In article <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask] writ
es:
> Because I'm getting a new computer and I won't have local net access over
> break, I won't be able to check my mail very often. Eudora is capable of
> running a filter on mail tha auto-replys to it (using a message you specify) i
f
> it meets certain criteria, but I can't use Eudora, since not only can I not
> leave Eudora running on my computer over break, but the computer won't even be
> here because it is getting replaced. Is there some way to do the same thing
> from VMS? What I'm looking to do is send a reply to all mail that comes in
> saying something like, "Sorry, I'm not here for a few weeks. Please....". But
I
> don't want to do this with list mail, since the reply would go to the list in
> most cases (and I don't really want to unsubscribe from the lists then
> resubscribe). Is this possible in VMS? If not, does anyone have any other
> suggestions?
 
Yes.  It's possible to do this.  The facility for doing this is called
DELIVER.  We don't mention it much because it's a pain to configure.  You
can read the gorey details about it by issuing the command:
 
    $ HELP PMDF DELIVER
 
You should be able to do what you're looking for by creating a file in your
account that contains the message you want sent back to people (let's
assume you call it gone.txt and it's in your login directory).
 
Then you need to create a file in your login directory called
MAIL.DELIVERY.  This is a rules-based file that the mail system looks for
to determine what to do with mail.  Each line is processed in order from
top to bottom.  You're going to want to set this up to look something like
the following:
 
  * * * A L delivery.log
  *some-listserv* * * T D
  *some-listserv* * * T Q
  *another-listserv* * * T D
  *another-listserv* * * T Q
  * * * A E "oldmail gone.txt ""''f$element(0,"" "",qfrom)'""/subject=""Not here
"""
  * * * A D
 
This file looks complicated - and it is.  Below is a brief explanation of what i
t does.
 
Each line in the file has at least 5 space-seperated parameters.  The are as fol
lows:
 
    Parameter 1 - From pattern
    Parameter 2 - To pattern
    Parameter 3 - Subject pattern
    Parameter 4 - accept - used to determine whether the rule should be accepted
    Parameter 5 - action to be taken.
    Parameter 6+ (optional based on Parameter 5) - specific to the action
 
Here's what each of the lines do in the example listed above:
 
Line 1 - specifies that for all from, to, and subject addresses, a log
    should be created of the actions taken.  This file is called
    delivery.log.
Line 2 - specifies that for any messages with a from header that contains
    "some-listserv", the message should be delivered normally.
Line 3 - specifies that for any messages with a from header that contains
    "some-listserv", the DELIVER program should stop processing the
    MAIL.DELIVERY file.  We do this because we're done with this message at
    this point.
Line 4 - same as line 2, but for any message with "another-listserv" in the
    from header.
Line 5 - same as line 3, but for any message with "another-listserv" in the
    from header.
Line 6 - for all messages (except those that we've already quit on in Lines
    3 and 5), issue the command that comes as the 6th parameter.  This
    strange looking command will mail the contents of gone.txt to the
    sender of this message with the subject "Not here".  If you modify this
    line, be careful to leave all of the quotaion marks alone.  They're
    very important.  We use the OLDMAIL command here rather than the MAIL
    command because it executes faster.
Line 7 - deliver all messages (that weren't already quit on lines 3 and 5)
    normally.
 
To make this work for you, you'll need to change lines 2 through 5 to
correspond to the listerv's you want to exclude from the vacation message.
Feel free to add additional lines after line 5 if you have more than 5
listserv's.
 
Be careful, with this code, though.  If you forget a listserv and the
listserv is set to echo your messages back to you, we could end up with an
infinite loop (You send it a vacation message, it sends it back to you, you
send it back as a another vacation message, etc.)
 
--
                                     Kent Covert, Software Coordinator
                                     Miami Computing and Information Services
                                     Miami University, Oxford, OH
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