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From: rhh@ct.picker.com (Randall Hopper)
Message-Id: <9508192324.AA16879@elmer.ct.picker.com>
Subject: Re: MIME Compatible Mail Program
To: questions@freebsd.org
Date: Sat, 19 Aug 1995 19:24:22 -0400 (EDT)
Reply-To: rhh@ct.picker.com
Organization:  Picker International, CT Division
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> From: tsai@server.keck.lmu.edu
> Subject: MINE Compatiable Mail Program
> 
> Hi! Someone tell me that if I want to attach files to my mail, I have to
> have a mail program that are MINE compatiable.   
> I am wondering what mail program are MIME compatiable.  Also, what is
> MIME starnd for?

     MIME stands for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension.  It's one of the
ways you can attach files to your mail easily, but not the only one.  Sun's got
their own attachment scheme too, but that doesn't help on FreeBSD (it's not as
robust as MIME anyway).  And there's always the manual uuencode when you don't
have anything else.

     ELM 2.4, when compiled with support for metamail, supports MIME.  I seem
to remember that, if you don't mind a very minimal front end, you can use
metamail directly to send mail.  Personally, I like ELM's front end and use it
exclusively at work.

     You'll find metamail in the 2.0.5 packages directory (ver 2.7 I think),
but I haven't seen ELM compiled for FreeBSD yet and have been thinking about
doing it myself.  It makes attaching files via metamail very easy.  E.g. to
include a gif file in a mail message, simply put:

   [include mypic.gif image/gif base64]

in your message body, and it does all the work.  Also when you receive mail
with MIME contents, your .mailcap file (using the same format used by most web
browsers) tells metamail (via ELM) how to automatically kick off the
appropriate viewer program to display the different MIME-encoded sections of
your message.

     I'm interested to see the other mail programs the group mentions.  If
there's enough interest in ELM, I'll up compiling ELM on my pet projects list.

						Randall

_____________________________________________________________________________
     Randall Hopper               |   Picker International
     rhh@ct.picker.com            |   FAX: (216) 473-7098
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