NAME

       msh - nmh shell (and BBoard reader)

SYNOPSIS

       msh [-prompt string] [-scan | -noscan] [-topcur | -notopcur] [file] [-version] [-help]

DESCRIPTION

       msh  is  an interactive program that implements a subset of the normal nmh commands operating on a single
       file in packf'dformat.  That is, msh is used to read a file  that  contains  a  number  of  messages,  as
       opposed  to  the standard nmh style of reading a number of files, each file being a separate message in a
       folder.  msh's chief advantage is that the normal nmh style does not allow a file to have more  than  one
       message  in  it.   Hence, msh is ideal for reading BBoards, as these files are delivered by the transport
       system in this format.  In addition, msh can be used on other files, such as message archives which  have
       been  packed  (see packf(1)).  Finally, msh is an excellent nmh tutor.  As the only commands available to
       the user are nmh commands, this allows nmh beginners to concentrate on how commands to nmh are formed and
       (more or less) what they mean.

       When invoked, msh reads the named file, and enters a command loop.  The user may type most of the  normal
       nmh  commands.   The  syntax  and  semantics  of  these  commands typed to msh are identical to their nmh
       counterparts.  In cases where the nature of msh would be inconsistent (e.g., specifying  a  +folder  with
       some  commands),  msh  will  duly  inform  the  user.   The commands that msh currently supports (in some
       slightly modified or restricted forms) are:

            ali
            burst
            comp
            dist
            folder
            forw
            inc
            mark
            mhmail
            mhn
            msgchk
            next
            packf
            pick
            prev
            refile
            repl
            rmm
            scan
            send
            show
            sortm
            whatnow
            whom

       In addition, msh has a help command which gives a brief overview.  To terminate msh, type CTRL-D, or  use
       the quit command.

       If  the file is writable and has been modified, then using quit will query the user if the file should be
       updated.

       The -prompt string switch sets the prompting string for msh.

       You may wish to use an alternate nmh profile for the commands that msh executes;  see  mh-profile(5)  for
       details about the $MH environment variable.

       The exit command is identical to the quit command in msh.

       msh supports an output redirection facility.  Commands may be followed by one of

            ^> file~^write output to file
            ^>> file~^append output to file
            ^| command~^pipe output to UNIX command

       If  file  starts  with  a  “  ”  (tilde),  then  a  csh-like expansion takes place.  Note that command is
       interpreted by sh.  Also note that msh does NOT support history substitutions, variable substitutions, or
       alias substitutions.

       When parsing commands to the left of any redirection symbol, msh will honor `\' (back-slash) as the quote
       next-character symbol, and `“' (double-quote) as quote-word  delimiters.   All  other  input  tokens  are
       separated by whitespace (spaces and tabs).

FILES

       $HOME/.mh_profile          The user profile
       /etc/nmh/mts.conf          nmh mts configuration file

PROFILE COMPONENTS

       Path:                To determine the user's nmh directory
       Msg-Protect:         To set mode when creating a new `file'
       fileproc:            Program to file messages
       showproc:            Program to show messages

SEE ALSO

       packf(1)

DEFAULTS

       `file' defaults to “./msgbox”
       `-prompt (msh) '
       `-noscan'
       `-notopcur'

CONTEXT

       None

BUGS

       The  argument  to the -prompt switch must be interpreted as a single token by the shell that invokes msh.
       Therefore, one must usually place the argument to this switch inside double-quotes.

       There is a strict limit of messages per file in packf'd format which msh can handle.  Usually, this limit
       is 1000 messages.

       Please remember that msh is not the C-Shell, and that a lot of the nice facilities provided by the latter
       are not present in the former.

       In particular, msh does not understand back-quoting, so the only effective way to use pick inside msh  is
       to always use the -seq select switch.  Clever users of nmh will put the line

            pick: -seq select -list

       in their .mh_profile file so that pick works equally well from both the shell and msh.

       sortm always uses -noverbose and if -textfield field is used, -limit 0.

       The msh program inherits most (if not all) of the bugs from the nmh commands it implements.

MH.6.8                                            11 June 2012                                          MSH(1mh)