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E-Mail : elm and mail

E-Mail stands for electronic-mail in network environments. In UNIX systems there are some programs to manage mailing facilities. By using these facilities you can send files (probably a text file that is your mail) to other users in the system (any body in the Internet) and read your mails that are send by others.

Sending mail :

First you write your mail using a text editor (like vi) and save it as file (assume the file name is 'mymail'). Next you must know the Internet address of the one that you want to send your mail. It is simply the username if you are in the same domain (assume the address is 'e10XXXX@ceng.metu.edu.tr'). Then

mail e10XXXX < mymail
or
elm e10XXXX < mymail
An other way is to run elm with a mail address.
elm e10XXXX

Then elm starts in send only mode. It starts an editor (vi), so you write your mail, save it and exit (from vi). Elm will ask for conformation on sending and tell you if the mail was sent or not.

Reading mail :

When you start a shell (for example when you login), it will warn you if you have mail in your mailbox. To read your mails simply run 'elm'. Use cursor keys and enter for reading your mails. You can delete the mails you read, save them if you wish or just leave them in your mailbox.

Further information about elm commands is available in elm by giving 'help' command (by pressing '?').



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