docs/master: ch01.roff annotate

annotate ch01.roff @ 53:01d06ca2eb1b

Rework based on comments by Lydi.

author	markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de>
date	Sun, 20 May 2012 17:34:40 +0200
parents	49cf68506b5d
children	d9c18bd9ed92

rev	line source
39 22ae3981a76b style: New RN macro to reset page numbers and change their style. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 32 diff changeset	1 .RN 1
22ae3981a76b style: New RN macro to reset page numbers and change their style. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 32 diff changeset	2
0 dc2bfef4cda7 Initial commit: Basic structure, macros and fonts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: diff changeset	3 .H0 "Introduction
dc2bfef4cda7 Initial commit: Basic structure, macros and fonts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: diff changeset	4 .P
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	5 MH is a set of mail handling tools with a common concept, similar to
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	6 the Unix tool chest, which is a set of file handling tools with a common
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	7 concept. \fInmh\fP is the currently most popular implementation of an
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	8 MH-like mail handling system.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	9 This thesis describes an experimental version of nmh, named \fImmh\fP.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	10 .P
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	11 This chapter introduces MH, its history, concepts and how it is used.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	12 It describes nmh's code base and community to give the reader
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	13 a better understanding of the state from which mmh started off.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	14 Further more, this chapter outlines the mmh project itself,
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	15 describing the motivation for it and its goals.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	16
0 dc2bfef4cda7 Initial commit: Basic structure, macros and fonts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: diff changeset	17
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	18 .H1 "MH \(en the Mail Handler
0 dc2bfef4cda7 Initial commit: Basic structure, macros and fonts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: diff changeset	19 .P
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	20 MH is a conceptual email system design and its concrete implementation.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	21 Notably, MH had started as a design proposal at RAND Corporation,
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	22 where the first implementation followed later.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	23 In spirit, MH is similar to Unix, which
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	24 influenced the world more in being a set of system design concepts
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	25 than in being a specific software product.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	26 The ideas behind Unix are summarized in the \fIUnix philosophy\fP.
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	27 MH follows this philosophy.
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	28
11 9a313c929a2a style: Introduced .U2 for unnumbered .H2. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 9 diff changeset	29 .U2 "History
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	30 .P
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	31 In 1977 at RAND Corporation, Norman Shapiro and Stockton Gaines
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	32 had proposed the design
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	33 of a new mail handling system, called ``Mail Handler'' (MH),
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	34 to superseed RAND's old monolithic ``Mail System'' (MS).
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	35 Two years later, in 1979, Bruce Borden took the proposal and implemented a
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	36 prototype of MH.
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	37 Before the prototype had been available, the concept was
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	38 believed to be practically unusable.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	39 But the prototype had proven successful and replaced MS thereafter.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	40 In replacing MS, MH grew to an all-in-one mail system.
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	41 .P
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	42 In the early Eighties,
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	43 the University of California at Irvine (UCI) had started to use MH.
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	44 They also took over its development and pushed MH forward.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	45 Marshall T. Rose and John L. Romine became the driving force then.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	46 This was the time when the Internet appeared, when UCB implemented
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	47 the TCP/IP stack, and when Allman wrote Sendmail.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	48 MH was extended as emailing became more featured.
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	49 The development of MH was closely related to the development of email
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	50 RFCs. In the advent of MIME, MH was the first implementation of this new
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	51 email standard.
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	52 .P
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	53 In the Nineties, MH had been moved into the public domain, making it
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	54 attractive to Free Software developers.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	55 The Internet had became popular and in December 1996,
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	56 Richard Coleman initiated the ``New Mail Handler'' (nmh) project.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	57 The project is a fork of MH 6.8.3 and bases strongly on the
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	58 \fILBL changes\fP by Van Jacobson, Mike Karels and Craig Leres.
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	59 Colman intended to modernize MH and improve its portability and
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	60 MIME handling capabilities.
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	61 This should be done openly within the Internet community.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	62 The development of MH at UCI stopped after the 6.8.4 release in
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	63 February 1996, soon after the development of nmh had started.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	64 Today, nmh almost completely replaces the original MH.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	65 Some systems might still provide old MH, but mainly for historical reasons.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	66 .P
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	67 In the last years, the work on nmh was mostly maintenance work.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	68 However, the development revived in December 2011 and stayed busy since then.
0 dc2bfef4cda7 Initial commit: Basic structure, macros and fonts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: diff changeset	69
11 9a313c929a2a style: Introduced .U2 for unnumbered .H2. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 9 diff changeset	70 .U2 "Concepts
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	71 .P
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	72 MH consists of a set of tools, each covering a specific task of
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	73 email handling, like composing a message, replying to a message,
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	74 refiling a message to a different folder, listing the messages in a folder.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	75 All of the programs operate on a common mail storage.
