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Allen

10 Oct 2004 10 Oct '04

18:37

Hey all, OK, I love Mutt, and I've spent all afternoon searching for answers to my problem, which isn't just SUSE, but the fact that on any given system I've used, using Mutt seems to depend on how good of a mood your machine is in. On SUSE Linux 8.1 Professional, SUSE Linux 8.2 Professional and SUSE Linux 9.1 Professional, Mandrake all versions, Free BSD, all versions, it seems when I use Mutt for the first time, it asks for the directory creation question, I'll hit the y key on my keyboard, and then it's basically like, well, it either creates it, or gives me the error message that the directory doesn't exist. I've gotten Mutt to work on SUSE before, and sometimes, it just won't work at all, and gives me the error that the directory doesn't exist. Has anyone else had these problems? When I can get it too work, it's great, I love Mutt, but a lot of the times, the thing just won't work at all. On Slackware Linux, for the most part, it will work every time without a problem. Last night I experienced my first Mutt problem on Slackware where it wouldn't work on there either. Slackware rarely does that and usually will load it without a problem. Now since I had done a fresh install I'm just going to format that box and try again, but on SUSE, it either will work, or not. I've formatted a few times and sometimes it will work, and sometimes it won't. It really seems to depend on how good of a mood my machine is in at the time I try it. I looked on the Mutt homepage, and tried setting the /var/mail and /var/spool/mail with a chmod 777, that didn't work either. Does anyone else have these problems? How can I make Mutt work? I just deleted muttrc and did an uninstall off Mutt, and I'm hoping I can just reinstall it and try again. I'd really like to be able to use Mutt because I hate having to load X to check my mail. I took the advice of the last question like this and I got it to work where I could send Email from Pine and make it show as this email address, but making Mutt work would top it off as it is my favorite client when I can make it work. So does anyone have this problem? How did you fix it? What can I do to my system so Mutt will work and actually create the directory it uses for mail when I use it for the first time? How can I make it work now that I've set chmod 777 on /var/spool/mail and /var/mail? I just want too use Mutt and I've searched through like 30 pages of documentation on Mutt.org/

Show replies by date

Patrick Shanahan

10 Oct 10 Oct

18:56

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

* Allen [10-10-04 13:38]:

...

OK, I love Mutt, and I've spent all afternoon searching for answers to my problem, which isn't just SUSE, but the fact that on any given system I've used, using Mutt seems to depend on how good of a mood your machine is in.

You do not want to hear this, but the problem... is you. You are exasperated. We need to start with one thing at a time and definitive comments about what problems you are having. You say that mutt says you need to create a directory and complains that it cannot or the directory does not exist. 1. what ver SuSE 2. what ver mutt 3. when does it complain about the directory 4. which directory or do you know -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Allen

19:09

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 14:56, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

* Allen [10-10-04 13:38]:

...
OK, I love Mutt, and I've spent all afternoon searching for answers to my problem, which isn't just SUSE, but the fact that on any given system I've used, using Mutt seems to depend on how good of a mood your machine is in.

You do not want to hear this, but the problem... is you. You are exasperated. We need to start with one thing at a time and definitive comments about what problems you are having.

You say that mutt says you need to create a directory and complains that it cannot or the directory does not exist.

1. what ver SuSE

I think I clarified this in my original message when I said it happens on every version, I also named each version I own and use.

...

2. what ver mutt

Whatever SUSE comes with. And for the differences they may have in versions of SUSE, I pointed that out above.

...

3. when does it complain about the directory

I said it does it in my original message after I press the y key to tell it to create the directory, it loads up for the first time, I press y, and it gives the message.

...

4. which directory or do you know

I pointed this out in my message to /var/spool/mail I explained all of this in my original message.

...

-- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Patrick Shanahan

19:18

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

* Allen [10-10-04 14:10]:

...

I explained all of this in my original message.

good luck -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Allen

19:46

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 15:18, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

* Allen [10-10-04 14:10]:

...
I explained all of this in my original message.

good luck Thanks, you've been so helpful. -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Patrick Shanahan

19:50

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

* Allen [10-10-04 14:47]:

...

