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digest(1)
NAME
  digest - receive a file for a digest, or create and mail a digest

SYNOPSIS
  digest -r|R|m|p -C -l majordomo-listname recipient

  digest -r|R|m|p [ -c configuration-file ]

AVAILABILITY
  Provided with distributions of Majordomo.

DESCRIPTION
  The digest script is a perl script which automates the management of
  digests of electronic mail.  It can be run in a standalone configuration or
  as part of Majordomo.

  It requires two directories: a work directory and an archive directory.
  Incoming email messages are held in the work directory until they are
  collected into a digest.  The digests are created and stored in the archive
  directory.

  Incoming email messages are given numerical names starting with ``001'' and
  are numbered in order of arrival.  The digests are named according to
  volume and number.  For example, the filename ``v01.n028'' indicates volume
  1, number 28 of the digest.

  It should be noted that digest needs a configuration file to define all of
  its operating parameters.  If no such file is specified, digest will use
  the file.

  Several aspects of digest configuration determine how and when a digest is
  created.  A digest can be created at regular intervals (as long as there
  are incoming messages) or whenever certain configurable conditions are met.
  These conditions are:	 how large the digest can be (in characters), how
  long the digest can be (in lines), and how old the messages in the digest
  can be (in days).

OPTIONS
  -r	    Receive an email message via standard input and place the file
	    into the working directory.	 If any one of the conditions for
	    digest creation are met, create and mail a digest.	These
	    conditions are the same as those described under option -p.

  -R	    Similar to -r, except that it will not create a digest.  It
	    simply places the message in the work directory and stops.

  -m	    If there are any numbered files in the working directory, create
	    and mail a digest.	Store the digest in the archive directory.
	    This is the option used by majordomo's mkdigest command.

  -p	    Conditionally creates a digest.  If any one of the conditions for
	    digest creation are met, the digest is created and sent.  There
	    are three conditions, which are connected to three limits:	the
	    digest size in characters, the digest length in lines, and the
	    age of the oldest message in days.	If one of the files is older
	    than the age limit, a digest is created.  If the sum of the
	    messages exceeds either of the size limits, a digest is created.
	    The size limit in characters must be configured; the other two
	    limits are optional.

  -c configuration-file
	    Use the parameters defined in configuration-file.

  -C	    Read the majordomo configuration file (either /etc/majordomo.cf
	    or ~majordomo/majordomo.cf) and the configuration file for the
	    Majordomo list specified in the -l option to define operational
	    parameters.	 If both -C and -c options are specified (not
	    recommended) only the -C option will be used.

  -l majordomo-listname
	    This option is ignored if used without the -C option. Specifies
	    the Majordomo email list.

OPERANDS
  recipient Email recipient of the digest.  This operand is ignored if used
	    without the -C option.  It specifies one of the system mail
	    aliases created for the Majordomo list named in the -l option.

MAJORDOMO DIGEST CONFIGURATION
  When used as a part of Majordomo, digest takes these parameters from
  majordomo.cf (either /etc/majordomo.cf or ~majordomo/majordomo.cf):

  $listdir - the location of the mailing lists
  $digest_work_dir - parent directory for the digests' work directories
  $filedir - parent directory for archive directories
  $filedir_suffix - an optional identifier (may be the null string)

  Incoming messages for $listname-digest will be held in
  $digest_work_dir/$listname-digest.

  Digests will be stored in $filedir/$listname-digest$filedir_suffix.

  The list's configuration file will be $listdir/$listname-digest.config.

  Examples of these values are given in below.

  The list's configuration file contains several digest parameters that are
  not yet implemented and/or should NOT be changed from their defaults
  (blank): digest_archive, digest_rm_footer, digest_rm_fronter,
  digest_work_dir.

  The parameters which specifically deal with digest creation and maintenance
  are:

  digest_name - the title of the digest
  digest_volume - volume number
  digest_issue - issue number
  digest_maxdays - age limit in days for oldest message in the digest
  digest_maxlines - maximum number of lines in a digest
  maxlength - maximum number of characters in a digest
  message_fronter - text prepended to the digest
  message_footer - text appended to the digest

  The last three parameters are also used in the configuration of an ordinary
  (non-digest) Majordomo list.

