1 .TH alpine 1 "Version 2.20.3"
3 alpine \- an Alternatively Licensed Program for Internet News and Email
25 Alpine is a screen-oriented message-handling tool. In its default
26 configuration, Alpine offers an intentionally limited set of
27 functions geared toward the novice user, but it also has a large
28 list of optional "power-user" and personal-preference features.
30 is a variant of Alpine that uses function keys rather than mnemonic
31 single-letter commands.
32 Alpine's basic feature set includes:
34 View, Save, Export, Delete, Print, Reply and Forward messages.
36 Compose messages in a simple editor (Pico) with word-wrap and a spelling
37 checker. Messages may be postponed for later completion.
39 Full-screen selection and management of message folders.
41 Address book to keep a list of long or frequently-used addresses.
42 Personal distribution lists may be defined.
43 Addresses may be taken into the address book from
44 incoming mail without retyping them.
46 New mail checking and notification occurs automatically every 2.5 minutes
47 and after certain commands, e.g. refresh-screen (Ctrl-L).
49 On-line, context-sensitive help screens.
51 Alpine supports MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions), an Internet
52 Standard for representing multipart and multimedia data in email.
53 Alpine allows you to save MIME objects to files, and in some
54 cases, can also initiate the correct program for viewing the object.
57 configuration file to determine what program can process a particular MIME
59 Alpine's message composer does not have integral multimedia capability, but
60 any type of data file --including multimedia-- can be attached to a text
61 message and sent using MIME's encoding rules. This allows any group of
62 individuals with MIME-capable mail software (e.g. Alpine, PC-Alpine, or many
63 other programs) to exchange formatted documents, spread-sheets, image
64 files, etc, via Internet email.
68 messaging API to access local and remote mail folders. This
69 library provides a variety of low-level message-handling functions,
71 for a variety of different mail file formats, as well as routines
72 to access remote mail and news servers, using IMAP (Internet Message
73 Access Protocol) and NNTP (Network News Transport Protocol). Outgoing mail
74 is usually posted directly via SMTP
75 (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).
80 The command line options/arguments are:
84 This will cause Alpine to go directly into the message composer.
85 .IP \fB-attach\ \fIfile\fR 20
86 Send mail with the listed
89 .IP \fB-attachlist\ \fIfile-list\fR 20
90 Send mail with the listed
93 .IP \fB-attach_and_delete\ \fIfile\fR 20
94 Send mail with the listed
96 as an attachment, and remove the file
97 after the message is sent.
98 .IP \fB-aux\ \fIlocal_directory\fR 20
99 PC-Alpine only. When using a remote configuration (-p <remote_config>) this tells
100 PC-Alpine the local directory to use for storing auxiliary files, like debug
101 files, address books, and signature files.
103 Exit if the pinerc file does not exist. This might be useful if the config
104 file is accessed using some remote filesystem protocol. If the remote mount
105 is missing this will cause Alpine to quit instead of creating a new pinerc.
106 .IP \fB-c\ \fIcontext-number\fR 20
107 context-number is the number corresponding to the
108 folder-collection to which the
110 command line argument should be applied. By default the
112 argument is applied to the first defined folder-collection.
114 Produce a sample/fresh copy of the
115 system-wide configuration file,
117 on the standard output. This is distinct from the per-user
120 .IP \fB-convert_sigs\ \fI-p\ pinerc\fR 20
121 Convert signature files into literal signatures.
122 .IP \fB-copy_abook\ <\fIlocal_abook\fR>\ <\fIremote_abook\fR> 20
123 Copy the local address book file to a remote address book folder.
124 .IP \fB-copy_pinerc\ <\fIlocal_pinerc\fR>\ <\fIremote_pinerc\fR> 20
125 Copy the local pinerc file to a remote pinerc folder.
126 .IP \fB-d\ \fIdebug-level\fR 20
127 Output diagnostic info at
131 file. A value of 0 turns debugging off and suppresses the
134 .IP \fB-d\ \fIkey[=val]\fR 20
135 Fine tuned output of diagnostic messages where "flush" causes
136 debug file writing without buffering, "timestamp" appends
137 each message with a timestamp, "imap=n" where n is between
138 0 and 4 representing none to verbose IMAP telemetry reporting,
139 "numfiles=n" where n is between 0 and 31 corresponding to the
140 number of debug files to maintain, and "verbose=n" where n is
141 between 0 and 9 indicating an inverse threshold for message
143 .IP \fB-f\ \fIfolder\fR 20
146 (in first defined folder collection, use
148 to specify another collection) instead of INBOX.
149 .IP \fB-F\ \fIfile\fR 20
150 Open named text file and view with Alpine's browser.
152 Help: list valid command-line options.
154 Start up in the FOLDER INDEX screen.
155 .IP \fB-I\ \fIkeystrokes\fR 20
156 Initial (comma separated list of) keystrokes which Alpine should execute
158 .IP \fB-install\fR 20
159 For PC-Alpine only, this option causes PC-Alpine to prompt for some basic
160 setup information, then exits.