On Sunday 10 October 2004 15:18, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...
good luck Thanks, you've been so helpful.

You got what you asked for. No one will help you when you slap them in the face. You have fscked the install, probably by wrong configuration and are too bull-headed to accept the offer of help. -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Allen

22:40

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 15:50, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

* Allen [10-10-04 14:47]:

...
On Sunday 10 October 2004 15:18, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...
good luck

Thanks, you've been so helpful.

You got what you asked for. No one will help you when you slap them in the face.

You have fscked the install, probably by wrong configuration and are too bull-headed to accept the offer of help.

I'm too bull headed to do that yet you're to bull headed to read my entire post and see I had already went over every question you had asked me. I haven't wrongly configured anything, it never has needed my to configure it by hand before, as it's either worked or not worked. I didn't see you offer to help you asked questions I had already clarified, and didn't read my message, and then decided not too. Was it because I pointed out how I had an answer too every question you asked in my original message?

...

-- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Dylan

19:52

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 Oct 2004 20:46 pm, Allen wrote:

...

On Sunday 10 October 2004 15:18, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...
* Allen [10-10-04 14:10]:

...
I explained all of this in my original message.

good luck

Thanks, you've been so helpful.

no change there then!

...

...
-- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

-- "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine" -Dark Helmet

Patrick Shanahan

19:58

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

* Dylan [10-10-04 14:57]:

...

no change there then!

Are you saying that he got what he paid for? -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Dylan

20:08

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 Oct 2004 20:58 pm, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

* Dylan [10-10-04 14:57]:

...
no change there then!

Are you saying that he got what he paid for?

No, I'm saying that you are displaying your "Ask Google and RTFM" mentality again - this time without even reading his OP. I don't have his answer either, but I'm not going to criticise him for asking a question.

...

-- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

-- "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine" -Dark Helmet

Patrick Shanahan

20:14

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

* Dylan [10-10-04 15:12]:

...

No, I'm saying that you are displaying your "Ask Google and RTFM" mentality again - this time without even reading his OP. I don't have his answer either, but I'm not going to criticise him for asking a question.

No, you are saying that you *haven't* read the thread. -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Henry Harpending

19:24

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sun, Oct 10, 2004 at 03:09:21PM -0400, Allen wrote:

...

On Sunday 10 October 2004 14:56, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...
* Allen [10-10-04 13:38]:

...
OK, I love Mutt, and I've spent all afternoon searching for answers to my problem, which isn't just SUSE, but the fact that on any given system I've used, using Mutt seems to depend on how good of a mood your machine is in.

You do not want to hear this, but the problem... is you. You are exasperated. We need to start with one thing at a time and definitive comments about what problems you are having.

You say that mutt says you need to create a directory and complains that it cannot or the directory does not exist.

1. what ver SuSE

I think I clarified this in my original message when I said it happens on every version, I also named each version I own and use.

...
2. what ver mutt

Whatever SUSE comes with. And for the differences they may have in versions of SUSE, I pointed that out above.

...
3. when does it complain about the directory

I said it does it in my original message after I press the y key to tell it to create the directory, it loads up for the first time, I press y, and it gives the message.

...
4. which directory or do you know

I pointed this out in my message to /var/spool/mail

I explained all of this in my original message.

No, you said too much, tell us what directory it wants to create, exactly what the message you get is. Does it want to create /var/spool/mail? Henry Harpending

Leendert Meyer

23:01

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

Hi Allen, On Sunday 10 October 2004 21:09, Allen wrote:

...

On Sunday 10 October 2004 14:56, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...
...
OK, I love Mutt, and I've spent all afternoon searching for answers to my problem, which isn't just SUSE, but the fact that on any given system I've used, using Mutt seems to depend on how good of a mood your machine is in. ... You say that mutt says you need to create a directory and complains

* Allen [10-10-04 13:38]: that it cannot or the directory does not exist.

1. what ver SuSE

I think I clarified this in my original message when I said it happens on every version, I also named each version I own and use.

Indeed you did: 8.1 pro, 8.2 pro, 9.1 pro.

...

