Customizing Elm

CUSTOMIZING ELM Through its OptIons Editor Elm allows you to customize some of your mail environment to suit your particular needs. Please do not change any Elm options other than those descTibed in the text unless you know what you're doing. Changing other options could result in disruption of your standard Elm configuration. If you accidentally make a change to an option not described below use the '<' command to return all options to their original (system default) settings.

The Elm Options Editor In the following sections you'll learn how to customize a few Elm options using the Elm Options Editor. You'll learn how to change your cursor from a highlighted bar to an arrow key, how to turn the menu display on and off, how to change the way Elm sorts your mail queue, and how to change your user level. The changes you make in the options editor are temporary and will disappear when you end your Elm sessIon unless you use the save (» command to make them permanent. Of course, you can always alter an optIon you have made permanent. The first page of the Elm Options Editor is displayed when you enter the options (0) command at the command prompt. Command:

0

- ELM Options

Editor

(page 1 of 4) -

/usr/users/jones/calendar builtin+

c)alendar file d)isplay mail using k) pause after pager f)older d~rectory s)orting criteria A(l)ias Sorting p)rint mail using y)our full name

/usr/users/jones/Mail Reverse Date Mail Sent Name cat ~s I localprint Jonna J. Jones

o)utbound mail saved g) default rece~ved h)old sent message save (S)y name F)orce saves by name

=sent =received OFF ON OFF

u)ser

Intermediate

level

ON

User

Select letter of opt~on line, '<' to return to defaults, '>' to save '+' next options page, '-' previous page, or 'i' to return to index. Command:

There are three more pages of options available. Typing "+" moves you forward a page; typing "-" moves you backwards. The three additional screens of options are shown below. The settings shown on the screens are typical of many Elm mail systems on campus.

- ELM Options b)order on copy A)ttribution r)eply copies msg N)o headers on copy W)eed out headers

Editor

(page 2 of 4) -

: > OFF ON ON

L)ocal s~gnature R)emote s~gnature z) signature dashes

ON

e)ditor (primary) reply (E)ditor

p~co.elm pico.elm

t)ext editor (~e) v)isual Editor (~v) Z) escape for editor

emacs pico.elm

Select letter of option '+' next options page,

line, '<' to return to defaults, '>' to save '-' previous page, or 'i' to return to index.

Command;

- ELM Options

Editor

n)ames only w)ant Cc: prompt

ON ON

P)rompt user on exit always (D)elete always (K)eep always (S)tore

OFF ON ON OFF

timeout till (C)heck T)emporary directory

/tmpl

a)rrow cursor m)enu display

OFF ON

H) display

ON

(page 3 of 4) -

600

titles

Select letter of option line, '<' to return to defaults, '>' to save +' next options page, '-' previous page, or 'i' to return to index. Command;

- ELM Options 0) confirm 1) confirm

Editor

append creation

2) keep empty 3) shell

folder

4 ) move cursor with 5) point to new msg

Select letter of option '+' next options page,

(page 4 of 4) -

OFF OFF OFF Ibin/csh OFF ON

line, '<' to return to defaults, '>' to save '-' previous page, or 'i' to return to index.

Command:

Message Sorting criteria You can change the sort order of your messages by entering the sort (s ) command from any screen within the Elm Options Editor. Elm will place the cursor on the "s)ortlng criteria" field. By pressing the spacebar you can scroll through the available sortIng orders. In addition, you may press the letter 'r I' to switch between" reverse order" and normal order. When you fmd a sort order that you want to use, press the enter key to Initiate the change. To make the change permanent, press '>' at the command prompt at the bottom of the Elm options editor screen. Then type the index (i) command to return to the index screen and see your new mail queue sort order.

User level Elm offers three levels of help -- beginning, intermediate, and expert. These levels affect the menu display at the bottom of your message queue on the index screen. At the beginning level Elm provides only basic commands in the menu display. At the intermediate and e;cpert levels Elm displays more complex commands. To change your user level, enter the user level (u) command at the command prompt on any of the Options Editor screens. Elm will place the cursor in the "u)ser level" field. Use the spacebar to scroll through the three user levels. When you have selected the desired level press enter to return the cursor to the command prompt. If you wish to make the change permanent~ enter ">" at the command prompt. You can then return to the index screen by entering the inde;c (i) command.