162 Use function keys for commands. This is the same as running the command
164 .IP \fB-n\ \fInumber\fR 20
165 Start up with current message-number set to
168 Open first folder read-only.
169 .IP \fB-p\ \fIconfig-file\fR 20
172 as the personal configuration file instead of the default
174 .IP \fB-P\ \fIconfig-file\fR 20
177 as the configuration file instead of default
178 system-wide configuration file
180 .IP \fB-pinerc\ \fIfile\fR 20
181 Output fresh pinerc configuration to
182 .I file, preserving the settings of variables that the user has made.
183 Use \fIfile\fR set to ``-'' to make output go to standard out.
184 <IP> \fB-registry\ \fIcmd\fR 20
185 For PC-Alpine only, this option affects the values of
186 Alpine's registry entries.
187 Possible values for \fIcmd\fR are set, clear, and dump.
188 \fISet\fR will always reset Alpine's registry
189 entries according to its current settings.
190 \fIClear\fR will clear the registry values.
191 \fIClearsilent\fR will silently clear the registry values.
192 \fIDump\fR will display the values of current registry settings.
193 Note that the dump command is currently disabled.
194 Without the -registry option, PC-Alpine will write values into
195 the registry only if there currently aren't any values set.
197 Use restricted/demo mode.
199 will only send mail to itself
200 and functions like save and export are restricted.
201 .IP \fB-sort\ \fIorder\fR
202 Sort the FOLDER INDEX display in one of the following orders:
203 .I arrival, date, subject, orderedsubj, thread, from, size, score, to, cc,
206 order is the default.
207 The OrderedSubj choice simulates a threaded sort.
208 Any sort may be reversed by adding
212 by itself is the same as
213 .IR arrival/reverse .
214 .IP \fB-supported\fR 20
215 Some options may or may not be supported depending on how Alpine
217 This is a way to determine which options are supported in the particular
218 copy of Alpine you are using.
219 .IP \fB-uninstall\fR 20
220 For PC-Alpine only, this option causes PC-Alpine to remove references to
221 Alpine in Windows settings.
222 .IP \fB-url\ \fIurl\fR 20
231 Version: Print version information.
232 .IP \fB-version\fR 20
233 Version: Print version information.
234 .IP \fB-x\ \fIconfig\fR 20
235 Use configuration exceptions in
237 Exceptions are used to override your default pinerc
238 settings for a particular platform, can be a local file or
241 Enable ^Z and SIGTSTP so alpine may be suspended.
242 .IP \fI-option\=\fIvalue\fR 20
247 e.g. -signature-file=sig1 or -feature-list=signature-at-bottom
248 (Note: feature-list values are additive)
251 There are several levels of Alpine configuration. Configuration values at
252 a given level over-ride corresponding values at lower levels. In order of
253 increasing precedence:
263 file (may be set via built-in Setup/Config menu.)
265 o command-line options.
271 There is one exception to the rule that configuration values are replaced
272 by the value of the same option in a higher-precedence file: the
273 feature-list variable has values that are additive, but can be negated by
274 prepending "no-" in front of an individual feature name. Unix Alpine also
275 uses the following environment variables:
279 DISPLAY (determines if Alpine can display IMAGE attachments.)
281 SHELL (if not set, default is /bin/sh )
283 MAILCAPS (semicolon delimited list of path names to mailcap files)
288 /usr/spool/mail/xxxx Default folder for incoming mail.
290 ~/mail Default directory for mail folders.
292 ~/.addressbook Default address book file.
294 ~/.signature File used for signature, appended to every message.
296 ~/.pine-debug[1-4] Diagnostic log for debugging.
298 ~/.pinerc Personal alpine config file.
300 ~/.pine-crash Debug information useful to debug a crash.
302 ~/.newsrc News subscription/state file.
304 ~/.mailcap Personal mail capabilities file.
306 ~/.mime.types Personal file extension to MIME type mapping
308 /etc/mailcap System-wide mail capabilities file.
310 /etc/mime.types System-wide file ext. to MIME type mapping
312 /usr/local/lib/pine.info Local pointer to system administrator.
314 /usr/local/lib/pine.conf System-wide configuration file.
316 /usr/local/lib/pine.conf.fixed Non-overridable configuration file.
318 ~/.alpine-smime/ca Directory that contains Certificate Authority files.
320 ~/.alpine-smime/private Directory that contains private key(s).
322 ~/.alpine-smime/public Directory that contains public key(s).
324 /tmp/.\\usr\\spool\\mail\\xxxx Per-folder mailbox lock files.
326 ~/.pine-interrupted-mail Message which was interrupted.
328 ~/mail/postponed-msgs For postponed messages (drafts)
330 ~/mail/sent-mail Outgoing message archive (FCC).
332 ~/mail/saved-messages Default destination for Saving messages.
335 pico(1), binmail(1), aliases(5), mailaddr(7), sendmail(8), spell(1), imapd(8)
338 Newsgroup: comp.mail.pine
343 Alpine-info, at https://www.washington.edu/alpine/alpine-info/
346 Main Alpine distribution site:
348 http://patches.freeiz.com/alpine/release/
351 Alpine Technical Notes, included in the source distribution.
354 C-Client messaging API library, included in the source distribution.
359 This software is the result of the contribution of many individuals
360 who have dedicated their time to support, improve and suggest ways
361 to improve Alpine through the years. This software would not be
362 possible without the support of the University of Washington in
363 Seattle, Washington. The Alpine community extends its most sincere
364 thanks to all contributors and invites everyone to join in and
365 contribute to this project.