...
2. what ver mutt

Whatever SUSE comes with. And for the differences they may have in versions of SUSE, I pointed that out above.

Ok, the default mutt in each SuSE version, what ever that is.

...

...
3. when does it complain about the directory

I said it does it in my original message after I press the y key to tell it to create the directory, it loads up for the first time, I press y, and it gives the message.

You did not post the exact error message.

...

...
4. which directory or do you know

I pointed this out in my message to /var/spool/mail

Huh? :} Your message to /var/spool/mail? Perhaps my english is not so good, or your english was not so good (in above sentence), but I do not understand you. I saw that you did mention twice chmodding /var/mail and /var/spool/mail, but I did not see you telling which directory mutt wants to create. Let me look again at your initial posting... again after carefull reading: no need to change what I wrote.

...

I explained all of this in my original message.

Well, I have to say here: not all. :) Cheers,

Allen

23:02

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 19:01, Leendert Meyer wrote:

...

Hi Allen,

On Sunday 10 October 2004 21:09, Allen wrote:

...
On Sunday 10 October 2004 14:56, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...
* Allen [10-10-04 13:38]:

...
OK, I love Mutt, and I've spent all afternoon searching for answers to my problem, which isn't just SUSE, but the fact that on any given system I've used, using Mutt seems to depend on how good of a mood your machine is in.

...

...
...
You say that mutt says you need to create a directory and complains that it cannot or the directory does not exist.

1. what ver SuSE

I think I clarified this in my original message when I said it happens on every version, I also named each version I own and use.

Indeed you did: 8.1 pro, 8.2 pro, 9.1 pro.

...
...
2. what ver mutt

Whatever SUSE comes with. And for the differences they may have in versions of SUSE, I pointed that out above.

Ok, the default mutt in each SuSE version, what ever that is.

...
...
3. when does it complain about the directory

I said it does it in my original message after I press the y key to tell it to create the directory, it loads up for the first time, I press y, and it gives the message.

You did not post the exact error message.

...
...
4. which directory or do you know

I pointed this out in my message to /var/spool/mail

Huh? :} Your message to /var/spool/mail? Perhaps my english is not so good, or your english was not so good (in above sentence), but I do not understand you.

I saw that you did mention twice chmodding /var/mail and /var/spool/mail, but I did not see you telling which directory mutt wants to create.

Let me look again at your initial posting... again after carefull reading: no need to change what I wrote.

...
I explained all of this in my original message.

Well, I have to say here: not all. :)

Cheers,

Hi, Thanks. I have finally gotten it, but the message I sent saying I have it now hasn't been delivered yet, heh, it took me 5 minutes to find the problem after using information I goth ere, and it was something I had thought of before, but never tried thinking ti was too silly to be the answer, so this has been quite the learning experience for me. Thanks everyone who sent i useful information, I appreciate it. :) I'm going to print out the instructions so if I ever forget how I did it, I'll know. Which has happened, it took me 2 hours to configure PureFTPd how I wanted it but I got it .

Leendert Meyer

23:04

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Monday 11 October 2004 01:01, Leendert Meyer wrote:

...

Hi Allen,

On Sunday 10 October 2004 21:09, Allen wrote: ...

...
I explained all of this in my original message.

Well, I have to say here: not all. :)

Hmm, I was too late, after posting I noticed you solved your problem! :) Cheers, Leen

lexuscars

21:12

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

Read the original message, Patrick. The problem was not *him* as you were so quick to point out. I'm going to compose myself here and not type what I really want to, but this is typical of most of your responses, berating the OP. :-P On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 13:56:53 -0500, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

* Allen [10-10-04 13:38]:

...
OK, I love Mutt, and I've spent all afternoon searching for answers to my problem, which isn't just SUSE, but the fact that on any given system I've used, using Mutt seems to depend on how good of a mood your machine is in.

You do not want to hear this, but the problem... is you. You are exasperated. We need to start with one thing at a time and definitive comments about what problems you are having.

You say that mutt says you need to create a directory and complains that it cannot or the directory does not exist.

