Nixsys Public Access UNIX System

PINE:

a Program for Internet News and Email

Contents

• Overview
• Customized Headers
• Delivery Status Notification
• GPG / PGP functions in PINE
  • Signing and / or encrypting an e-mail message
• Public Folders
  • Accessing Public Folders
  • Adding Messages to Public Folders
• Spell Checking in PINE
  • Configuring PINE for spell checking

Overview

PINE offers users a simple, easy to use interface to e-mail. On Nixsys PAUS, instead of reading mail from a mail spool file, PINE connects to the Secure IMAP server locally and then reads mail. This requires users to input their passwords in order to access the mail folders. The following sections describe advanced configuration of PINE.

Customized Headers

Customizing the headers in PINE allows users to send mail from Nixsys PAUS, but not allow people to discern the nixsyspaus.org e-mail address as easily. This is useful if users have other e-mail accounts they wish the outside world to send mail. Users may configure the "From: " header to be anything. However, some unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE; better known as "SPAM") restrictions on some mail servers prohibit the delivery of mail from invalid or non-existent domains. Keep this in mind when customizing the headers in PINE.

1. Use your favorite editor to edit the ~/.pinerc file. This example shows how to edit the ~/.pinerc file with the pico editor. This procedure is the same using the nano editor. vi and vim are also good editors. Two interactive programs, available on Nixsys PAUS, called vilearn and vimtutor, which teach the functionality of the vi and vim editors respectively. Begin by opening the file for editing:
   you@nixsys% pico ~/.pinerc
2. Scroll down until you find:
   # Default condition for all of the features is no-.
   feature-list=combined-addrbook-display,
   reply-always-uses-reply-to,
   no-enable-reply-indent-string-editing
   
3. Add:
   # Default condition for all of the features is no-.
   feature-list=combined-addrbook-display,
   reply-always-uses-reply-to,
   no-enable-reply-indent-string-editing,
   allow-changing-from
4. Save the changes, restart PINE, enter "S" for Setup, and then "C" for Config.
5. Scroll down to:

   customized-hdrs

   =

   <No Value Set>

6. Change to:

   customized-hdrs

   =

   From: you@otherdomain.blah

7. Save, exit, and restart PINE.

Now, when mail is sent, others will see "From: you@otherdomain.blah" in the From: header instead of you@nixsyspaus.org.

Delivery Status Notification

Delivery Status Notification allows users to be notified if the delivery of the message was successful, if it was delayed, and / or if it failed. Users can have the full message returned as a confirmation or just the headers. The mail server receiving the message also has to support DSN for this feature to work. To request DSN in PINE, follow these steps:

1. After transcribing the message and exiting the editor, the Compose Message screen will reappear.
2. At the Compose Message screen, type "^X" (the "control" key plus the "x" key) to send the message.
3. The "Send message (unfiltered)? " prompt will appear. Under the prompt, command sequences are displayed. Choose "D" for "DSNOpts".
4. By default, the sender will be notified if the message delivery fails, is delayed, or succeeds and the full message will be returned in the notification. This is represented shorthand, "[FDS-Full]". Users may toggle if notices are to be received on delay by using the "D" key and toggle if notices are to be received on success by using the "S" key. It's also possible to choose whether or not the headers or the full message is returned with the notification. That option is toggled with the "H" key. Those not needing any notices may enter the "X" key to disable DSN for that message.
5. Continue to filter your message and / or press "Y" to send.

GPG / PGP functions in PINE

Nixsys PAUS provides a global configuration for using GPG / PGP functions with PINE. Users may override this configuration by editing the ~/.pinerc file. Below, instructions for performing various GPG / PGP related tasks with PINE are described.

Signing and / or encrypting an e-mail message

1. After transcribing the message and exiting the editor, the Compose Message screen will reappear.
2. At the Compose Message screen, type "^X" (the "control" key plus the "x" key) to send the message.
3. The "Send message (unfiltered)? " prompt will appear. Under the prompt, command sequences are displayed. Using "^P" (the "control" key plus the "p" key) and "^N" (the "control" key plus the "n" key) will cycle through the sending filters.
4. Choose "Send message (filtered thru "ppf_sign")?" to send a signed message or "Send message (filtered thru "ppf_encrypt")?" to send a message that's both signed and encrypted. Keep in mind that people who have not received your public key and signed it with their private key will not be able to decrypt your messages. A signed message will be readable by anyone, but guaranteed to originate from you.
5. After selecting which GPG / PGP function will be used, send the message.
6. You will be prompted to enter the passphrase on your key. If the wrong passphrase is entered, you have two more chances. Get it right this time!

Public Folders

Due to the intuitive menu system in PINE, Public Folders are very easy to use. Users need not subscribe to each subdirectory in the Public Folders, as is the case when initially accessing the Public Folders via the Secure WebMail interface. When PINE connects to the local Secure IMAP server, it fetches the list automagically. If a user has already accessed subdirectories of the Public Folders using PINE, that user will not need to subscribe to them when using the Secure WebMail interface.

Unlike Mutt, users can not edit messages in Public Folders. Messages in Public Folders accessed via PINE can only be viewed by users. Users can still move messages from their mail folders to Public Folders, however.

Accessing Public Folders

1. Starting at the MAIN MENU, press the "l" key to display the COLLECTION LIST menu.
2. Scroll down to select the "Nixsys PAUS Public Folders" collection displays both Public Folders, Drop_Box and Drop_Box2.
3. Choosing Drop_Box2, for example, displays its subdirectories, and selecting a subfolder presents a list of its messages.

Adding Messages to Public Folders

After becoming familiar with the Public Folders and Accessing Public Folders, users may then decide to share some messages with other Nixsys PAUS users. To share a message:

1. Press the "s" key to invoke the save function.
2. Then, using "^P" (the "control" key plus the "p" key) and "^N" (the "control" key plus the "n" key) will cycle through the folder collections.
3. Cycle through the folder collections until "Nixsys PAUS Public Folders" appears.
4. Pressing "^T" (the "control" key plus the "t" key) displays the SELECT FOLDER screen.
5. Choose a Public Folder and then a subfolder.
6. You will be returned to the folder message index to confirm or modify your decision. Pressing Enter will copy the message and mark it for deletion or or press "^R" (the "control" key plus the "r" key) and then enter to copy the messages and not mark it for deletion.

Spell Checking in PINE

Nixsys PAUS supports twenty four (24) languages with two really great packages for multilingual spell checking, Aspell and Ispell. All supported languages are listed on the Spell Checkers page. The method for language selection differs between the two packages. Language selection is passed to Aspell as a language code. Ispell requires a language name. The following table shows the Aspell language code and the Ispell language name associated with each language, if supported.

Configuring PINE for spell checking

1. When PINE starts, select "S" or Setup to configure PINE. It will prompt for a task. Enter "C" to Configure. The Setup Configuration menu will appear.
2. Type "W" to search and then enter "spell". You will be taken to a field similar to:

   speller

   =

   <No Value Set>

3. To use Aspell:

   Enter "A" and add the value of "/usr/pkg/bin/aspell --lang=$CODE --mode=email check", where $CODE is the desired Aspell language code.

   To use Ispell:

   Enter "A" and add the value of "/usr/pkg/bin/ispell -d $NAME", where $NAME is the Ispell language name.

4. Typing "E" will exit the config and confirming with a "Y" will make these changes active.

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