How does rmail work?

Rmail!

Rmail is a simple, text-based email client that was included with the GNU Emacs editor. It's been around since the early days of the internet and is still maintained and used by some enthusiasts today.

Here's a brief overview of how Rmail works:

Basic Concepts

  1. Mailboxes: Rmail uses a hierarchical directory structure to store email messages. Each mailbox is a file that contains a list of messages, with each message represented by a line in the file.
  2. Messages: Each message is a block of text that starts with a header line, followed by the message body. The header line contains information like the sender, recipient, subject, and date.
  3. Folders: Rmail uses a folder hierarchy to organize mailboxes. You can create folders to store related messages or to categorize your email.

How Rmail Works

  1. Reading Mail: When you start Rmail, it reads the contents of your mailboxes and displays the messages in a buffer (a temporary area in Emacs).
  2. Navigation: You can navigate through the messages using keyboard shortcuts, such as n to move to the next message, p to move to the previous message, and q to quit.
  3. Viewing Messages: When you select a message, Rmail displays the message body in a separate buffer. You can use various commands to view the message, such as v to view the message in a separate window or x to delete the message.
  4. Sending Mail: To send a new message, you can use the C-c C-c command, which opens a new buffer for composing a message. You can then enter the recipient's email address, subject, and message body using Emacs's editing commands.
  5. Saving and Deleting: When you're done with a message, you can save it to a mailbox using the C-c C-s command or delete it using the C-c C-d command.

Other Features

  1. Searching: Rmail provides a simple search function that allows you to search for messages containing specific keywords or phrases.
  2. Filtering: You can use Rmail's filtering capabilities to automatically move messages to specific folders or delete them based on certain criteria.
  3. Integration with Emacs: Rmail is tightly integrated with Emacs, allowing you to use many of Emacs's editing and navigation commands within Rmail.

Overall, Rmail is a simple, text-based email client that's perfect for those who prefer a lightweight, command-line interface. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of modern email clients, Rmail remains a nostalgic favorite among some Emacs enthusiasts.