1. what ver SuSE 2. what ver mutt 3. when does it complain about the directory 4. which directory or do you know

-- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

-- Check the headers for your unsubscription address For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@suse.com

Patrick Shanahan

21:32

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

* lexuscars [10-10-04 16:15]:

...

Read the original message, Patrick. The problem was not *him* as you were so quick to point out. I'm going to compose myself here and not type what I really want to, but this is typical of most of your responses, berating the OP.

Say what's in your mind. I did not berate him. I would almost bet that *all* his broken installations will run if he runs mutt as: mutt -F /dev/null He appears to be trying to use a ~/.muttrc which is causing problems. Mutt is solid and installs with very a safe configuration, else I would have problems with it myself. Mutt provides some of the *best* documentation available in all of linux. www.mutt.org has examples and points to *many* configuration examples. When something will not work, one of the first things to try is a very bland configuration and then make *singular* changes to achieve what you want and/or expect. You do not start with a sophisticated rc-file which may or may not have been build for *your* system, have problems and blame mutt. -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

lexuscars

22:20

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 16:32:02 -0500, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

* lexuscars [10-10-04 16:15]:

...
Read the original message, Patrick. The problem was not *him* as you were so quick to point out. I'm going to compose myself here and not type what I really want to, but this is typical of most of your responses, berating the OP.

Say what's in your mind. I did not berate him. I would almost bet that *all* his broken installations will run if he runs mutt as: mutt -F /dev/null

He appears to be trying to use a ~/.muttrc which is causing problems. Mutt is solid and installs with very a safe configuration, else I would have problems with it myself. Mutt provides some of the *best* documentation available in all of linux. www.mutt.org has examples and points to *many* configuration examples.

When something will not work, one of the first things to try is a very bland configuration and then make *singular* changes to achieve what you want and/or expect. You do not start with a sophisticated rc-file which may or may not have been build for *your* system, have problems and blame mutt.

Hmmm....I see nowhere in his post where he blames mutt. In fact, he opened with "I love mutt..." and only mentioned he was experiencing the same issue in several different distros. Rather than explaining to me what he might be trying to do, it would have been more helpful had you taken the same approach with him rather than opening with a statement about the problem being him. I'm not sure if you just don't get that you're being rude, or your just rude and don't care. If it's the latter, I'm sure most posters would rather you just ignore their question than answering as you do. I'm not the first to say this, so there could be a pattern. Take it as constructive criticism. You often have very good responses, and I hope they continue. Just take the acid out.

Allen

22:30

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 17:32, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

* lexuscars [10-10-04 16:15]:

...
Read the original message, Patrick. The problem was not *him* as you were so quick to point out. I'm going to compose myself here and not type what I really want to, but this is typical of most of your responses, berating the OP.

Say what's in your mind. I did not berate him. I would almost bet that *all* his broken installations will run if he runs mutt as: mutt -F /dev/null

Broken installs? How the hell do you break an install of an application that was installed by default? I didn't break anything, muttrc is created when you run it. For the 8th time, I install SUSE Linux (Any version) or Slackware (Any version) or any other OS, including Free BSD, and after the install is finished, I update, and then boot up for the first time. I then type mutt on my terminal, and it pops up asking to create the directory /var/.... I pointed out what directory it creates I'm not typing it again.

...

He appears to be trying to use a ~/.muttrc which is causing problems. Mutt is solid and installs with very a safe configuration, else I would have problems with it myself. Mutt provides some of the *best* documentation available in all of linux. www.mutt.org has examples and points to *many* configuration examples.

When something will not work, one of the first things to try is a very bland configuration and then make *singular* changes to achieve what you want and/or expect.

The configuration has nothing to do with anything. I've stated very clearly that either it will create the file it needs, or it will not and I get errno2 or similar as an error saying the file / directory doesn't exist. It works, or it doesn't, and is usually one of the first things I do to the system other than online update.

...

You do not start with a sophisticated rc-file which may or may not have been build for *your* system, have problems and blame mutt.

I wasn't trying to blame a thing I tried seeing if anyone else had a problem like this and fixed it. As for slapping in the face someone who tried helping me... Heh, if you call telling me it's my fault it doesn't correctly work, and that I should answer questions you asked which I already had stated in my original post... If you call that help you have a terrific career ahead of you in Microsoft's support team.

