Commit 3e347086 3e347086423b7bf1cd93e6b7c9311cafcbb375f1 by Sam Roberts

Document use of ~/.<program>rc.

1 parent 623d8529
......@@ -30,30 +30,38 @@ inconvenient to specify them in the command line each time you run
a mailutils utility. The @dfn{configuration files} provide a way to
add default command line arguments without having to type them in
the command line. Upon startup, each mailutils utility scans and
processes the contents of the two startup files: the site-wide
configuration file @file{mailutils.rc} and user-specific configuration
file @file{.mailutils}. The site-wide configuration file is searched
processes the contents of the three startup files: the site-wide
configuration file @file{mailutils.rc}, the user-specific configuration
file @file{.mailutils}, and the program-specific configuration
file @file{.<program>rc}. The site-wide configuration file is searched
in your system configuration directory (usually, @file{/etc} or
@file{/usr/local/etc}), the user-specific configuration file is searched
in user home directory.
@file{/usr/local/etc}), the user-specific and program-specific
configuration files are searched in the user's home directory.
Both files have simple line-oriented syntax. Comments begin with the
These files have simple line-oriented syntax. Comments begin with the
pound sign (@samp{#}) and extend through the end of the line
@footnote{If @samp{#} is not the first character on the line, it
should be separated from the previous word by any amount of whitespace.}.
Very long lines may be split across several lines by escaping final newline
with a backslash (@samp{\}) character.
Any non-comment line starts with a @dfn{tag}. A tag is either a name
of a particular mailutils utility or @dfn{option group}, prefixed with
colon (@samp{:}). The command line options common for several mailutils
programs are divided into @dfn{option groups} or @dfn{capabilities},
e.g. the options @option{--maildir} and @option{--license} form group
@samp{mailutils}. These groups are discussed in detail below.
When processing the configuration file, a mailutils utility selects
those lines, whose tag is either the name of that utility or the name
of the option group supported by it. For each line found, its tag
In the non-program-specific configuration files, any non-comment line
must start with a @dfn{tag}. In the program-specific configuration
file the tag must not be present, all options are for the specific
program.
A tag is either a name of a particular mailutils utility or @dfn{option
group}, prefixed with colon (@samp{:}). The command line options common for
several mailutils programs are divided into @dfn{option groups} or
@dfn{capabilities}, e.g. the options @option{--maildir} and
@option{--license} form group @samp{mailutils}. These groups are discussed
in detail below.
When processing the non-program-specific configuration files
(@file{mailutils.rc} and @file{.mailutils}), a mailutils utility selects
those lines whose tag is either the name of that utility or the name
of the option group supported by it. In the program-specific configuration
file, all lines are selected. For each line found, its tag (if present)
is stripped away, and the rest of the line is split up into words.
These words are regarded as command line options and are inserted to
the program arguments @emph{before} any options from the command line.
......