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.