...

-- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Scott Leighton

19:44

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 11:37 am, Allen wrote:

...

Hey all, Has anyone else had these problems? When I can get it too work, it's great, I love Mutt, but a lot of the times, the thing just won't work at all.

Out of curiosity, I went ahead and installed mutt off the SuSE 9.1 Pro DVD. After installing, I typed mutt at a shell prompt and it just worked, no prompts about directories or anything. It just worked. Maybe your default .muttrc is messed up, try copying the skeleton from /etc/skel/.muttrc to your home dir. Scott -- POPFile, the OpenSource EMail Classifier http://popfile.sourceforge.net/ Linux 2.6.5-7.108-default x86_64

Allen

19:46

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 15:44, Scott Leighton wrote:

...

On Sunday 10 October 2004 11:37 am, Allen wrote:

...
Hey all, Has anyone else had these problems? When I can get it too work, it's great, I love Mutt, but a lot of the times, the thing just won't work at all.

Out of curiosity, I went ahead and installed mutt off the SuSE 9.1 Pro DVD. After installing, I typed mutt at a shell prompt and it just worked, no prompts about directories or anything. It just worked.

Maybe your default .muttrc is messed up, try copying the skeleton from /etc/skel/.muttrc to your home dir.

Scott

What mail client had you used ? Mutt uses the same one as Elm from what I've just seen on Slackware, try using Mutt as a non root user.

...

-- POPFile, the OpenSource EMail Classifier http://popfile.sourceforge.net/ Linux 2.6.5-7.108-default x86_64

Scott Leighton

20:01

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 12:46 pm, Allen wrote:

...

On Sunday 10 October 2004 15:44, Scott Leighton wrote:

...
On Sunday 10 October 2004 11:37 am, Allen wrote:

...
Hey all, Has anyone else had these problems? When I can get it too work, it's great, I love Mutt, but a lot of the times, the thing just won't work at all.

Out of curiosity, I went ahead and installed mutt off the SuSE 9.1 Pro DVD. After installing, I typed mutt at a shell prompt and it just worked, no prompts about directories or anything. It just worked.

Maybe your default .muttrc is messed up, try copying the skeleton from /etc/skel/.muttrc to your home dir.

Scott

What mail client had you used ? Mutt uses the same one as Elm from what I've just seen on Slackware, try using Mutt as a non root user.

I was non-root, regular user. The regular mail client I use is KMail, with local mail via procmail. Mutt automatically pointed to /var/mail/helphand when I fired it up. Scott -- POPFile, the OpenSource EMail Classifier http://popfile.sourceforge.net/ Linux 2.6.5-7.108-default x86_64

Allen

22:21

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 16:01, Scott Leighton wrote:

...

On Sunday 10 October 2004 12:46 pm, Allen wrote:

...
On Sunday 10 October 2004 15:44, Scott Leighton wrote:

...
On Sunday 10 October 2004 11:37 am, Allen wrote:

...
Hey all, Has anyone else had these problems? When I can get it too work, it's great, I love Mutt, but a lot of the times, the thing just won't work at all.

Out of curiosity, I went ahead and installed mutt off the SuSE 9.1 Pro DVD. After installing, I typed mutt at a shell prompt and it just worked, no prompts about directories or anything. It just worked.

Maybe your default .muttrc is messed up, try copying the skeleton from /etc/skel/.muttrc to your home dir.

Scott

What mail client had you used ? Mutt uses the same one as Elm from what I've just seen on Slackware, try using Mutt as a non root user.

I was non-root, regular user.

The regular mail client I use is KMail, with local mail via procmail.

Mutt automatically pointed to /var/mail/helphand when I fired it up.

Scott

OK thanks, I've done the same, used Kmail, and either it works or it doesn't. Generally I reformat and reinstall and try again and one in 3 times will work.

...

-- POPFile, the OpenSource EMail Classifier http://popfile.sourceforge.net/ Linux 2.6.5-7.108-default x86_64

Scott Leighton

22:36

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 3:21 pm, Allen wrote:

...

