1alpine(1)                   General Commands Manual                  alpine(1)
2
3
4

NAME

6       alpine - an Alternatively Licensed Program for Internet News and Email
7

SYNTAX

9       alpine [ options ] [ address , address ]
10
11       alpinef [ options ] [ address , address ]
12

DESCRIPTION

14       Alpine is a screen-oriented message-handling tool.  In its default con‐
15       figuration, Alpine offers an intentionally  limited  set  of  functions
16       geared toward the novice user, but it also has a large list of optional
17       "power-user" and personal-preference features.  alpinef is a variant of
18       Alpine  that uses function keys rather than mnemonic single-letter com‐
19       mands.  Alpine's basic feature set includes:
20
21              View, Save, Export, Delete, Print, Reply and Forward messages.
22
23              Compose messages in a simple editor (Pico) with word-wrap and  a
24              spelling  checker.   Messages may be postponed for later comple‐
25              tion.
26
27              Full-screen selection and management of message folders.
28
29              Address book to keep a  list  of  long  or  frequently-used  ad‐
30              dresses.  Personal distribution lists may be defined.  Addresses
31              may be taken into the address book from  incoming  mail  without
32              retyping them.
33
34              New  mail  checking  and notification occurs automatically every
35              2.5 minutes and  after  certain  commands,  e.g.  refresh-screen
36              (Ctrl-L).
37
38              On-line, context-sensitive help screens.
39
40       Alpine supports MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions), an Inter‐
41       net Standard for representing multipart and multimedia data  in  email.
42       Alpine allows you to save MIME objects to files, and in some cases, can
43       also initiate the correct program for viewing the object.  It uses  the
44       system's  mailcap  configuration  file  to  determine  what program can
45       process a particular MIME object type.  Alpine's message composer  does
46       not  have  integral  multimedia  capability,  but any type of data file
47       --including multimedia-- can be attached to a text message and sent us‐
48       ing  MIME's  encoding rules.  This allows any group of individuals with
49       MIME-capable mail software (e.g. Alpine, PC-Alpine, or many other  pro‐
50       grams)  to  exchange  formatted  documents, spread-sheets, image files,
51       etc, via Internet email.
52
53       Alpine uses the c-client messaging API to access local and remote  mail
54       folders.  This library provides a variety of low-level message-handling
55       functions, including drivers for a variety of different mail file  for‐
56       mats, as well as routines to access remote mail and news servers, using
57       IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) and NNTP (Network  News  Trans‐
58       port  Protocol).   Outgoing  mail  is  usually posted directly via SMTP
59       (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).
60

