MAN page from PLD alpine-2.11-2.i686.rpm

alpine

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: Version 2.11
Index

NAME

alpine - an Alternatively Licensed Program for Internet News and Email

SYNTAX

alpine[options] [address,address]

alpinef[options] [address,address]

DESCRIPTION

Alpine is a screen-oriented message-handling tool. In its default configuration, Alpine offers an intentionally limited set of functions geared toward the novice user, but it also has a largelist of optional "power-user" and personal-preference features.alpinef is a variant of Alpine that uses function keys rather than mnemonic single-letter commands.Alpine's basic feature set includes:

: View, Save, Export, Delete, Print, Reply and Forward messages.
: Compose messages in a simple editor (Pico) with word-wrap and a spellingchecker. 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 fromincoming mail without retyping them.
: New mail checking and notification occurs automatically every 2.5 minutesand after certain commands, e.g. refresh-screen (Ctrl-L).
: On-line, context-sensitive help screens.

Alpine supports MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions), an InternetStandard for representing multipart and multimedia data in email.Alpine allows you to save MIME objects to files, and in some cases, can also initiate the correct program for viewing the object.It uses the system'smailcap configuration file to determine what program can process a particular MIMEobject type. Alpine's message composer does not have integral multimedia capability, butany type of data file --including multimedia-- can be attached to a textmessage and sent using MIME's encoding rules. This allows any group ofindividuals with MIME-capable mail software (e.g. Alpine, PC-Alpine, or manyother programs) to exchange formatted documents, spread-sheets, imagefiles, etc, via Internet email.

Alpine uses the c-clientmessaging API to access local and remote mail folders. Thislibrary provides a variety of low-level message-handling functions, including driversfor a variety of different mail file formats, as well as routinesto access remote mail and news servers, using IMAP (Internet MessageAccess Protocol) and NNTP (Network News Transport Protocol). Outgoing mailis usually posted directly via SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).

OPTIONS

The command line options/arguments are:

address: Send mail to address.This will cause Alpine to go directly into the message composer.
-attach file: Send mail with the listedfileas an attachment.
-attachlist file-list: Send mail with the listedfile-listas an attachments.
-attach_and_delete file: Send mail with the listedfileas an attachment, and remove the fileafter the message is sent.
-aux local_directory: PC-Alpine only. When using a remote configuration (-p <remote_config>) this tellsPC-Alpine the local directory to use for storing auxiliary files, like debugfiles, address books, and signature files.
-bail: Exit if the pinerc file does not exist. This might be useful if the configfile is accessed using some remote filesystem protocol. If the remote mountis missing this will cause Alpine to quit instead of creating a new pinerc.
-c context-number: context-number is the number corresponding to the folder-collection to which the-fcommand line argument should be applied. By default the-fargument is applied to the first defined folder-collection.
-conf: Produce a sample/fresh copy of the system-wide configuration file,alpine.conf,on the standard output. This is distinct from the per-user.pinercfile.
-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.
-d debug-level: Output diagnostic info atdebug-level(0-9) to the current.pine-debug[1-4]file. A value of 0 turns debugging off and suppresses the.pine-debugfile.
-d key[=val]: Fine tuned output of diagnostic messages where "flush" causesdebug file writing without buffering, "timestamp" appendseach message with a timestamp, "imap=n" where n is between0 and 4 representing none to verbose IMAP telemetry reporting,"numfiles=n" where n is between 0 and 31 corresponding to thenumber of debug files to maintain, and "verbose=n" where n isbetween 0 and 9 indicating an inverse threshold for messageoutput.
-f folder: Open folder (in first defined folder collection, use -c nto specify another collection) instead of INBOX.
-F file: Open named text file and view with Alpine'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 Alpine should executeon startup.
-install: For PC-Alpine only, this option causes PC-Alpine to prompt for some basicsetup information, then exits.
-k: Use function keys for commands. This is the same as running the commandalpinef.
-n number: Start up with current message-number set to number.
-noutf8: Warns Alpine that piped input is not encoded in UTF-8.
-o: Open first folder read-only.
-p config-file: Use config-fileas the personal configuration file instead of the default .pinerc.
-P config-file: Use config-fileas the configuration file instead of defaultsystem-wide configuration file alpine.conf.
-pinerc file: Output fresh pinerc configuration to file, preserving the settings of variables that the user has made.Use file set to ``-'' to make output go to standard out.<IP> -registry cmd 20For PC-Alpine only, this option affects the values of Alpine's registry entries.Possible values for cmd are set, clear, and dump.Set will always reset Alpine's registry entries according to its current settings.Clear will clear the registry values.Clearsilent will silently clear the registry values.Dump will display the values of current registry settings.Note that the dump command is currently disabled.Without the -registry option, PC-Alpine will write values intothe registry only if there currently aren't any values set.
-r: Use restricted/demo mode.Alpinewill only send mail to itselfand 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,orreverse. Arrival order is the default. The OrderedSubj choice simulates a threaded sort.Any sort may be reversed by adding /reverseto it.Reverseby itself is the same asarrival/reverse.
-supported: Some options may or may not be supported depending on how Alpinewas compiled.This is a way to determine which options are supported in the particularcopy of Alpine you are using.
-uninstall: For PC-Alpine only, this option causes PC-Alpine to remove references toAlpine in Windows settings.
-url url: Open the givenurl.Cannot be used with -for-Foptions.
-v: Version: Print version information.
-version: Version: Print version information.
-x config: Use configuration exceptions inconfig.Exceptions are used to override your default pinercsettings for a particular platform, can be a local file ora remote folder.
-z: Enable ^Z and SIGTSTP so alpine may be suspended.
-option=value: Assign valueto the config option optione.g. -signature-file=sig1 or -feature-list=signature-at-bottom (Note: feature-list values are additive)

CONFIGURATION

There are several levels of Alpine configuration. Configuration values at a given level over-ride corresponding values at lower levels. In order of increasing precedence:

o built-in defaults.

o system-wide alpine.conf file.

o personal .pinerc file (may be set via built-in Setup/Config menu.)

o command-line options.

o system-wide alpine.conf.fixed file.

There is one exception to the rule that configuration values are replacedby the value of the same option in a higher-precedence file: thefeature-list variable has values that are additive, but can be negated byprepending "no-" in front of an individual feature name. Unix Alpine alsouses the following environment variables:

  TERM

  DISPLAY     (determines if Alpine can display IMAGE attachments.)

  SHELL       (if not set, default is /bin/sh )

  MAILCAPS    (semicolon delimited list of path names to mailcap files)

FILES

/var/mail/xxxx              Default folder for incoming mail.

~/mail                     Default directory for mail folders.

~/.addressbook             Default address book file.

~/.pine-debug[1-4]         Diagnostic log for debugging.

~/.pinerc                  Personal alpine config file.

~/.newsrc                  News subscription/state 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/lib/pine.info         Local pointer to system administrator.

/usr/lib/alpine.conf       System-wide configuration file.

/usr/lib/alpine.conf.fixed Non-overridable configuration file.

/tmp/.\var\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 messages.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This software is the result of the contribution of many individuals who have dedicated their time to support, improve and suggest ways to improve Alpine through the years. This software would not be possible without the support of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. The Alpine community extends its most sincere thanks to all contributors and invites everyone to join in and contribute to this project.

This document was created byman2html,using the manual pages.