OK thanks, I've done the same, used Kmail, and either it works or it doesn't. Generally I reformat and reinstall and try again and one in 3 times will work.

Well, I don't get it. This is too easy, KMail and mutt work out of the box just fine so there must either be something really strange about your setup or you are expecting something out of them that they don't do. An earlier poster suggested that maybe the issue is that your new user has never received any mail. Did you explore that possibility? It made a lot of sense to me (no mail, no /var/mail/<user> mail file). Scott -- POPFile, the OpenSource EMail Classifier http://popfile.sourceforge.net/ Linux 2.6.5-7.108-default x86_64

Allen

22:43

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 18:36, Scott Leighton wrote:

...

On Sunday 10 October 2004 3:21 pm, Allen wrote:

...
OK thanks, I've done the same, used Kmail, and either it works or it doesn't. Generally I reformat and reinstall and try again and one in 3 times will work.

Well, I don't get it. This is too easy, KMail and mutt work out of the box just fine so there must either be something really strange about your setup or you are expecting something out of them that they don't do.

An earlier poster suggested that maybe the issue is that your new user has never received any mail. Did you explore that possibility? It made a lot of sense to me (no mail, no /var/mail/<user> mail file).

Scott LOL, yes, first thing I thought was "OK I screwed it up somehow" and so I checked into it a bit more, so I'm going to try first the options people have given me here, mainly the touch command, hopefully that will work correctly. Thanks much.

-- POPFile, the OpenSource EMail Classifier http://popfile.sourceforge.net/ Linux 2.6.5-7.108-default x86_64

Carlos E. R.

22:52

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

The Sunday 2004-10-10 at 18:43 -0400, Allen wrote:

...

...
An earlier poster suggested that maybe the issue is that your new user has never received any mail. Did you explore that possibility? It made a lot of sense to me (no mail, no /var/mail/<user> mail file).

LOL, yes, first thing I thought was "OK I screwed it up somehow" and so I checked into it a bit more, so I'm going to try first the options people have given me here, mainly the touch command, hopefully that will work correctly.

Instead of using touch, just send an email from "root", using plain mail for the purpose. -- Cheers, Carlos Robinson

Allen

19:45

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

Since the first message "didn't have enough information" and then it "had too much" I'm trimming it down and trying again. I said what versions, what Distros, what Linux, everything, and it's was too much and not enough to go through, and it was "me" as the reason it wasn't working. then a very helpful reply of good luck, heh, nice. On Sunday 10 October 2004 14:37, Allen wrote:

...

OK, I love Mutt, and I've spent all afternoon searching for answers to my problem, which isn't just SUSE, but the fact that on any given system I've used, using Mutt seems to depend on how good of a mood your machine is in.

On SUSE Linux 8.1 Professional, SUSE Linux 8.2 Professional and SUSE Linux 9.1 Professional, Mandrake all versions, Free BSD, all versions, it seems when I use Mutt for the first time, it asks for the directory creation question, I'll hit the y key on my keyboard, and then it's basically like, well, it either creates it, or gives me the error message that the directory doesn't exist.

I've gotten Mutt to work on SUSE before, and sometimes, it just won't work at all, and gives me the error that the directory doesn't exist.

...

On Slackware Linux, for the most part, it will work every time without a problem. Last night I experienced my first Mutt problem on Slackware where it wouldn't work on there either.

Slackware rarely does that and usually will load it without a problem. Now since I had done a fresh install I'm just going to format that box and try again, but on SUSE, it either will work, or not. I've formatted a few times and sometimes it will work, and sometimes it won't. It really seems to depend on how good of a mood my machine is in at the time I try it.

I looked on the Mutt homepage, and tried setting the /var/mail and /var/spool/mail with a chmod 777, that didn't work either.

...

So does anyone have this problem? How did you fix it? What can I do to my system so Mutt will work and actually create the directory it uses for mail when I use it for the first time? How can I make it work now that I've set chmod 777 on /var/spool/mail and /var/mail? I just want too use Mutt and I've searched through like 30 pages of documentation on Mutt.org/

There are the directories, what versions of SUSE I've got and tried it on and it still seems to depend on if my machine is in a good mood or not.

