up)
                           file for addrbook and  sorts  addrbook
                           in sort-order, which may be dont-sort,
                           nickname,   fullname,   nickname-with-
                           lists-last,   or  fullname-with-lists-
                           last.  Useful when creating global  or
                           shared  address books.  After creating
                           the index file in this way,  the  file
                           should  be  moved  or  copied in a way
                           which  preserves  the  mtime  of   the
                           address  book  file.  The mtime of the
                           address book  file  at  the  time  the
                           index  file was built is stored inside
                           the  index  file  and   a   comparison
                           between that stored value and the cur­
                           rent mtime of the address book file is
                           done  when somebody runs pine.  If the
                           mtime has changed since the index file
                           was  made,  then  pine  will  want  to
                           rebuild  the  index  file.   In  other
                           words, don't build the index file with
                           this option and then copy the  address
                           book to its final destination in a way
                           which changes the file's mtime.
 
       -d debug-level      Output diagnostic info at  debug-level
                           (0-9)  to the current .pine-debug[1-4]
                           file.  A value of  0  turns  debugging
                           off  and  suppresses  the  .pine-debug
                           file.
 
       -d key[=val]        Fine tuned output of  diagnostic  mes­
                           sages  where "flush" causes debug file
                           writing without buffering, "timestamp"
                           appends each message with a timestamp,
                           "imap=n" where n is between  0  and  4
                           where  n  is  between  0 and 31 corre­
                           sponding to the number of debug  files
                           to  maintain,  and "verbose=n" where n
                           is  between  0  and  9  indicating  an
                           inverse  threshold for message output.
 
       -f folder           Open folder (in first  defined  folder
                           collection,   use   -c  n  to  specify
                           another collection) instead of  INBOX.
 
       -F file             Open  named  text  file  and view with
                           Pine's browser.
 
       -h                  Help: list valid command-line options.
 
       -i                  Start up in the FOLDER INDEX screen.
 
       -I keystrokes       Initial   (comma  separated  list  of)
                           keystrokes which Pine  should  execute
                           on startup.
 
       -k                  Use  function  keys for commands. This
                           is the same  as  running  the  command
                           pinef.
 
       -n number           Start  up  with current message-number
                           set to number.
 
       -o                  Open first folder read-only.
 
       -p config-file      Use config-file as the  personal  con­
                           figuration file instead of the default
                           .pinerc.
 
       -P config-file      Use config-file as  the  configuration
                           file  instead  of  default system-wide
                           configuration file pine.conf.
 
       -pinerc file        Output fresh pinerc  configuration  to
                           file, preserving the settings of vari­
                           ables that the  user  has  made.   Use
                           file set to ``-'' to make output go to
                           standard out.  <IP>  -registry cmd  20
                           For  PC-Pine only, this option affects
                           the values of Pine's registry entries.
                           Possible   values  for  cmd  are  set,
                           clear,  and  dump.   Set  will  always
                           reset  Pine's registry entries accord­
                           ing to its  current  settings.   Clear
                           will  clear the registry values.  Dump
                           will display  the  values  of  current
                           registry settings.  Note that the dump
                           will write values  into  the  registry
                           only  if  there  currently  aren't any
                           values set.
 
       -r                  Use restricted/demo mode.   Pine  will
                           only send mail to itself and functions
                           like save and export are restricted.
 
       -sort order         Sort the FOLDER INDEX display  in  one
                           of   the  following  orders:  arrival,
                           date,  subject,  orderedsubj,  thread,
                           from, size, score, to, cc, or reverse.
                           Arrival order  is  the  default.   The
                           OrderedSubj    choice    simulates   a
                           threaded  sort.   Any  sort   may   be
                           reversed  by  adding  /reverse  to it.
                           Reverse  by  itself  is  the  same  as
                           arrival/reverse.
 
       -supported          Some  options  may  or may not be sup­
                           ported depending on how Pine was  com­
                           piled.   This  is  a  way to determine
                           which options  are  supported  in  the
                           particular copy of Pine you are using.
 
       -url url            Open the given url.   Cannot  be  used
                           with -f, -F, or -attach options.
 
       -v                  Version: Print version information.
 
       -version            Version: Print version information.
 
       -x config           Use  configuration  exceptions in con­
                           fig.  Exceptions are used to  override
                           your  default  pinerc  settings  for a
                           particular platform, can  be  a  local
                           file or a remote folder.
 
       -z                  Enable  ^Z  and SIGTSTP so pine may be
                           suspended.
 