Arrow cursor The default current message indicator is a highlighted bar. [fyou would prefer an arrow symbol to indicate the current message, enter the arrow (a) command at the command prompt on any Elm Options Editor screen. The cursor will move to the "a)rrow cursor" field. By pressing the spacebar you can turn the arrow cursor on and off, thus switching between the highlighted bar and the arrow cursor. When you have selected the cursor you want, press enter to return to the command prompt at the bottom of the screen. To make this change permanent enter ">" at the command prompt. Return to the inde;c screen by entering the inde;c (i) command.

Menu display Elm provides a short menu of commands on the index screen just below the message queue. You can turn this menu display off and on. To do so enter the menu (m) command at command prompt on any Options Editor screen. The cursor will move to the "m)enu display" field. By pressing the spacebar you can turn the menu display off and on. Press the enter key when you have finished with your selection, To make this change permanent enter ">" at the command prompt. You may then return to the index screen by entering the index (1) command.

ADVANCED TOPICS This chapter discusses printing e-mail messages, uploading and downloading e-mail messages, and uploading and downloading MIME attachments. Try the instructions in "Printing an e-mail message" if you want to print a message. If you are not able to print your message using these instructions, transfer the message to your desktop computer and then use your word processing software or a print utility to print the message; for details see the downloading instructions in "Up and downloading ASCII messages." For an overview of file transfer (uploading and downloading) different types of files (ASCII or binary) and the new MIME attachment feature in Elm, see "File types, file transfer, and MIME. " To transfer a MIME message between Elm and your desktop computer, see "Up and downloading MIME attachments,"

Printing an e-mail message The easiest way to print an e-mail message is to try the 'Print to your locally-attached printer" option on the Local Print Menu, To do so~first make sure the message you want to print is current and then type the print (p) command. Command;

p

The Local Print Menu will appear on your screen. It should look similar to the screen shown below.

Local

Print Menu

>1 2 3

Print to your locally-attached printer Download to your PC or Mac using kermit Download MIME attachment to your PC or Mac using

kermit

You can use the cursor keys to move up and down. To make a selection, press {return}. To quit, press 'q'. Press '?' to get help.

Make sure that the high lighter bar points to the "Print to your locally-attached printer" option. The message, "Caution: No tlowcontrol provided. Data may be lost." will appear in the center of your screen when this option is selected. The message is intended to warn you that although this may be the easiest way to print an ordinary e-mail message, it doesn't always work. Press the return key to start printing the message. Be sure to double-check that all of the text of your message actually printed. TIP: Do not use this option to print messages with MIME attachments. If you do, most of what you'll see on paper will be unreadable and you'll have wasted quite a few pieces of paper.

File types, file transfer, and MIME Most mail that you receive (or send) consists of plain text -- also known as ASCII text. When you use the Pico editor, you are creating ASCII text. The version of Elm used on campus last year also let you upload and download ASCII files -- you could upload ASCII text from your desktop computer into an e-mail message using the upload ASCII (A \) command in Pico or you could download a plain text message that you had received using the "Download to your PC or Mac using kermit" option listed on the "Local Print Menu." These familiar upload and download commands for transferring ASCII files are still available in the new version of Elm; they are documented in the section" Up and downloading ASCII messages." A major improvement to the version ofEhn used on campus this year is the capability to attach non-ASCII file types (usually binary files) to an e-mail message. This attachment must be uploaded using a file transfer utility. But you can choose your favorite utility to do the file transfer -- Kermit from a terminal emulation package (e.g, MicroPhone or ProComm) or FTP (e.g., Fetch or LAN WorkPlace for DOS FTP). Please note that the instructions contained in the next sections of this chapter assume that you know how to use your preferred file transfer utility. This new file transfer capability is due to Ehn's "understanding" MIME, the new Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension. Because Elm understands MIME, you can attach almost any kind of file -- for instance, a formatted word processing document, a spreadsheet, a sound, a video, a graphic, or even a software program -- to an e-mail message. However, please note that although you can upload and send a MIME attachment to anyone with an e-mail account, only recipients using e-mail software that "understands" MIME attachments can successfully download and read such messages. On campus, for example, Elm and Eudora 1.4 users can exchange MIME attachments with one another but not with ALL-IN -I users. If you receive a message with a MIME attachment you'll know immediately that it is different from an ordinary e-mail message because it will have an "M" before its index number. Alternately, if you try to read a MIME attachment by pressing the return key and paging through it using the space bar as you normally do, you'll see something similar to the screen shown below.