  Each digest begins with the a line containing the digest_name, current
  date, digest_volume and digest_issue.

  A blank line follows, and then the text from the message_fronter, if any.
  The message fronter may contain the token, which will be replaced by the
  subject lines from the messages in the digest.

  The text in the message_footer, if any, will be appended to the digest.

  To embed a blank line in the message_footer or message_fronter, put a `-'
  as the first and ONLY character on the line.	To preserve whitespace at the
  beginning of a line, put a `-' on the line before the whitespace to be
  preserved.  To put a literal `-' at the beginning of a line, double it.

  Both message_footer and message_fronter may also use the tokens and which
  will be expanded to, respectively: the name of the current list, the sender
  as taken from the from line, and the current version of Majordomo.

  Examples of the aliases usually used with the digest are given in below.

  The list owner can prompt Majordomo to build a digest by sending the
  command

  mkdigest digest-name [ outgoing-address ] digest-password

  to majordomo either via email or from cron.  The cron command has the
  format:

  echo mkdigest digest-name [ outgoing-address ] digest-password | mail
  majordomo@domain.com

STANDALONE DIGEST CONFIGURATION
  The Majordomo distribution comes with a ``digest'' subdirectory.  The
  sample configuration file is called firewalls-digest.cf.  A file in this
  format must be used if digest is invoked in standalone configuration.

  If no configuration file is specified when digest is invoked, it looks for
  a file named that must be in the same format as the example file.

  The configuration file defines the email addresses of the sender and
  recipient of the digest. It also locates the work and archive directories,
  the digest's size limit, and the names of the files that contain the
  digest's volume, number, header and footer.

  The easiest way to configure a standalone digest is to copy the five files
  (firewalls-digest.*) and edit them to taste.

  Incoming mail is piped to digest with the -r option. This can be done from
  some mail-reading programs, through the command line, or via mail aliases
  similar to those found in below.

EXAMPLES
  1. Example values from /etc/majordomo.cf:

  $listdir = ``usr/local/mail/lists'';
  $digest_work_dir = ``usr/local/mail/digest'';
  $filedir = ``listdir'';
  $filedir_suffix ``archive'';

  If our digest's name is banjo-digest, the work directory will be
  /usr/local/mail/digest/banjo-digest; the archive directory will be
  /usr/local/mail/lists/banjo-digest.archive.  Note that these are names of
  directories, not files.

  2. Typical aliases for Majordomo digests:

  Usually a Majordomo digest is associated to a regular (non-digest) list.
  The digest's name is the regular listname plus ``-digest''.  The list
  ``banjo'' will have the digest ``banjo-digest''.

  banjo-digest-approval: kevink
  banjo-digest-outgoing: :include:/usr/local/lists/banjo-digest
  owner-banjo-digest-outgoing: kevink
  banjo-digestify: ``|usr/majordomo/wrapper digest -r -C -l banjo-digest
  banjo-digest-outgoing''
  banjo-digest: banjo

  Note that mail to ``banjo-digest'' is routed to the regular list.  The
  ``digestify'' alias must be added to the regular list's outgoing alias:

  banjo-outgoing: :include:/usr/local/lists/banjo,banjo-digestify

NOTES
  The volume number does not change automatically; it must be incremented
  manually.

  For testing/debugging purposes there is a ``hidden'' option -d that creates
  the digest as /tmp/testdigest.nnn (where nnn is the current digest number).
  Since it is for testing and debugging purposes, it does not mail the
  digest, it does not place the digest in the archive directory, and it does
  not update the digest number.

EXIT STATUS
  The following exit values are returned:

  0	    Successful completion.

  >0	    An error occurred.

FILES
  /etc/aliases
  /etc/majordomo.cf

SEE ALSO
  majordomo(8)

AUTHOR
  The digest script was written by Brent Chapman <brent@GreatCircle.COM>.  It
  is available with distributions of Majordomo via anonymous FTP from
  FTP.GreatCircle.COM, in the directory pub/majordomo.	This man page was
  written by Kevin Kelleher <fury@world.std.com>.

Index for Section 1

Alphabetical listing for D

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