Subject: PINE Question

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 11:12:51 -0800

I am trying to find out more about PINE.  I would appreciate some help.
Thanks in advance.  I have sent for a FAQ e-mail also.
1.  Is there a way to change the defaults on my e-mail when using PINE?
    I do not want messages automatically deleted upon exit.
2.  How do I delete, then expunge a single message?  I just deleted and 
expunged my entire base of messages and I needed some of the information.
3.  Is there a help manual floating around out there someplace?
    Thanks

---

From: Mike Brudenell <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 12:00:57 +0100 (BST)

> Thanks in advance.  I have sent for a FAQ e-mail also.

If you have access to a World-Wide Web browser you may also like to check
out the Pine Information Centre at:

	http://www.cac.washington.edu/pine/

>     I do not want messages automatically deleted upon exit.

If you don't want a message deleting as you leave Pine then don't delete
the message!

Reading a message does NOT automatically delete a message; it simply
removes its "New" status, as indicated by the "N" at the start of its
summary line in the Index screen.

You *request* a message be deleted by using the "D" command.  This puts a
"D" at the start of the summary line in the Index screen for the message.
When you close the folder (eg, by quitting Pine) or ask Pine to expunge
deleted messages (using the "X" command) *then* messages are actually
deleted.

(In fact, if you're doing this by quitting out of Pine then the default
even then is NOT to expunge the folder immediately but to ask you for
confirmation.)

If you're not seeing this action then I suspect Pine's settings have been
changed, either for you along (in your personal settings) or the
system-wide defaults (set up by the system administrator).  You can review
these settings and change them by using the Setup (S) command followed by
Configuration (C) ... use these at Pine's Main Menu screen.

Things to look out for there include:

  * Is "expunge-without-confirm" set?  If so then you WON'T be asked to
    confirm expunging folders as you quit out of Pine: it'll just happen.

  * Is "read-message-folder" set?  If so then any messages you read in
    your INBOX folder will be moved to the named folder and deleted from
    the INBOX.  You will be prompted to confirm this action whenever it
    is about to happen unless the "auto-move-read-msgs" feature is also
    set.

The latter MAY be the cause of your "vanishing messages" ... in fact
they're not really being "deleted" simply moved out of your INBOX into
another folder, where they still remain.  Your systems administrator may
have set this up as standard behaviour to, for example, reduce pressure on
the disk mail is delivered to by moving read messages elsewhere.

> expunged my entire base of messages and I needed some of the information.

To delete a single message:
  1. Read it (or highlight it on the Index screen) and give the "D"
     command to *request* it be deleted at some point in the future
  2. Expunge the folder by giving the "X" command.  (Note that this will
     *actually delete* ALL messages you have *requested* be deleted.)

> 3.  Is there a help manual floating around out there someplace?

Assuming you are using Pine on a UNIX system you'll probably be able to
get some help on starting Pine by looking at its manual page (if your
systems administrator has installed this page):

	man pine

Otherwise try using the help system built into Pine.  General information
is available by typing "?" at the Main Menu screen.  In virtually every
other place context-sensitive (ie, relevant to what you're currently
doing/have selected) help is available by typing ^G (often the "?" synonym
will also display this help).

Other information is available at the Pine Information Centre on the Web
(see the URL above).

Cheers,

Mike Brudenell                                         <[email-masked]>
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