docs/master: intro.roff annotate

annotate intro.roff @ 185:6f8adf7d190c

style: Extended the system to handle appendices and fixed the page hdrs.

author	markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de>
date	Wed, 11 Jul 2012 11:05:22 +0200
parents	eb6eeb10afd5
children	5360f5fdb118

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
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	13 a better understanding of the state of mmh when it started off.
181 eb6eeb10afd5 Various stuff: Checked quotes, s/further more/furthermore/, etc markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 173 diff changeset	14 Furthermore, this chapter outlines the mmh project itself,
47 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,
159 8b411125645d Corrections and improvements by Kate, Phil, Matou, Michi, Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 131 diff changeset	22 .\" XXX ref to rand corp.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	23 where the first implementation followed later.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	24 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	25 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	26 than in being a specific software product.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	27 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	28 MH follows this philosophy.
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	29
11 9a313c929a2a style: Introduced .U2 for unnumbered .H2. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 9 diff changeset	30 .U2 "History
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	31 .P
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	32 In 1977 at RAND Corporation, Norman Shapiro and Stockton Gaines
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	33 proposed the design
181 eb6eeb10afd5 Various stuff: Checked quotes, s/further more/furthermore/, etc markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 173 diff changeset	34 of a new mail handling system, called \fIMail Handler\fP (MH),
eb6eeb10afd5 Various stuff: Checked quotes, s/further more/furthermore/, etc markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 173 diff changeset	35 to superseed RAND's old monolithic \fIMail System\fP (MS).
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	36 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	37 prototype of MH.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	38 Before the prototype's existence, the concept was
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	39 believed to be practically unusable.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	40 But the prototype proved successful and replaced MS thereafter.
164 5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	41 In replacing MS, MH grew to provide anything necessary for emailing.
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	42 .P
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	43 In the early eighties,
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	44 the University of California at Irvine (UCI) started to use MH.
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	45 Marshall T. Rose and John L. Romine then became the driving force.
57 8776101db595 Intro: Fixed the history. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 54 diff changeset	46 They took over the development and pushed MH forward.
8776101db595 Intro: Fixed the history. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 54 diff changeset	47 RAND had put the code into the public domain by then.
8776101db595 Intro: Fixed the history. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 54 diff changeset	48 MH was developed at UCI at the time when the Internet appeared,
8776101db595 Intro: Fixed the history. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 54 diff changeset	49 when UCB implemented the TCP/IP stack, and when Allman wrote Sendmail.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	50 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	51 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	52 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	53 email standard.
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	54 .P
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	55 In the nineties, the Internet became popular and in December 1996,
181 eb6eeb10afd5 Various stuff: Checked quotes, s/further more/furthermore/, etc markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 173 diff changeset	56 Richard Coleman initiated the \fINew Mail Handler\fP (nmh) project.
57 8776101db595 Intro: Fixed the history. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 54 diff changeset	57 Nmh is a fork of MH 6.8.3 and bases strongly on the
47 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.
57 8776101db595 Intro: Fixed the history. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 54 diff changeset	64 Today, nmh has almost completely replaced 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
171 346ff7e201f5 Applied suggestions by Boris. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 169 diff changeset	67 In the last years, the changes in nmh were mostly maintenance work.
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	68 However, the development was revived in December 2011
57 8776101db595 Intro: Fixed the history. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 54 diff changeset	69 and stayed busy since then.
0 dc2bfef4cda7 Initial commit: Basic structure, macros and fonts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: diff changeset	70
11 9a313c929a2a style: Introduced .U2 for unnumbered .H2. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 9 diff changeset	71 .U2 "Concepts
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	72 .P
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	73 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	74 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	75 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	76 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	77 .P
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	78 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	79 \fPmessages\fP (regular files).
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	80 Each message is stored in a separate file in the format it was
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	81 received (i.e. transfer format).
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	82 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	83 The specific format of the mail storage characterizes MH in the same way
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	84 as 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	85 .P
164 5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	86 MH tools maintain a \fIcontext\fP, which includes for instance the
5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	87 current mail folder.
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	88 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	89 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	90 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	91 context themselves.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	92 The user can have one MH context or multiple ones; he can even share it
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	93 with others.
