dist(1)dist(1)NAMEdist - redistribute a message to additional addresses (only available
within the message handling system, mh)
SYNOPSISdist [msg] [+folder] [options]
OPTIONS
Annotates the message that you are redistributing. The following lines
are added to the message that you are redistributing:
Resent: date Resent: addrs
The first line records the time at which the message was redis‐
tributed; the second records the addresses of the recipients of
the redistributed message.
The dist command only annotates messages when they are success‐
fully sent. If you do not send the message immediately and file
the unsent draft, it will not be annotated. Specifies the
folder in which the draft message is created. If you do not
send the draft, the mail system will store it in this folder.
This option is usually set up in your See mh_profile(4) for more
information. If you have this option set up, you can override it
by using the -nodraftfolder option. Specifies the file in which
the draft message is created. If no absolute pathname is given,
the file is assumed to be in your Mail directory, standardly
$HOME/Mail. If you do not send the message, it is stored in the
named file until you delete it, or send it at a later date.
Specifies the editor that you want to use to edit your forwarded
message.
You can also set up an editor in your file; see mh_profile(4)
for more information. Specifies the message header to be used
in the draft message. If this option is present, dist takes the
header of the draft message from the named file. If this option
is not present, the header is taken from the distcomps file in
your Mail directory, or failing that, from the mail system
default header. Causes annotation to be done in place, to pre‐
serve links to the annotated message. This option only works
with the -annotate option. Prints a list of the valid options
for this command. Suppresses editing of the draft message alto‐
gether. Specifies an alternative whatnow program. Normally,
dist invokes the default whatnow program. See whatnow(1) for a
discussion of available options. You can specify your own alter‐
native to the default program using the -whatnowproc program
option. If you do specify your own program, you should not call
it whatnow.
You can suppress the whatnow program entirely by using the
-nowhatnowproc option. However, as the program normally starts
the initial edit, the -nowhatnowproc option will prevent you
from editing the message.
The defaults for dist are:
+folder defaults to the current folder
msg defaults to cur
-noannotate
-nodraftfolder
-noinplace
DESCRIPTION
Use dist to redistribute a message to addresses that are not on the
original address list.
You can specify the message which you want to redistribute by giving a
message number as the msg argument. If you do not supply a message num‐
ber, dist takes the current message. You can only redistribute one
message at a time. You can also specify a message in another folder by
giving the +folder argument. This argument can be used in conjunction
with the msg argument.
The program dist is similar to forw. The main difference between the
two commands is that forw encapsulates the message, whereas dist merely
resends it. You cannot add any new text of your own to a message that
you re-distribute using dist. A message that has been forwarded will
appear to have been sent by the person who forwarded the message. A
message that has been redistributed using dist will appear to have come
from the sender of the original message. This is shown in the scan
listing of the messages. In the following example, messages 1 and 2 are
identical apart from the method used to send the message on to addi‐
tional recipients:
1 20/06 goodman Hello <<As you will see from th
2+ 21/06 John As previous, but forwarded <<---
When you use dist, you will get a message form to fill in with the
details of the additional recipients. The default message form con‐
tains the following elements:
Resent-To: Resent-cc:
If the file named dist comps exists in your Mail directory, standardly
$HOME/Mail, it is used instead of the standard mail header. If the
option -form formfile is given, it overrides both of these.
You can only put recognized header lines in your message form. The dist
program recognizes values in the following fields:
Resent-To: Resent-cc: Resent-Bcc: Resent-Fcc: Resent-Xmts:
The headers and the body of the original message are copied to the
draft when the message is sent. You cannot add any new body text of
your own when redistributing a message with dist.
If you do not have a draft folder set up, dist creates the message form
in a file called draft in your Mail directory. This file must be empty
before you can create a new draft, which means that you can only store
one draft at a time. If it is not empty, the mail system asks you what
you want to do with the existing contents. The options are: Aborts
dist, leaving the draft intact. Replaces the existing draft with the
appropriate message form. Displays the draft message. Refiles the
existing draft message in the specified folder, and provides a new mes‐
sage form for you to complete.
If you want to be able to have more than one draft at a time, you can
set up a draft folder in your you to keep as many unsent drafts as
space allows, and still create new messages as you wish. To do this,
make sure that the following line is in your
Draft-folder: +drafts
For more information on how to do this, see mh_profile(4).
You cannot store unsent messages created using dist in your draft
folder. If you attempt to do so, only the message form is stored. This
does not contain the original message that you are redistributing, so
you will not be able to send it later.
If you use repl to reply to a message resent to you by dist, the reply
will go to the sender of the original message, rather than the person
who forwarded it to you. The repl command ignores the Resent-xxx:
fields when creating the header for your draft reply.
PROFILE COMPONENTS
Path: To determine your Mail directory (<mh-dir>)
Draft-Folder: To find the default draft folder
Editor: To override the default editor
fileproc: Program to refile the message
whatnowproc: Program to ask the What now? questions
FILES
The default system template for re-distributed messages. The user-sup‐
plied alternative to the default system template. The user profile.
The draft file.
SEE ALSOcomp(1), forw(1), repl(1), send(1), whatnow(1)dist(1)