Message

2/2

From Edda Katz

Aug 22, 94 06:57:55

From: katz (Edda Katz) Posted-Date: Mon, 22 Aug 1994 18:57:55 -0400 (EDT) Received-Date: Mon, 22 Aug 1994 18:57:56 -0400 Subject: Elm Reference Cards (MS-Word) To: Anderson (Helen Anderson) Date: Mon, 22 Aug 1994 18:57:55 -0400 (EDT) -%#%record%#% Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Trans fer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Length: 85 Hi. A PostScript file of the latest Elm MIME Reference Card for the Mac is attached below. The PC version is on hold pending resolution of problems using ProComm 2.4.3 to download binary files. -Edda

-%#%record%#% Content-Type: Content-Name: Content-Length: Content-Trans

application/octet-stream /tmp/upl.EAAa01833 6404 fer-Encoding: base64

AAdNUylXb3 JkAAAA.1!,AAAA:A:A.AAA1\.J>,AAAA~1!,AAAA:A:A.AAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAABXREJOTVNXRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB lAAAAAAKpe 4vyfpo 8 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAACBgfyCAAD+NwAj AAAAAAAABAAAGQAAAAAAAAAAAQA AAAAAAeUAjJ,AA:nJv'V\AAAAAAJl.~AAAA/),]!JJ,AOAAAgAAAOAAAgAAO

For details about the new MIME attachment capability: see "Up and downloading MIME attachments."

Up and downloading an ASCII message Use the instructions in this section to upload or download ordinary e-mail messages consisting of plain ASCII text. Use the instructions in the next section to up or d.ownload MIME attachments. You must know how to use the Kermit feature in your terminal emulation software (e.g., MicroPhone or ProComm) to complete the instructions that follow.

Uploading ASCII text into an e-mail message To upload text from your Mac or PC that has been created or saved as plain ASCII text into an e-mail message, you must first create a message using the mail (m) command. Fill in the To, Subject, and Cc fields. The Pico editor will appear. Type in any text that you want to preface the file that you plan to upload. When you are ready to upload your file, press the control-key sequence (A \) that begins the process of uploading an ASCII file. Pico will wait for you to send it an ASCII file. Initiate the Kermit file transfer process using your terminal emulation software (for instance, begin by selecting Send from the Transfer Menu in MicroPhone or press the Page Up key in ProComm). After you have completed the Kermit file transfer process, the ASCII text that you uploaded will appear in your message. You can continue using Pico to type in more text, you can upload additional ASCII mes, or you can exit Pico and send your message to your correspondent.

Downloading the text of an ASCII message To download the text of an e-mail message that you have received in Elm to your Mac or PC, first make the message current. Now type the print (p) command. The Local Print Menu will appear on your screen. Move the highlighter bar down to the "Download to your PC or Mac using kermit" option is not highlighted and press the return key. You will be prompted to enter a filename. Enter a descriptive name that is valid in your desktop computing environment and press the return key. Note: If you're a PC user, enter the drive name, directory name, and a name for the file (e.g., c:\wp\letter.txt). Elm will wait for you to set up Kermit to receive an ASCII file on your Mac or PC. Initiate the Kermit file transfer process using your terminal emulation software (for instance, begin by selecting Receive from the Transfer Menu in MicroPhone or press the Page Down key in ProComm). After the e-mail message has been downloaded to your desktop computer, Elm will return you to the index screen. Your message will be on your desktop machine -- in the location you specified, with the name you specified.

Up and downloading a MIME attachment Use the instructions in this section to upload or download MIME attachments to your e-mail messages. You can use your favorite file transfer utility, Kermit or FTP, to upload and download files between Elm and your desktop computer. You'll need to know how to use Kermit from within your terminal emulation software (e.g., MicroPhone or ProComm) or how to use your FTP software (e.g., Fetch or LAN WorkPlace FTP) in order to complete the appropriate instructions below. Please do not upload more than one attachment to your messages; people at Penn using the Kermit download option will be able to download only one attachment.

Uploading a MIME attachment using Kermit To upload a binary MIME file located on your desktop computer using Kermit, you must first create a message. Create your message as usual (with the mail (m) command), fill in the header information (To, Subject, and Cc fields), and then use your Pico editor to type

in a descriptive message about your MIME attachment (e.g., testing uploading a WordPerfect 6.0 file). Now exit Pico using the fmish x) command but do not press the return key to send the message! Instead, type the attachment (a) command at the command prompt. The first of two Elm attachment screens will appear -- now type the add attachment (a) command at the command prompt. The second Elm attachment screen, shown below, appears. ( A

- ELM Attachment

Screen

-

K)ermit F)ile name Content T)ype E)ncoding

text/plain 7bit

Select 'k' - attach a kermit upload file, 'f' - attach a unix file 'c' to clear fields or 'r' to return to the previous menu. Command:

Type the attach a kennit upload file (k) command at the command prompt. The message "Escape back to your PC or Mac and start the kermit transfer process now" will appear on your screen. Elm will wait for you to send it a binary MIME attachment. Initiate the Kennlt file transfer process using your tenninal emulation software (for instance, begin by selecting Send from the Transfer Menu in MicroPhone or press the Page Up key in ProComm). Once the upload has finished, press any key to return to Elm. Now enter the return to previous menu (r) command. Enter the return to previous menu (r) command again. Finally, press the return key to send the message containing your MIME attachment.

