POST(8)

NAME
post - deliver a message

SYNOPSIS
/usr/local/libexec/post [-alias aliasfile]
[-filter filterfile] [-nofilter] [-format] [-noformat]
[-mime] [-nomime] [-msgid] [-nomsgid] [-verbose]
[-noverbose] [-watch] [-nowatch] [-width columns]
file [-version] [-help]

DESCRIPTION
Post is the default program called by send (1) to deliver the message in file to local and remote users. In fact, most of the features attributed to send in its manual page are performed by post, with send acting as a relatively simple preprocessor. Thus, it is post which parses the various header fields, appends From: and Date: lines, and interacts with the mail transport system. Post will not normally be called directly by the user. Post searches the “To:”, “cc:”, “Bcc:”, “Fcc:”, and “Resent-xxx:” header lines of the specified message for destination addresses, checks these addresses for validity, and formats them so as to conform to ARPAnet Internet Message Format protocol, unless the `-noformat' flag is set. This will normally cause “@local-site” to be appended to each local destination address, as well as any local return addresses. The `-width columns' switch can be used to indicate the preferred length of the header components that contain addresses. If a “Bcc:” field is encountered, its addresses will be used for delivery, and the “Bcc:” field will be removed from the message sent to sighted recipients. The blind recipients will receive an entirely new message with a minimal set of headers. Included in the body of the message will be a copy of the message sent to the sighted recipients. If `-filter filterfile' is specified, then this copy is filtered (re-formatted) by mhl prior to being sent to the blind recipients. Alternately, if the `-mime' switch is given, then post will use the MIME rules for encapsulation. The `-alias aliasfile' switch can be used to specify a file that post should take aliases from. More than one file can be specified, each being preceded with `-alias'. In any event, the primary alias file is read first. The `-msgid' switch indicates that a “Message-ID:” or “Resent-Message-ID:” field should be added to the header. The `-verbose' switch indicates that the user should be informed of each step of the posting/filing process. The `-watch' switch indicates that the user would like to watch the transport system's handling of the message (e.g., local and “fast” delivery). Under normal circumstances, post constructs the "From:" line of the message from the user's login name, the full name from the GECOS field of the passwd file, and the fully-qualified name of the local machine (or the value of "localname" in mts.conf, if set). An example is "From: Dan Harkless <dan@machine.company.com>". There are four ways to override these values, however. Note that they apply equally to "Resent-From:" lines in messages sent with dist. The first way is GECOS-based username masquerading. If the "masquerade:" line in mts.conf contains "mmailid", this processing is activated. If a user's GECOS field in the passwd file is of the form "Full Name <fakename>" then "fakename" will be used in place of the real username. For instance, a GECOS field of "Dan Harkless <Dan.Harkless>" would result in "From: Dan Harkless <Dan.Harkless@machine.company.com>". Naturally if you were doing something like this you'd want to set up an MTA alias (e.g. in /etc/aliases) from, for instance, "Dan.Harkless" to "dan". The second way to override default construction of "From:" is to set the $SIGNATURE environment variable. This variable overrides the full name from the GECOS field, even if GECOS-based masquerading is being done. This processing is always active, and does not need to be enabled from mts.conf. The third way is controlled by the "user_extension" value of "masquerade:" line of mts.conf. When that's turned on, setting the $USERNAME_EXTENSION environment variable will result in its value being appended the user's login name. For instance, if I set $USERNAME_EXTENSION to "+www", my "From:" line will contain "Dan Harkless <dan+www@machine.company.com>" (or "Dan.Harkless+www" if I'm using mmailid masquerading as well). Recent versions of sendmail automatically deliver all mail sent to user+string to user. qmail has a similar feature which uses '-' as the delimiter by default, but can use other characters as well. The fourth method of address masquerading is to specify a "From:" line manually in the message draft. It will be used as provided (after alias substitution), but normally, to discourage email forgery, the user's real address will be used in the SMTP envelope "From:" and in a "Sender:" header. However, if the "masquerade:" line of mts.conf contains "draft_from", the SMTP envelope "From:" will use the address given in the draft "From:", and there will be no "Sender:" header. This is useful in pretending to send mail "directly" from a remote POP3 account, or when remote email robots give improper precedence to the envelope "From:". Note that your MTA may still reveal your real identity (e.g. sendmail's "X-Authentication-Warning:" header). ^/usr/local/lib/nmh/mts.conf~^nmh mts configuration file ^/usr/local/lib/nmh/MailAliases~^global nmh alias file ^/usr/local/bin/refile~^Program to process Fcc:s ^/usr/local/libexec/mhl~^Program to process Bcc:s post does NOT consult the user's .mh_profile Standard for the Format of ARPA Internet Text Messages (RFC-822),
mhmail(1), send(1), mh-mail(5), mh-alias(5), mh-tailor(5) `-alias /usr/local/lib/nmh/MailAliases' `-format' `-nomime' `-nomsgid' `-noverbose' `-nowatch' `-width 72' `-nofilter' None “Reply-To:” fields are allowed to have groups in them according to the 822 specification, but post won't let you use them.