The Linux Electronic Mail HOWTO

Eric S. Raymond, `<esr@thyrsus.com>`

v2.0, 4 January 1999

This document is an introduction to the world of electronic mail (email) under Linux. It focuses on user-level issues and typical configurations for Linux home and small-business machines connected to the net via an ISP.

1. Introduction

1.1 New versions of this document
1.2 Hardware requirements for email programs
1.3 Software sources for email programs

2. How Electronic Mail Works

2.1 Mail between full-time Internet machines
2.2 Notifiers
2.3 Mail to part-time Internet machines
2.4 Remote mail and remote-mail protocols
2.5 Mailbox formats

3. Mail Transport Agents

3.1 sendmail
3.2 smail v3.2
3.3 qmail
3.4 exim

4. Mail User Agents

4.1 Setting your mail editor
4.2 mutt
4.3 elm
4.4 pine
4.5 Netscape
4.6 Emacs rmail/smail and vm.
4.7 BSD mail
4.8 Other user agents

5. Advanced topics

5.1 Aliases
5.2 Forwarding
5.3 Auto-answering
5.4 Mailing lists
5.5 Mail filters
5.6 Coping with spam

6. Other sources of information

6.1 USENET
6.2 Books
6.3 Periodic USENET Postings
6.4 Where NOT to look for help

7. Administrivia

7.1 Feedback
7.2 Copyright Information
7.3 Standard Disclaimer
7.4 Acknowledgements