Downloading a MIME attachment using Kermit To download a MIME attachment that you've received in Elm to your desktop computer using Kennlt, first make sure that the message containing the MIME attachment is current. Type the print (p) command. The Local Print Menu will appear on your screen. Move the highlighter bar to the "Download MIME attachment to your PC or Mac using kennlt" option and press the return key. Elm will wait for you to set up Kermit to receive a binary f-ileon your Mac or Pc. Initiate the Kermit file transfer process using your terminal emulation software (for instance, begin by selecting Receive from the Transfer Menu in MicToPhone or press the Page Down key in ProComm). Kermit should let you know the name it gives to the file it is downloading while the transfer is taking place -- write down the name to facilitate fmding it later on your Mac or Pc. After the MIME attachment has been downloaded to your desktop computer, Elm will return you to the index screen. TIP: You may experience problems using the Page Down command in ProComm 2.4.3 to download MIME attachments. The Elm Working Group hopes to fmd a a solution to this problem soon.

Uploading a MIME attachment using FTP To send a message containing a MIME attachment using FTPyou must first use your FTP software (e.g., Fetch or the LAN WorkPlace FTP) to put a file on your Elm host. FTPto your Elm host (e.g., mail.sas.upenn.edu or dolphin.upenn.edu) using your userID and your password on your Elm host (you cannot use anonymous FTP to put files on your Elm host). To complete the file transfer, follow the instructions that came with your FTP software to put files on a server. After putting the file on your Elm host, create an Elm message (using the mail (m) command), fill in the header infonnation (To, Subject, and Cc), and enter a descriptive message about your MIME attachment (e.g., testing uploading a WordPerfect 6.0 file). Now close Pico using the finish (AX) command but do not press the return key to send the message! Instead, type the attachment (a) command at the command prompt -- the first of two Elm attachment screens will appear. Now type the add attachment (a) command at the command prompt. The second Elm attachment screen, shown below, appears.

- ELM Attachment K)ermit

Screen

-

F)ile name Content T)ype E)ncoding

text/plain 7blt

Select 'k' - attach a kermit upload file, 'f' - attach a unix file 'c' to clear fields or 'r' to return to the previous menu. Command:

Type the attach a unix file (f) command at the command prompt. Type the question (?) command to locate the file that you FTP'd to your Elm account. A screen similar to the one below will appear.

PICO 2.3-upenn-1.0

.elm .sh history Acrobat.bin July.bin letter.bin msword.bin stuff.tx

? Help S Select

BROWSER

(dir) (dir) 2.3 KB 192 KB 8.2 4.7 4.7

33

KB KB KB

B

C Cancel G Goto Dir

Dir:

/usr/users/smith

(parent dir) .login 234 B ASCII. txt 2.0 KB 8.8 KB edda.txt big.bin 126 KB MS-Word2.bin 4.7 KB PCmime.ps 904 KB Macmime.ps 903 KB

R Rename W Where is

- Back Pg Fwd Pg

,cshrc 261 B ,profile 208 B bin (dir) folderorNo 1. 4 KB Mail (dir) PageMaker.bin 16 KB

D Del File

M Make

Copy

Use the up, down, right, and left arrows to move the high lighter bar to the file that you want to attach to your message and then type the select (s) command. The file you selected (and the path to that file) will appear in the File name field on the Elm Attachment screen. Press the return key to accept this file name. (See the tip below if you're attaching an ASCII file to a message.) Enter the return to previous menu (r) command. Enter the return to previous menu (r) command again. Finally, press the return key to send the message containing your MIME attachment. TIP: Your recipients will not be able to download ASCII files that you send them via FTP unless you do an additional step from the Elm Attachments screen. After filling in the F)ile name field on the Elm Attachment Screen you must also change the Content T)ype field to "application/octet-stream". To do so, press the return key after filling in the F)ile name field, enter the type (t) command at the command prompt, and then press the spacebar several times to "toggle" through the selections in the Content T)ype field until the text "application/octet-stream" appears. Now press the return key and continue as explained above.

