PACKF(1)

📦
version 1.8 · 7 versions
, in alpine 3.24, epel 10, epel 9, fedora 43, fedora 44

💌 PACKF(1) — the pack-ur-messages-into-one-file girlie 💌

okay so bestie, we're in the General Commands Manual section, and this page is about packf. it's giving ✨ archivist ✨ and honestly? she ate.

✨ NAME ✨

packf — pack messages in nmh folder into a single file. that's it. that's the whole job. 🎀

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

packf [-help] [-version] [+folder] [msgs] [-file name] [-mbox] [-mmdf]

like... look at her. iconic lineup fr fr 💅

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so packf will pack copies of messages from a folder, into a single file. copies!! ur originals stay safe at home, no cap 🫶

If the -mbox switch is given (and yes, that's the default), then the messages are separated using mbox (uucp) style delimiters. this is the format used by most mail clients (elm, mailx, etc.) — so like, the popular girl of mail formats 💖

If the -mmdf switch is given, then the messages are separated by mmdf style delimiters. Each message in the file is separated by four CTRL-A's and a newline. four of them!! a whole little CTRL-A squad 💀

You may specify the name of the file in which to pack messages with the -file name switch. If you do not specify the name of the file, it will default to msgbox. (so cute, so demure.)

If the given file name points to an existing file, then the specified messages will be appended to the end of the file, otherwise the file will be created and the messages appended. either way bestie, they're getting appended 😌

packf makes an mbox-style delimiter by examining the first line of the message. so:

  • If the first line is a Return-Path field, its address and the current date and time are used. ⭐
  • Otherwise, if the first line has an X-Envelope-From field, its contents (which should already be in the correct format) are used. 🦋
  • Otherwise, a dummy address and the current date and time are used. 🙈

Messages that are packed by packf can be unpacked using inc. so it's reversible. the way that she's fully circular... main character energy 👑

🌈 FILES 🌈

  • $HOME/.mh_profile — The user profile

🎀 PROFILE COMPONENTS 🎀

  • Path: — To determine the user's nmh directory
  • Current-Folder: — To find the default current folder
  • Msg-Protect: — To set mode when creating a new file

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

💅 DEFAULTS 💅

  • +folder defaults to the current folder
  • msgs defaults to all
  • -mbox
  • -file ./msgbox

👑 CONTEXT 👑

If a folder is given, it will become the current folder. The first message packed will become the current message. tiny side quest, big consequences ✨

heads up bestie: -mbox is the default, so if you're out here wanting mmdf delimiters, you gotta say it. no assumptions, no vibes-based delimiters 💀

and that's the whole page, babe. this one's from nmh-1.8, dated 1999-05-13 — vintage but still serving, fr fr. 🫶💖✨

📦 where this page comes from