Content-type: text/html
dist - redistribute a message to additional addresses (only available within the message handling system, mh)
dist [msg] [+folder] [options]
Annotates the message that you are redistributing. The following lines are added to the message that you are redistributing:
The defaults for dist are:
+folder defaults to the current folder msg defaults to cur -noannotate -nodraftfolder -noinplace
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 number, 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 additional 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 contains 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 message 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 .mh_profile. This allows 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 .mh_profile:
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.
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
The default system template for re-distributed messages.
The user-supplied alternative to the default system template.
The user profile.
The draft file.
comp(1), forw(1), repl(1), send(1), whatnow(1)