Downloading a MIME attachment using FTP To download a MIME message that you have received in Elm to your desktop computer using FTP, first make sure that the MIME attachment is current and then type the MIME (M) command at the command prompt. Press the spacebar to page down the message until you see the following text on your screen.

This message contains written to a file.

raw digital

What do you want to do with 1 - See it as text 2 - Write it to a file 3 - Just skip it

data,

which

can either

be viewed

as text or

the raw data?

Type 2 and then press the return key to write the attachment to a file on your Elm host. The following message will appear at the bottom of your screen.

Please enter the name of a file to which the data should be written (Default: /tmp/mm.al7847) > Type in a short, descriptive name for the file (e.g., letter.wp) and then press the return key. Press the return key twice (slowly) to return to Elm's index screen. To retrieve the MIME attachment from your Elm host, use your FTP software (e.g., Fetch or the LAN WorkPlace FTP) to get the file. FTP to your Elm host (e.g., mail.sas.upenn.edu or dolphin.upenn.edu) using your user-ID and your password on your Elm host (you cannot use anonymous FTP to get files from your Elm host). To complete the file transfer, follow the instructions that came with your FTP software to get files from a server.

REFERENCES Elm command reference Remember that Elm commands are case sensitive. It makes a differnce whether you type an upper- or a lower-case letter when entering commands. Command or

Display

Elm 2.4 Actlon

the current message Pipe the current message or tagged messages to a system command Escape to the UNIX shell Resynchronize a folder (e.g., update a folder $ after making changes to the alias database) . Display this help text on your screen ? Display next page of messages + or - or Display previous page of messages Set current message to first message Set current message to last message * no. and Set current message to a specified number Search the From and Subject fields for a matching I pattern. Search extends down from the current message Search the text of the current mailbox downward from II the current message for a matching pattern Save the current message or tagged messages to a folder > Scan the current message for calendar entries < Change to 'alias' mode a Bounce (remail) the current message b C Copy the current message or tagged messages to a folder c Change to another folder Delete the current message d AD Delete all messages with a specified pattern Edit the current folder e f Forward the current message g Group (all recipients) reply to the current message h Display the current message with more header information Advance to the next message J j or Advance to the next undeleted message K Move back one message k or Advance to previous undeleted message 1 Limit messages display by specified criteria AL or AR Redraw the screen m Mail (compose and send) a message M View a message, using the MIME reader if appropriate n Read the current message and then increment the message counter by one Change to the Elm options screen 0 p Print the current message or tagged messages q Quit Elm and delete tagged messages Quit Elm quickly -- without making any changes to the Q folder r Reply to the current message Save the current message or tagged messages to a folder s t Tag the current message in preparation for further

processing Tag the current message in preparation for further processing and advance to the next message Tag all messages with a specified matching pattern checking against the From and Subject fields Undelete the current message Undelete all messages with a specified matching pattern -- checking against the From and Subject fields Exit Elm leaving the folder untouched, but first ask permission to disregard any changes made to the folder Exit Elm quickly -- without making any changes to the folder

T

u

"U x, or "Q

x

Pico command reference The Plco editor, unlike Elm, is not case sensitive. It does not matter whether you type an upper- or a lower-case letter In conjuction with the control key when you enter commands in Pico. Command

Function

AG "F AB "P AN "A AE "V AY

Displays a list of available commands (get help) Move forward a character Move backward a character Move to the previous line Move to the next line Move to the beginning of the current line Move to the end of the current line Move to the next page of text Move to the previous page of text

AW "L

Search for a word Refresh (redraws)

AD "K

Delete the character under the cursor Delete (kill) the entire line under the cursor TIP: You can 'cut and pa5te' blocks of text by u~ing AK to delete several consecutive lines of text, moving the cursor to a new position, and then using AU to undelete (paste) the text. Undelete (puts back) last deleted liners) under cursor

AU AI "J "T AC AR "0 A\

AX

in the text the screen display

Insert a tab at the current cursor position Justify the current paragraph. TIP: Paragraphs are delimited by blank lines Runs the spelling checker program Report the current position of the cursor

or indentation.

Insert an external file at the current cursor position Output (save) the message to a file Upload an ASCII file from your PC or Mac into the text at the current cursor position TIP: In~tructions for u5ing thi~ command are located in the chapter on Advanced Topics. Exit Pico and return to Elm (your message will be temporarily saved until you tell Elm what you want to do with it)