       -option=value       Assign  value  to  the  config  option
                           option  e.g.  -signature-file=sig1  or
                           -feature-list=signature-at-bottom
                           (Note:  feature-list  values are addi­
                           tive)
 

CONFIGURATION

       There are several levels of Pine configuration.   Configu­
       ration  values  at  a  given level over-ride corresponding
       values at lower levels.  In  order  of  increasing  prece­
       dence:
        o system-wide pine.conf file.
        o   personal  .pinerc  file  (may  be  set  via  built-in
       Setup/Config menu.)
        o command-line options.
        o system-wide pine.conf.fixed file.
 
       There is one exception to the rule that configuration val­
       ues  are  replaced  by  the  value of the same option in a
       higher-precedence file: the feature-list variable has val­
       ues  that  are  additive, but can be negated by prepending
       "no-" in front of an individual feature  name.  Unix  Pine
       also uses the following environment variables:
 
         TERM
         DISPLAY       (determines  if  Pine  can  display  IMAGE
       attachments.)
         SHELL       (if not set, default is /bin/sh )
         MAILCAPS    (semicolon delimited list of path  names  to
       mailcap files)
 

FILES

       /usr/spool/mail/xxxx        Default  folder  for  incoming
       mail.
       ~/mail                      Default  directory  for   mail
       folders.
       ~/.addressbook              Default address book file.
       ~/.addressbook.lu           Default   address  book  index
       file.
       ~/.pine-debug[1-4]          Diagnostic log for  debugging.
       ~/.pinerc                   Personal pine config file.
       ~/.newsrc                   News  subscription/state file.
       ~/.signature                Default signature file.
       ~/.mailcap                  Personal   mail   capabilities
       file.
       ~/.mime.types               Personal   file  extension  to
       MIME type mapping
       /etc/mailcap                System-wide mail  capabilities
       file.
       /etc/mime.types             System-wide  file ext. to MIME
       type mapping
       /usr/local/lib/pine.info    Local pointer to system admin­
       istrator.
       /usr/local/lib/pine.conf    System-wide      configuration
       file.
       /usr/local/lib/pine.conf.fixed Non-overridable  configura­
       tion file.
       /tmp/.\usr\spool\mail\xxxx  Per-folder mailbox lock files.
       ~/.pine-interrupted-mail    Message which was interrupted.
       ~/mail/postponed-msgs       For postponed messages.
       ~/mail/sent-mail            Outgoing    message    archive
       (FCC).
       ~/mail/saved-messages       Default destination for Saving
       pico(1), binmail(1), aliases(5), mailaddr(7), sendmail(8),
       spell(1), imapd(8)
 
       Newsgroup:  comp.mail.pine
       Pine Information Center:  http://www.washington.edu/pine
       Source        distribution:         ftp://ftp.cac.washing­
       ton.edu/pine/pine.tar.Z
       Pine Technical Notes, included in the source distribution.
       C-Client messaging API library,  included  in  the  source
       distribution.
 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

       The University of Washington Pine development team (part of the UW Office
       of Computing & Communications) includes:
 
        Project Leader:           Mike Seibel
        Principal authors:        Mike Seibel, Steve Hubert, Laurence Lundblade*
        C-Client library & IMAPd: Mark Crispin
        Pico, the PIne COmposer:  Mike Seibel
        Documentation:            Many people!
        PC-Pine for Windows:      Tom Unger, Mike Seibel
        Project oversight:        Terry Gray, Lori Stevens
        Principal Patrons:        Ron Johnson, Mike Bryant
        Additional support:       NorthWestNet
        Initial Pine code base:   Elm, by Dave Taylor & USENET Community Trust
        Initial Pico code base:   MicroEmacs 3.6, by Dave G. Conroy
        User Interface design:    Inspired by UCLA's "Ben" mailer for MVS
        Suggestions/fixes/ports:  Folks from all over!
 
          *Emeritus
 
       Copyright 1989-2002 by the University of Washington.
       Pine and Pico are trademarks of the University of Washington.
 
       $Date: 2002/01/08 16:03:14 $
 

   

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(Please feel free to answer questions posted by others!)

vivek     (12 Apr 2010, 05:41)
nice explanation i like it

I welcome your comments. However... I am puzzled by many people who say "Please send me the Linux tutorial." This website *is* your Linux Tutorial! Read everything here, learn all you can, ask questions if you like. But don't ask me to send what you already have. :-)

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