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	76 .P
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	77 The mail storage consists of \fImail folders\fP (directories) and
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	78 \fPmessages\fP (regular files).
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	79 Each message is stored in a separate file in the format it had been
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	80 received (i.e. transfer format).
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	81 The files are named with ascending numbers in each folder.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	82 The specific format of the mail storage characterizes MH in the same way
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	83 like the format of the file system characterizes Unix.
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	84 .P
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	85 MH tools maintain a \fIcontext\fP, which includes the current mail folder.
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	86 Processes in Unix have a similar context, containing the current working
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	87 directory, for instance. In contrast, the process context is maintained
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	88 by the Unix kernel automatically, whereas MH tools need to maintain the MH
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	89 context themselves.
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	90 The user can have one MH context or multiple ones, he can even share it
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	91 with other users.
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	92 .P
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	93 Messages are named by their numeric filename, but they can have symbolic names,
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	94 too. These are either automatically updated
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	95 position names like being the next or the last message,
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	96 or user-settable group names for arbitrary sets of messages.
6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	97 These names are called sequences.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	98 Sequences can be bound to the containing folder or to the context.
0 dc2bfef4cda7 Initial commit: Basic structure, macros and fonts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: diff changeset	99 .P
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	100 The user's \fIprofile\fP is a file that contains his MH configuration.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	101 Default switches for the individual tools can be specified to
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	102 adjust them to the user's personal preferences.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	103 Multiple versions of the same command with different
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	104 default values can also be created very easily.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	105 Form templates for new messages or for replies are easily changeable,
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	106 and output is adjustable with format files.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	107 Almost every part of the system can be adjusted to personal preference.
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	108 .P
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	109 The system is well scriptable and extensible.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	110 New MH tools are built out of or on top of existing ones quickly.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	111 Further more, MH encourages the user to tailor, extend and automate the system.
49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	112 As the MH tool chest was modeled after the Unix tool chest, the
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	113 properties of the latter apply to the former as well.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	114
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	115 .U2 "A Tour through MH
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	116 .P
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	117 XXX cf. peek; why UP still matters; real work.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	118
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	119 .U2 "Example Session
b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	120 .P
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	121 Following is an example mail handling session.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	122 It uses mmh but is mostly compatible with nmh and old MH.
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	123 Details might vary but the look'n'feel is the same.
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	124 .DS
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	125 $ \f(CBinc\fP
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	126 Incorporating new mail into inbox...
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	127
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	128 1+ 2012-05-16 11:16 meillo@dream.home Hello
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	129 2 2012-05-16 11:17 meillo@dream.home book
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	130
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	131 $ \f(CBshow\fP
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	132 Date: Wed, 16 May 2012 11:16:00 +0200
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	133 To: meillo
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	134 From: <meillo@dream.home.schnalke.org>
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	135 Subject: Hello
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	136
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	137 part text/plain 13
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	138 mmh is great
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	139
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	140 $ \f(CBnext\fP
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	141 Date: Wed, 16 May 2012 11:17:24 +0200
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	142 To: meillo
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	143 From: <meillo@dream.home.schnalke.org>
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	144 Subject: book
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	145
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	146 part text/plain 79
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	147 Hello meillo,
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	148
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	149 have a look at the ``Daemon book''. You need to read that!
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	150
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	151 foo
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	152
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	153 $ \f(CBrmm 1\fP
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	154
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	155 $ \f(CBscan\fP
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	156 2+ 2012-05-16 11:17 meillo@dream.home book
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	157
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	158 $
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	159 .DE
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	160
b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	161
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	162 .H1 "nmh: Code and Community
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	163 .P
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	164 In order to understand the condition, goals and dynamics of a project,
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	165 one needs to know the reasons.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	166 This section explains the background.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	167 .P
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	168 MH predates the Internet, it comes from times before networking was universal,
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	169 it comes from times when emailing was small, short and simple.
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	170 Then it grew, spread and adopted to the changes email went through.
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	171 Its core-concepts, however, remained the same.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	172 During the Eighties students at UCI actively worked on MH.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	173 They added new features and optimized the code for the then popular systems.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	174 All this still was in times before POSIX and ANSI C.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	175 As large parts of the code stem from this time, today's nmh source code
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	176 still contains many ancient parts.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	177 BSD-specific code and constructs tailored for hardware of that time
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	178 are frequent.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	179 .P
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	180 Nmh started about a decade after the POSIX and ANSI C standards had been
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	181 established. A more modern coding style entered the code base, but still
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	182 a part of the developers came from ``the old days''. The developer
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	183 base became more diverse and thus resulted in code of different style.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	184 Programming practices from different decades merged in the project.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	185 As several peers added code, the system became more a conglomeration
49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	186 of single tools rather than a homogeneous of-one-cast mail system.
