.forward
file.
For example, your
.forward
file might have:
\eric, "|/usr/bin/vacation -a allman eric"
Available options:
.db
to it instead of
$HOME/.vacation.db
.
.forward
file.
To:
or
Cc:
lines.
Usage of this option is strongly discouraged because it will result in
vacation
replying to mailing lists or other inappropriate places (e.g., messages that
you have been
Bcc
to).
$HOME/.vacation.msg
.
w
,
d
,
h
,
m
,
or
s
then the number is interpreted as weeks, days, hours, minutes, or seconds
respectively.
The default
interval
is one week.
An
interval
of
``0''
means that
a reply is sent to each message, and an interval of
``
infinite
''
(actually, any non-numeric character) will never send more than
one reply.
It should be noted that intervals of
``
0
''
are quite
dangerous, as it allows mailers to get into
``I am on vacation''
loops.
No message will be sent unless
login
(or an
alias
supplied using the
-a
option) is part of either the
``To:''
or
``Cc:''
headers of the mail.
No messages from
``???-REQUEST'',
``Postmaster'',
``UUCP'',
``MAILER'',
or
``MAILER-DAEMON''
will be replied to (where these strings are
case insensitive) nor is a notification sent if a
``Precedence: bulk''
``Precedence: list''
or
``Precedence: junk''
line is included in the mail headers.
The people who have sent you messages are maintained as a
db(3)
database in the file
.vacation.db
in your home directory.
vacation
expects a file
.vacation.msg
,
in your home directory, containing a message to be sent back to each
sender.
It should be an entire message (including headers).
If the message contains the string
$SUBJECT
then it will will be replaced with the subject of the original message.
For example, it might contain:
From: eric@CS.Berkeley.EDU (Eric Allman)
Subject: I am on vacation
Delivered-By-The-Graces-Of: The Vacation program
Precedence: bulk
I am on vacation until July 22.
Your mail regarding "$SUBJECT" will be read when I return.
If you have something urgent, please contact Keith Bostic
<bostic@CS.Berkeley.EDU>.
--eric
vacation reads the first line from the standard input for a UNIX ``From'' line to determine the sender. sendmail(8) includes this ``From'' line automatically.
Fatal errors, such as calling vacation with incorrect arguments, or with non-existent logins, are logged in the system log file, using syslog(3).
~/.vacation.db
~/.vacation.msg