OPTIONS

62       The command line options/arguments are:
63
64       address             Send mail to address.  This will cause Alpine to go
65                           directly into the message composer.
66
67       -attach file        Send mail with the listed file as an attachment.
68
69       -attachlist file-list
70                           Send  mail  with the listed file-list as an attach‐
71                           ments.
72
73       -attach_and_delete file
74                           Send mail with the listed file  as  an  attachment,
75                           and remove the file after the message is sent.
76
77       -aux local_directory
78                           PC-Alpine  only.  When using a remote configuration
79                           (-p <remote_config>) this tells PC-Alpine the local
80                           directory  to use for storing auxiliary files, like
81                           debug files, address books, and signature files.
82
83       -bail               Exit if the pinerc file does not exist. This  might
84                           be useful if the config file is accessed using some
85                           remote filesystem protocol. If the remote mount  is
86                           missing  this  will cause Alpine to quit instead of
87                           creating a new pinerc.
88
89       -c context-number   context-number is the number corresponding  to  the
90                           folder-collection  to which the -f command line ar‐
91                           gument should be applied.  By default the -f  argu‐
92                           ment is applied to the first defined folder-collec‐
93                           tion.
94
95       -conf               Produce a sample/fresh copy of the system-wide con‐
96                           figuration file, pine.conf, on the standard output.
97                           This is distinct from the per-user .pinerc file.
98
99       -convert_sigs -p pinerc
100                           Convert signature files into literal signatures.
101
102       -copy_abook <local_abook> <remote_abook>
103                           Copy the local address book file to  a  remote  ad‐
104                           dress book folder.
105
106       -copy_pinerc <local_pinerc> <remote_pinerc>
107                           Copy  the  local  pinerc  file  to  a remote pinerc
108                           folder.
109
110       -d debug-level      Output diagnostic info at debug-level (0-9) to  the
111                           current  .pine-debug[1-4] file.  A value of 0 turns
112                           debugging off and suppresses the .pine-debug file.
113
114       -d key[=val]        Fine tuned  output  of  diagnostic  messages  where
115                           "flush"  causes  debug file writing without buffer‐
116                           ing, "timestamp" appends each message with a  time‐
117                           stamp,  "imap=n"  where n is between 0 and 4 repre‐
118                           senting none to verbose IMAP  telemetry  reporting,
119                           "numfiles=n"  where  n  is  between 0 and 31 corre‐
120                           sponding to the number of debug files to  maintain,
121                           and "verbose=n" where n is between 0 and 9 indicat‐
122                           ing an inverse threshold for message output.
123
124       -f folder           Open folder (in first  defined  folder  collection,
125                           use  -c n to specify another collection) instead of
126                           INBOX.
127
128       -F file             Open  named  text  file  and  view  with   Alpine's
129                           browser.
130
131       -h                  Help: list valid command-line options.
132
133       -i                  Start up in the FOLDER INDEX screen.
134
135       -I keystrokes       Initial  (comma separated list of) keystrokes which
136                           Alpine should execute on startup.
137
138       -install            For PC-Alpine only, this option causes PC-Alpine to
139                           prompt  for  some basic setup information, then ex‐
140                           its.
141
142       -k                  Use function keys for commands. This is the same as
143                           running the command alpinef.
144
145       -n number           Start up with current message-number set to number.
146
147       -noutf8             Warns  Alpine  that  piped  input is not encoded in
148                           UTF-8.
149
150       -nowrite_password_cache
151                           Read from a password cache if  there  is  one,  but
152                           never offer to write a password to the cache
153
154       -o                  Open first folder read-only.
155
156       -p config-file      Use  config-file as the personal configuration file
157                           instead of the default .pinerc.
158
159       -P config-file      Use config-file as the configuration  file  instead
160                           of    default    system-wide   configuration   file
161                           pine.conf.
162
163       -passfile <fully-qualified-path>
164                           When password file support is compiled in, use  the
165                           file specified in <fully-qualified-path> instead of
166                           the default.
167
168       -pinerc file        Output fresh pinerc configuration to file, preserv‐
169                           ing  the  settings  of  variables that the user has
170                           made.  Use file set to ``-'' to make output  go  to
171                           standard out.
172
173       -pwdcertdir <fully-qualified-path>
174                           When  SMIME  and password file support are compiled
175                           in, this variable sets the directory to store  your
176                           personal key and certificate to encrypt and decrypt
177                           your password file.
178
179       -r                  Use restricted/demo mode.  Alpine  will  only  send
180                           mail  to  itself and functions like save and export
181                           are restricted.
182
183       -registry cmd       For PC-Alpine only, this option affects the  values
184                           of  Alpine's registry entries.  Possible values for
185                           cmd are set, clear, and dump.  Set will always  re‐
186                           set Alpine's registry entries according to its cur‐
187                           rent settings.  Clear will clear the registry  val‐
188                           ues.   Clearsilent will silently clear the registry
189                           values.  Dump will display the  values  of  current
190                           registry  settings.   Note that the dump command is
191                           currently disabled.  Without the -registry  option,
192                           PC-Alpine  will write values into the registry only
193                           if there currently aren't any values set.
194
195       -smimedir <fully-qualified-path>
196                           If SMIME is compiled in, this argument sets the di‐
197                           rectory  where the public, private, and certificate
198                           authorities certificates and keys  are  stored.  If
199                           not   set  by  the  command  line  the  default  is
200                           ~/.alpine-smime
201
202       -sort order         Sort the FOLDER INDEX display in one of the follow‐
203                           ing  orders:  arrival,  date, subject, orderedsubj,
204                           thread, from, size, score, to, cc, or reverse.  Ar‐
205                           rival order is the default.  The OrderedSubj choice
206                           simulates a threaded sort.  Any  sort  may  be  re‐
207                           versed by adding /reverse to it.  Reverse by itself
208                           is the same as arrival/reverse.
209
210       -supported          Some options may or may not be supported  depending
211                           on  how  Alpine was compiled.  This is a way to de‐
212                           termine which options are supported in the particu‐
213                           lar copy of Alpine you are using.
214
215       -uninstall          For PC-Alpine only, this option causes PC-Alpine to
216                           remove references to Alpine in Windows settings.
217
218       -url url            Open the given url.  Cannot be used with -f  or  -F
219                           options.
220
221       -v                  Version: Print version information.
222
223       -version            Version: Print version information.
224
225       -x config           Use configuration exceptions in config.  Exceptions
226                           are used to override your default  pinerc  settings
227                           for a particular platform, can be a local file or a
228                           remote folder.
229
230       -xoauth2-server ServerName
231                           Name of the  service  that  XOAUTH2  authentication
232                           will  be  attempted.  The only service supported as
233                           of this writing is Gmail. Note that all of the  op‐
234                           tions   -xoauth2-server,   -xoauth2-client-id   and
235                           -xoauth2-client-secret must be used simultaneously.
236                           Example: -xoauth2-server Gmail.
237
238       -xoauth2-client-id Client-Id
239                           String  that  identifies  Alpine  with  the service
240                           provider that provides XOAUTH2 authentication. Note
241                           that    all   of   the   options   -xoauth2-server,
242                           -xoauth2-client-id and -xoauth2-client-secret  must
243                           be used simultaneously.
244
245       -xoauth2-client-secret Client-Secret
246                           Secret  string  that identifies the Alpine with the
247                           service provider that provides XOAUTH2  authentica‐
248                           tion.     Note    that    all    of   the   options
249                           -xoauth2-server,       -xoauth2-client-id       and
250                           -xoauth2-client-secret must be used simultaneously.
251
252       -z                  Enable ^Z and SIGTSTP so alpine may be suspended.
253
254       -option=value       Assign value to the config option option e.g. -sig‐
255                           nature-file=sig1 or -feature-list=signature-at-bot‐
256                           tom (Note: feature-list values are additive)
257