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	94 .P
164 5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	95 Messages are named by their numeric filename,
5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	96 but they can have symbolic names, too.
5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	97 These are either automatically updated
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	98 position names such as the next or the last message,
32 6a9abf543297 Rework in the Introduction (about MH). markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 28 diff changeset	99 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	100 These names are called sequences.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	101 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	102 .P
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	103 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	104 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	105 adjust them to the user's personal preferences.
164 5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	106 Additionally, a single command can be linked under different names
5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	107 with different default values easily.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	108 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	109 and output is adjustable with format files.
eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	110 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	111 .P
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	112 The system is well scriptable and extensible.
47 eae5e50381ce Rework in Preface and Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 45 diff changeset	113 New MH tools are built out of or on top of existing ones quickly.
181 eb6eeb10afd5 Various stuff: Checked quotes, s/further more/furthermore/, etc markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 173 diff changeset	114 Furthermore, MH encourages the user to tailor, extend and automate the system.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	115 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	116 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	117
102 a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	118
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	119 .ig \"XXX
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	120
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	121 .P
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	122 To ease typing, the switches can be abbreviated as much as the remaining
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	123 prefix remains unambiguous.
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	124 If in our example no other switch would start with the letter `t', then
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	125 .Cl "-truncate" ,
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	126 .Cl "-trunc" ,
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	127 .Cl "-tr" ,
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	128 and
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	129 .Cl "-t
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	130 would all be the same.
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	131 As a result, switches can neither be grouped (as in
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	132 .Cl "ls -ltr" )
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	133 nor can switch arguments be appended directly to the switch (as in
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	134 .Cl "sendmail -q30m" ).
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	135 .P
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	136 Many switches have negating counter-parts, which start with `no'.
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	137 For example
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	138 .Cl "-notruncate
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	139 inverts the
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	140 .Cl "-truncate
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	141 switch.
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	142 They exist to undo the effect of default switches in the profile.
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	143 If the user has chosen to change the default behavior of some tool
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	144 by adding a default switch to the profile,
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	145 he can still undo this change in behavior by specifying the inverse
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	146 switch on the command line.
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	147
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	148 ..
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	149
a782488c85f5 More text about attachments mainly, plus some rearrangements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 87 diff changeset	150
54 d9c18bd9ed92 Intro: Filled in the very basics for Using MH. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	151 .U2 "Using MH
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	152 .P
54 d9c18bd9ed92 Intro: Filled in the very basics for Using MH. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	153 It is strongly recommended to have a look at the MH Book,
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	154 which offers a thorough introduction to using MH.
54 d9c18bd9ed92 Intro: Filled in the very basics for Using MH. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	155 .[ [
d9c18bd9ed92 Intro: Filled in the very basics for Using MH. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	156 peek mh book
d9c18bd9ed92 Intro: Filled in the very basics for Using MH. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	157 .], Part II]
d9c18bd9ed92 Intro: Filled in the very basics for Using MH. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	158 Rose and Romine provide a deeper and more technical
159 8b411125645d Corrections and improvements by Kate, Phil, Matou, Michi, Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 131 diff changeset	159 though slightly outdated introduction in only about two dozen pages.
54 d9c18bd9ed92 Intro: Filled in the very basics for Using MH. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	160 .[
d9c18bd9ed92 Intro: Filled in the very basics for Using MH. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	161 rose romine real work
d9c18bd9ed92 Intro: Filled in the very basics for Using MH. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 53 diff changeset	162 .]
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	163 .P
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	164 Following is an example mail handling session.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	165 It uses mmh but is mostly compatible with nmh and old MH.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	166 Details might vary but the look and feel is the same.
82 ff4537327162 Mayor rework: Replaced .DS with .VS, a better verbatim environment. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 57 diff changeset	167
83 99ab58dc891f New macro: .VF to read verbatim text from file. Outsourced the MH session. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 82 diff changeset	168 .VF input/mh-session
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	169
b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	170
131 7c741bc8f719 Reorganized: Converted 4-parted discussion into 3-parted discussion. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 128 diff changeset	171 .H1 "nmh
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	172 .P
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	173 In order to understand the condition, goals and dynamics of a project,
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	174 one needs to know the reasons behind them.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	175 This section explains the background.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	176 .P
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	177 MH predates the Internet; it comes from times before networking was universal,
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	178 it comes from times when emailing was small, short and simple.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	179 Then it grew, spread and adapted to the changes email went through.