Anders Johansson

20:00

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday, 10 October 2004 20.37, Allen wrote:

...

question, I'll hit the y key on my keyboard, and then it's basically like, well, it either creates it, or gives me the error message that the directory doesn't exist.

What directory? I just started mutt (for the first time ever) and it didn't complain about any directory Since you mention setting the permissions on /var/spool/mail that can't be it (and since /var/spool/mail is created by filesystem.rpm, and since just about everything depends on filesystem.rpm, there's no way you could install suse without having it installed)

...

I looked on the Mutt homepage, and tried setting the /var/mail and /var/spool/mail with a chmod 777, that didn't work either.

There aren't supposed to be any directories under /var/spool/mail (/var/mail is a symlink, you can't set permissions on that), just mbox files where whatever MTA you're using makes its deliveries; and the permissions on /var/spool/mail is supposed to be 1777.

...

Does anyone else have these problems? How can I make Mutt work? I just deleted muttrc and did an uninstall off Mutt, and I'm hoping I can just reinstall it and try again. I'd really like to be able to use Mutt because I hate having to load X to check my mail.

You don't run X on your desktop? Or do you check your mail from a server?

Allen

23:07

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 16:00, Anders Johansson wrote:

...

On Sunday, 10 October 2004 20.37, Allen wrote:

...
question, I'll hit the y key on my keyboard, and then it's basically like, well, it either creates it, or gives me the error message that the directory doesn't exist.

What directory? I just started mutt (for the first time ever) and it didn't complain about any directory

...

You don't run X on your desktop? Or do you check your mail from a server?

Sorry, missed this mail. I rarely use X on my desktop unless I wanted to web browse. I have command line MP3 tools, I use YAST2 Ncurses, and Now I can use Mutt for mail. And I have the Text client for ICQ. Gaim is one of the few I use X for.

Danny Sauer

12 Oct 12 Oct

14:24

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

Allen wrote regarding 'Re: [SLE] Mutt' on Sun, Oct 10 at 18:08:

...

On Sunday 10 October 2004 16:00, Anders Johansson wrote:

...
On Sunday, 10 October 2004 20.37, Allen wrote:

...
question, I'll hit the y key on my keyboard, and then it's basically like, well, it either creates it, or gives me the error message that the directory doesn't exist.

What directory? I just started mutt (for the first time ever) and it didn't complain about any directory

...
You don't run X on your desktop? Or do you check your mail from a server?

Sorry, missed this mail. I rarely use X on my desktop unless I wanted to web browse.

Check out "links -g"... :) --Danny

Allen

17:40

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Tue, Oct 12, 2004 at 09:24:21AM -0500, Danny Sauer wrote:

...

Allen wrote regarding 'Re: [SLE] Mutt' on Sun, Oct 10 at 18:08:

...
On Sunday 10 October 2004 16:00, Anders Johansson wrote:

...
On Sunday, 10 October 2004 20.37, Allen wrote:

...
question, I'll hit the y key on my keyboard, and then it's basically like, well, it either creates it, or gives me the error message that the directory doesn't exist.

What directory? I just started mutt (for the first time ever) and it didn't complain about any directory

...
You don't run X on your desktop? Or do you check your mail from a server?

Sorry, missed this mail. I rarely use X on my desktop unless I wanted to web browse.

Check out "links -g"... :)

--Danny

I use links a lot. I like it. And I have Mutt Working now finally. I'm sending this Mail from it. Nice not having to have X loaded.

Jon Clausen

13 Oct 13 Oct

04:33

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Tue, 12 Oct, 2004 at 13:40:47 -0400, Allen wrote:

...

I use links a lot. I like it. And I have Mutt Working now finally. I'm sending this Mail from it. Nice not having to have X loaded.

Congrats. Now, a small request: Please have the editor wrap lines at about 72->80 chars. I have, in .muttrc: set editor="vi -c 'set tw=76'" Cheers, /jon -- Just say "know!"

Allen

04:57

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Wed, Oct 13, 2004 at 06:33:13AM +0200, Jon Clausen wrote:

...