CONFIGURATION

259       There are several levels of Alpine configuration.  Configuration values
260       at a given level over-ride corresponding values at  lower  levels.   In
261       order of increasing precedence:
262
263        o built-in defaults.
264        o system-wide pine.conf file.
265        o personal .pinerc file (may be set via built-in Setup/Config menu.)
266        o command-line options.
267        o system-wide pine.conf.fixed file.
268
269       There  is  one  exception to the rule that configuration values are re‐
270       placed by the value of the same option in a higher-precedence file: the
271       feature-list  variable has values that are additive, but can be negated
272       by prepending "no-" in front of an individual feature name. Unix Alpine
273       also uses the following environment variables:
274
275         TERM
276         DISPLAY     (determines if Alpine can display IMAGE attachments.)
277         SHELL       (if not set, default is /bin/sh )
278         MAILCAPS    (semicolon delimited list of path names to mailcap files)
279

FILES

281       /usr/spool/mail/xxxx        Default folder for incoming mail.
282       ~/mail                      Default directory for mail folders.
283       ~/.addressbook              Default address book file.
284       ~/.signature                File  used for signature, appended to every
285       message.
286       ~/.pine-debug[1-4]          Diagnostic log for debugging.
287       ~/.pinerc                   Personal alpine config file.
288       ~/.pine-crash               Debug information useful to debug a crash.
289       ~/.newsrc                   News subscription/state file.
290       ~/.mailcap                  Personal mail capabilities file.
291       ~/.mime.types               Personal file extension to MIME  type  map‐
292       ping
293       /etc/mailcap                System-wide mail capabilities file.
294       /etc/mime.types             System-wide file ext. to MIME type mapping
295       /usr/local/lib/pine.info    Local pointer to system administrator.
296       /usr/local/lib/pine.conf    System-wide configuration file.
297       /usr/local/lib/pine.conf.fixed Non-overridable configuration file.
298       ~/.alpine-smime/ca          Directory that contains Certificate Author‐
299       ity files.
300       ~/.alpine-smime/private     Directory that contains private key(s).
301       ~/.alpine-smime/public      Directory that contains public key(s).
302       /tmp/.\usr\spool\mail\xxxx  Per-folder mailbox lock files.
303       ~/.pine-interrupted-mail    Message which was interrupted.
304       ~/mail/postponed-msgs       For postponed messages (drafts)
305       ~/mail/sent-mail            Outgoing message archive (FCC).
306       ~/mail/saved-messages       Default destination for Saving messages.
307

SEE ALSO

309       pico(1), binmail(1), aliases(5),  mailaddr(7),  sendmail(8),  spell(1),
310       imapd(8)
311
312       Newsgroup:  comp.mail.pine
313
314       Mailing List:
315       Alpine-info, at https://www.washington.edu/alpine/alpine-info/
316
317       Main Alpine distribution site:
318       http://repo.or.cz/alpine.git
319
320       Alpine Technical Notes, included in the source distribution.
321
322       C-Client messaging API library, included in the source distribution.
323

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

325       This software is the result of the contribution of many individuals
326       who have dedicated their time to support, improve and suggest ways
327       to improve Alpine through the years. This software would not be
328       possible without the support of the University of Washington in
329       Seattle, Washington. The Alpine community extends its most sincere
330       thanks to all contributors and invites everyone to join in and
331       contribute to this project.
332
333
334
335                                 Version 2.25                        alpine(1)
Impressum