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	180 Its core-concepts, however, remained the same.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	181 During the eighties, students at UCI actively worked on MH.
164 5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	182 They added new features and optimized the code for the systems
5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	183 popular at that time.
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	184 All this still was in times before POSIX and ANSI C.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	185 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	186 still contains many ancient parts.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	187 BSD-specific code and constructs tailored for hardware of that time
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	188 are frequent.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	189 .P
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	190 Nmh started about a decade after the POSIX and ANSI C standards were
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	191 established. A more modern coding style entered the code base, but still
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	192 a part of the developers came from ``the old days''. The developer
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	193 base became more diverse, thus broadening the range of different
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	194 coding styles.
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	195 Programming practices from different decades merged in the project.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	196 As several peers added code, the system became more a conglomeration
49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	197 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	198 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	199 They were mostly untouched throughout the years.
2 65e4327aa9f8 Added some introduction text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 0 diff changeset	200 .P
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	201 Despite the separation of the tool chest approach at the surface
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	202 \(en a collection of small, separate programs \(en
171 346ff7e201f5 Applied suggestions by Boris. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 169 diff changeset	203 on the source code level, it is much more interwoven.
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	204 Several separate components were compiled into one program
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	205 for efficiency reasons.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	206 This led to intricate innards.
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	207 While clearly separated on the outside,
171 346ff7e201f5 Applied suggestions by Boris. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 169 diff changeset	208 the programs turned out to be fairly interwoven inside.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	209 .\" XXX FIXME rewrite...
171 346ff7e201f5 Applied suggestions by Boris. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 169 diff changeset	210 .\" nicht zweimal ``interwoven''
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	211 .\" Unfortunately, the clear separation on the outside turned out to be
171 346ff7e201f5 Applied suggestions by Boris. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 169 diff changeset	212 .\" fairly interwoven inside.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	213 .P
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	214 The advent of MIME raised the complexity of email by a magnitude.
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	215 This is visible in nmh. The MIME-related parts are the most complex ones.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	216 It is also visible that MIME support was added on top of the old MH core.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	217 MH's tool chest style made this easily possible and encourages
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	218 such approaches, but unfortunately, it led to duplicated functions
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	219 and half-hearted implementation of the concepts.
d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	220 .P
159 8b411125645d Corrections and improvements by Kate, Phil, Matou, Michi, Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 131 diff changeset	221 To provide backward-compatibility, it is a common understanding not to
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	222 change the default settings.
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	223 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	224 to be able to use them.
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	225 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	226 in the same ancient style.
171 346ff7e201f5 Applied suggestions by Boris. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 169 diff changeset	227 If nmh is seen to be a back-end,
346ff7e201f5 Applied suggestions by Boris. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 169 diff changeset	228 then this compatibility surely is important.
346ff7e201f5 Applied suggestions by Boris. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 169 diff changeset	229 However, at the same time, new users have difficulties using nmh for
346ff7e201f5 Applied suggestions by Boris. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 169 diff changeset	230 modern emailing.
173 4c7db172fb59 Various corrections and improvements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 171 diff changeset	231 The small but mature community around nmh needs little change
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	232 as they have had their convenient setups for decades.
159 8b411125645d Corrections and improvements by Kate, Phil, Matou, Michi, Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 131 diff changeset	233 .\" XXX Explain more
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	234
3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	235
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	236 .H1 "mmh
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	237 .P
164 5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	238 .\" XXX which version did I ``fork''?
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	239 I started to work on my experimental version in October 2011,
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	240 at a time when there had been no more than three commits to nmh
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	241 since the beginning of the year.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	242 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	243 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	244 .[
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	245 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	246 .]
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	247 nmh's community became active, too.
49 d3a02f5e63b3 Various rework. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	248 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	249 .[
af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	250 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	251 .]
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	252 After long years of stagnation, nmh became actively developed again.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	253 Hence, while I was working on mmh, the community was once more working
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	254 on nmh, in parallel.
164 5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	255 .\" XXX interaction between nmh and mmh
28 6c63083b4c19 Wrote text for the Preface; changed headings in Preface and Introduction. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 27 diff changeset	256 .P
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	257 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	258 because the project tries to modernize nmh.