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	187 Still, the existing basic concepts held it together.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	188 They were mostly untouched throughout the years.
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	189 .P
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	190 Despite the tool chest approach at the surface \(en a collection
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	191 of separate small programs \(en on the source code level
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	192 it is much more interweaved.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	193 Several separate components were compiled into one program
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	194 for efficiency reasons.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	195 This lead to intricate innards.
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	196 Unfortunately, the clear separation on the outside appeared as being
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	197 pretty interweaved inside.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	198 .P
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	199 The advent of MIME rose the complexity of email by a magnitude.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	200 This is visible in nmh. The MIME-related parts are the most complex ones.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	201 It's also visible that MIME support had been added on top of the old MH core.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	202 MH's tool chest style made this easily possible and encourages
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	203 such approaches, but unfortunately, it lead to duplicated functions
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	204 and half-hearted implementation of the concepts.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	205 .P
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	206 To provide backward-compatibility, it is a common understanding to not
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	207 change the default settings.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	208 In consequence, the user needs to activate modern features explicitly
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	209 to be able to use them.
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	210 This puts a burden on new users, because out-of-the-box nmh remains
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	211 in the same ancient style.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	212 If nmh is seen to be a back-end, then this compatibility surely is important.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	213 However, in the same go, new users have difficulties to use nmh for modern
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	214 emailing.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	215 The small but matured community around nmh hardly needs much change
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	216 as they have their convenient setups since decades.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	217
3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	218
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	219 .H1 "mmh
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	220 .P
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	221 I started to work on my experimental version in October 2011,
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	222 at a time when there were no more than three commits to nmh
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	223 since the beginning of the year.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	224 In December, when I announced my work in progress on the
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	225 nmh-workers mailing list,
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	226 .[
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	227 nmh-workers mmh announce December
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	228 .]
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	229 nmh's community became active, too.
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	230 This movement was heavily pushed by Paul Vixie's ``edginess'' comment.
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	231 .[
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	232 nmh-workers vixie edginess
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	233 .]
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	234 After long years of stagnation, nmh became actively developed again.
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	235 Hence, while I was working on mmh, the community was working on nmh,
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	236 in parallel.
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	237 .P
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	238 The name \fImmh\fP may stand for \fImodern mail handler\fP,
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	239 because the project tries to modernize nmh.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	240 Personally however, I prefer to call mmh \fImeillo's mail handler\fP,
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	241 emphasizing that the project follows my visions and preferences.
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	242 (My login name is \fImeillo\fP.)
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	243 This project model was inspired by \fIdwm\fP,
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	244 which is Anselm Garbe's personal window manager \(en
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	245 targeted to satisfy Garbe's personal needs whenever conflicts appear.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	246 Dwm had retained its lean elegance and its focused character, whereas
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	247 its community-driven predecessor \fIwmii\fP had grown fat over time.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	248 The development of mmh should remain focused.
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	249
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	250
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	251 .U2 "Motivation
b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	252 .P
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	253 MH is the most important of very few command line tool chest email systems.
49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	254 Tool chests are powerful because they can be perfectly automated and
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	255 extended. They allow arbitrary kinds of front-ends to be
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	256 implemented on top of them quickly and without internal knowledge.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	257 Additionally, tool chests are much better to maintain than monolithic
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	258 programs.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	259 As there are few tool chests for emailing and as MH-like ones are the most
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	260 popular among them they should be developed further.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	261 This keeps their
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	262 conceptional elegance and unique scripting qualities available to users.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	263 Mmh will create a modern and convenient entry point to MH-like systems
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	264 for new and interested users.
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	265 .P
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	266 The mmh project is motivated by deficits of nmh and
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	267 my wish for general changes, combined
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	268 with the nmh community's reluctancy to change.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	269 .P
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	270 nmh hadn't adjusted to modern emailing needs well enough.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	271 The default setup was completely unusable for modern emailing.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	272 Too much setup work was required.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	273 Several modern features were already available but the community
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	274 didn't wanted to have them as default.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	275 mmh is a way to change this.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	276 .P
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	277 In my eyes, MH's concepts could be exploited even better and
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	278 the style of the tools could be improved. Both would simplify
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	279 and generalize the system, providing cleaner interfaces and more
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	280 software leverage at the same time.
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	281 mmh is a way to demonstrate this.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	282 .P
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	283 In providing several parts of an email system, nmh can hardly
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	284 compete with the large specialized projects that focus
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	285 on only one of the components.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	286 The situation can be improved by concentrating the development power
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	287 on the most unique part of MH and letting the user pick his preferred
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	288 set of other mail components.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	289 Today's pre-packaged software components encourage this model.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	290 mmh is a way to go for this approach.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	291 .P
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	292 It's worthwhile to fork nmh for the development of mmh, because
c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	293 the two projects focus on different goals and differ in fundamental questions.
c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	294 The nmh community's reluctance to change conflicts
c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	295 with my strong will to change.
c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	296 In developing a separate experimental version new approaches can
c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	297 easily be tried out without the need to discuss changes beforehand.
c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	298 In fact, revolutionary changes are hardly possible otherwise.
c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	299 .P
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	300 The mmh project provides the basis to implemented and demonstrated
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	301 the listed ideas without the need to change nmh or its community.
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	302 Of course, the results of the mmh project shall improve nmh, in the end.
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	303
b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	304 .U2 "Target Field
b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	305 .P
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	306 Any effort needs to be targeted towards a specific goal
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	307 in order to be successful.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	308 Following is a description of the imagined typical mmh user.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	309 mmh should satisfy his needs.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	310 .\" XXX Remove the next sentence?
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	311 Actually, as mmh is my personal version of MH, this is a description
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	312 of myself.
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	313 .P
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	314 The target user of mmh likes Unix and its philosophy.
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	315 He likes to use programs that are conceptionally appealing.
b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	316 He's familiar with the command line and enjoys its power.
b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	317 He is at least capable of shell scripting and wants to improve his
b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	318 productivity by scripting the mail system.
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	319 He naturally uses modern email features, like attachments,
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	320 non-ASCII text, and digital cryptography.
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	321 He is able to setup email system components besides mmh,
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	322 and actually likes the choice to pick the ones he prefers.
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	323 He has a reasonably modern system that complies to standards,
c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	324 like POSIX and ANSI C.
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	325 .P
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	326 The typical user invokes mmh commands directly in an interactive
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	327 shell session, but as well, he uses them to automate mail handling tasks.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	328 Likely, he runs his mail setup on a server machine, to which he connects
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	329 via ssh. He might also have local mmh installations on his workstations,
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	330 but does rather not rely on graphical front-ends. He definitely wants
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	331 to be flexible and thus be able to change his setup to suite his needs.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	332 .P
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	333 The typical mmh user is a programmer himself.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	334 He likes to, occasionally, take the opportunity of Free Software to put
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	335 hands on and get involved in the software he uses.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	336 Hence, he likes small and clean code bases and he cares for code quality.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	337 In general, he believes that:
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	338 .BU
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	339 Elegance \(en i.e. simplicity, clarity and generality \(en
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	340 is most important.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	341 .BU
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	342 Concepts are more important than the concrete implementation.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	343 .BU
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	344 Code optimizations for anything but readability should be avoided
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	345 if possible.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	346 .BU
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	347 Having a lot of choice is bad.
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	348 .BU
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	349 Removed code is debugged code.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	350
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	351 .U2 "Goals
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	352 .P
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	353 The general goals for the mmh project are the following:
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	354 .IP "Stream-lining
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	355 Mmh should be stripped down to its core, which is the MUA part of emailing.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	356 The feature set should be distilled to the ones really needed,
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	357 effectively removing corner-cases.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	358 Parts that don't add to the main task of being a conceptionally
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	359 appealing MUA should be removed.
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	360 This includes, the MTA and MRA facilities.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	361 Choice should be reduced to the main options.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	362 .IP "Modernizing
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	363 Mmh's feature set needs to become more modern.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	364 Better support for attachment and digital cryptography needs to be added.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	365 MIME support needs to be integrated deeper and more naturally.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	366 The modern email features need to be readily available, out-of-the-box.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	367 And on the other hand,
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	368 bulletin board support and similar obsolete facilities need to be dropped
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	369 out.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	370 Likewise, ancient technologies, like hardcopy terminals, should not
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	371 be supported any further.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	372 .IP "Code style
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	373 Mmh's source code needs to be updated to modern standards.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	374 Standardized library functions should replace non-standard versions
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	375 whenever possible.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	376 Code should be separated into distinct modules when possible.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	377 Time and space optimizations should to be replaced by
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	378 clear and readable code.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	379 A uniform programming style should prevail.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	380 .IP "Homogeneity
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	381 The available concepts need to be expanded as far as possible.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	382 A small set of concepts should prevail thoroughly throughout the system.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	383 The whole system should appear to be of-one-style.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	384 It should feel like being cast as one.

Mercurial > docs > master

annotate ch01.roff @ 53:01d06ca2eb1b