01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	259 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	260 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	261 (My login name is \fImeillo\fP.)
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	262 This project model was inspired by \fIdwm\fP,
159 8b411125645d Corrections and improvements by Kate, Phil, Matou, Michi, Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 131 diff changeset	263 .\" XXX Ref
42 af8c46461924 Rework and new text about mmh's name in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 39 diff changeset	264 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	265 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	266 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	267 its community-driven predecessor \fIwmii\fP had grown fat over time.
159 8b411125645d Corrections and improvements by Kate, Phil, Matou, Michi, Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 131 diff changeset	268 .\" XXX ref
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	269 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	270
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	271
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	272 .U2 "Motivation
b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	273 .P
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	274 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	275 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	276 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	277 implemented on top of them quickly and without internal knowledge.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	278 Additionally, tool chests are easier to maintain than monolithic
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	279 programs.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	280 As there are few tool chests for emailing and as MH-like ones are the most
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	281 popular among them, they should be developed further.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	282 This keeps their
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	283 conceptional elegance and unique scripting qualities available to users.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	284 Mmh creates a modern and convenient entry point to MH-like systems
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	285 for new and interested users.
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	286 .P
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	287 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	288 my wish for general changes, combined
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	289 with the nmh community's reluctancy to change.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	290 .P
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	291 At that time, nmh had not adjusted to modern emailing needs well enough.
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	292 The default setup was completely unusable for modern emailing.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	293 Too much setup work was required.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	294 Several modern features were already available but the community
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	295 did not want to have them as default.
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	296 Mmh is a way to change this.
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	297 .P
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	298 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	299 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	300 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	301 software leverage at the same time.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	302 Mmh is a way to demonstrate this.
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	303 .P
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	304 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	305 compete with the large specialized projects that focus
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	306 on only one of the components.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	307 The situation can be improved by concentrating the development power
51 49cf68506b5d Spell checking. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 50 diff changeset	308 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	309 set of other mail components.
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	310 Today's pre-packaged software components encourage this model.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	311 Mmh is a way to go for this approach.
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	312 .P
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	313 It is worthwhile to fork nmh for the development of mmh, because
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	314 the two projects focus on different goals and differ in fundamental questions.
106 3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	315 The nmh community's reluctance regarding change conflicts
3c4e5f0a7e7b Included (English language) corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 102 diff changeset	316 with my strong desire for it.
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	317 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	318 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	319 In fact, revolutionary changes are hardly possible otherwise.
c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	320 .P
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	321 The mmh project provides the basis on which the aforementioned
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	322 ideas can be implemented and demonstrated,
164 5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	323 without the need to change the nmh project or its community.
43 c21ff903c71c New text on mmh in Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 42 diff changeset	324 Of course, the results of the mmh project shall improve nmh, in the end.
159 8b411125645d Corrections and improvements by Kate, Phil, Matou, Michi, Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 131 diff changeset	325 By no means it is my intent to work against the nmh project.
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	326
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	327
b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	328 .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	329 .P
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	330 Any effort needs to be targeted towards a specific goal
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	331 in order to be successful.
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	332 Following is a description of imagined typical mmh users.
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	333 Mmh should satisfy their needs.
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	334 .\" XXX Remove the next sentence?
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	335 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	336 of myself.
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	337 .P
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	338 The target users of mmh like Unix and its philosophy.
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	339 They appreciate to use programs that are conceptionally appealing.
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	340 They are familiar with the command line and enjoy its power.
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	341 They are at least capable of shell scripting and want to improve their
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	342 productivity by scripting the mail system.
169 f4ffe121a0a2 Applied excellent suggestions and corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 166 diff changeset	343 They use modern email features, such as attachments,
f4ffe121a0a2 Applied excellent suggestions and corrections by Kate. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 166 diff changeset	344 non-ASCII text, digital signatures and message encryption in a natural way.
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	345 They are able to setup email system components besides mmh,
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	346 and actually like to have the choice to pick the ones they prefer.
164 5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	347 They have a reasonably modern operating system that complies to the
5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	348 POSIX and ANSI C standards.
27 b687d151eed3 Reorganized the content in the Intro and added placeholders for missing parts. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 11 diff changeset	349 .P
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	350 The typical users invoke mmh commands directly in an interactive
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	351 shell session, but they use them to automate mail handling tasks as well.
159 8b411125645d Corrections and improvements by Kate, Phil, Matou, Michi, Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 131 diff changeset	352 Likely, they run their mail setup on a server machine,
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	353 to which they connect via ssh.
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	354 They might also have local mmh installations on their workstations,
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	355 where they tend to work with mmh directly in the shell instead
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	356 of using graphical front-ends.
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	357 They definitely want to be flexible and thus be able to change
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	358 their setup to suit their needs.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	359 .P
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	360 .\" XXX themself vs. themselves
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	361 Typical mmh users are programmers themselves.
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	362 They like to, occasionally, take the opportunity of Free Software to put
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	363 hands on and get involved in the software they use.
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	364 Hence, they like small and clean code bases and care for code quality.
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	365 In general, they believe that:
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	366 .BU
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	367 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	368 is most important.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	369 .BU
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	370 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	371 .BU
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	372 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	373 if possible.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	374 .BU
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	375 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	376 .BU
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	377 Removed code is debugged code.
8 3ef5449c1175 Moved text; wrote more text; removed ch02.roff. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 3 diff changeset	378
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	379 .U2 "Goals
45 7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	380 .P
7a33b5adb672 Rework in the Intro. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 43 diff changeset	381 The general goals for the mmh project are the following:
128 76c440261ebb s/stream-lining/streamlining/ markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 117 diff changeset	382 .IP "Streamlining
87 7d5b180de542 All kinds of rework plus new refs. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 83 diff changeset	383 Mmh should be stripped down to its core, which is the user agent (MUA).
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	384 The feature set should be distilled to the indispensable ones,
171 346ff7e201f5 Applied suggestions by Boris. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 169 diff changeset	385 effectively removing corner cases.
173 4c7db172fb59 Various corrections and improvements. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 171 diff changeset	386 Parts that do not add to the main task of being a conceptionally
53 01d06ca2eb1b Rework based on comments by Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 51 diff changeset	387 appealing MUA should be removed.
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	388 This includes the mail submission and mail retrieval facilities.
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	389 Choice should be reduced to the main options.
131 7c741bc8f719 Reorganized: Converted 4-parted discussion into 3-parted discussion. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 128 diff changeset	390 All tools should be tightly shaped.
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	391 .IP "Modernizing
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	392 Mmh's feature set needs to become more modern.
164 5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	393 Better support for attachments, digital signatures and message encryption
5c01017be420 Reacted to suggestions by Aaron Mueller. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 159 diff changeset	394 should be added.
159 8b411125645d Corrections and improvements by Kate, Phil, Matou, Michi, Lydi. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 131 diff changeset	395 MIME support should be integrated deeper and more naturally.
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	396 The modern email features need to be readily available, out-of-the-box.
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	397 On the other hand,
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	398 bulletin board support and similar obsolete facilities can be dropped out.
131 7c741bc8f719 Reorganized: Converted 4-parted discussion into 3-parted discussion. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 128 diff changeset	399 Likewise, ancient technologies should not be supported any further.
7c741bc8f719 Reorganized: Converted 4-parted discussion into 3-parted discussion. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 128 diff changeset	400 The available concepts need to be expanded as far as possible.
7c741bc8f719 Reorganized: Converted 4-parted discussion into 3-parted discussion. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 128 diff changeset	401 A small set of concepts should recur consistently.
7c741bc8f719 Reorganized: Converted 4-parted discussion into 3-parted discussion. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 128 diff changeset	402 .IP "Styling
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	403 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	404 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	405 whenever possible.
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	406 Code should be separated into distinct modules when feasible.
48 d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	407 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	408 clear and readable code.
d28ff07dfc0f Rework in the Intro, with new text. markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 47 diff changeset	409 A uniform programming style should prevail.
117 97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	410 The whole system should appear to be of-one-style;
97369a93ef39 Corrections by Kate. Again of high quality. :-) markus schnalke <meillo@marmaro.de> parents: 107 diff changeset	411 it should feel like being cast as one.

Mercurial > docs > master

annotate intro.roff @ 185:6f8adf7d190c