On Tue, 12 Oct, 2004 at 13:40:47 -0400, Allen wrote:

...
I use links a lot. I like it. And I have Mutt Working now finally. I'm sending this Mail from it. Nice not having to have X loaded.

Congrats.

Now, a small request:

Please have the editor wrap lines at about 72->80 chars.

I have, in .muttrc:

I didn't know it was making these so hard too read. they look normal on my screen, but it's showing as a huge line on yours?

...

set editor="vi -c 'set tw=76'"

so this is for .muttrc in my /home directory? Or the one in /etc? set editor="vi -c 'set tw=76'" Exactly like that? Have to forgve me, I just started messing with Muttrc yesterday, and it took me a half hour to figure out the syntax for color. Heh I got it though. Just not sure if I need the quotes or not. Heh a minute ago I learned how to do an alias so I can stop typing the email address for the list on every reply. I type r, then I hit the down arrow key and it shows the email address for the list. Which is because when I reply it replies to the person who sent TOO the list, instead of the list. L doesn't work yet, I'm still learning this. I did have to type it out for this one too, the down key stopped working after I closed mutt for some reason. Ahh well.

...

Cheers, /jon -- Just say "know!"

-- Check the headers for your unsubscription address For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@suse.com

Jon Clausen

05:17

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations

On Wed, 13 Oct, 2004 at 00:57:56 -0400, Allen wrote:

...

On Wed, Oct 13, 2004 at 06:33:13AM +0200, Jon Clausen wrote:

...
On Tue, 12 Oct, 2004 at 13:40:47 -0400, Allen wrote:

...
I use links a lot. I like it. And I have Mutt Working now finally. I'm sending this Mail from it. Nice not having to have X loaded.

Congrats.

Now, a small request:

Please have the editor wrap lines at about 72->80 chars.

I have, in .muttrc:

I didn't know it was making these so hard too read. they look normal on my screen, but it's showing as a huge line on yours?

Yep.

...

...
set editor="vi -c 'set tw=76'"

so this is for .muttrc in my /home directory? Or the one in /etc?

O.K. That was implied in the name :P .muttrc lives in your /home/directory - while the one in /etc/ is called Muttrc ... maybe should've said: "I have, in ~/.muttrc" ...

...

set editor="vi -c 'set tw=76'"

Exactly like that?

Yes. I quoted it verbatim, since I wasn't sure you were even *using* vi as editor. If you are (and you are if you haven't changed it) putting the above in your ~/.muttrc will instruct vi to wrap at 76 chars.

...

Have to forgve me, I just started messing with Muttrc yesterday, and it took me a half hour to figure out the syntax for color. Heh I got it though. Just not sure if I need the quotes or not. Heh a minute ago I learned how to do an alias so I can stop typing the email address for the list on every reply. I type r, then I hit the down arrow key and it shows the email address for the list. Which is because when I reply it replies to the person who sent TOO the list, instead of the list. L doesn't work yet, I'm still learning this. I did have to type it out for this one too, the down key stopped working after I closed mutt for some reason. Ahh well.

You're forgiven, but have a look at the above (*one*) line... As for replying to the list, you have to tell Mutt that it's a list or it won't know. I have in ~/.muttrc: subscribe suse-linux-e (+ some other lists) Should make replying to the list work as expected. Now, man mutt, man vi and RTFM <grin> Cheers, /jon -- Just say "know!"

Allen

06:47

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations

On Wed, Oct 13, 2004 at 07:17:51AM +0200, Jon Clausen wrote:

...

On Wed, 13 Oct, 2004 at 00:57:56 -0400, Allen wrote:

...
On Wed, Oct 13, 2004 at 06:33:13AM +0200, Jon Clausen wrote:

...
On Tue, 12 Oct, 2004 at 13:40:47 -0400, Allen wrote:

...
I use links a lot. I like it. And I have Mutt Working now finally. I'm sending this Mail from it. Nice not having to have X loaded.

Congrats.

Now, a small request:

Please have the editor wrap lines at about 72->80 chars.

I have, in .muttrc:

I didn't know it was making these so hard too read. they look normal on my screen, but it's showing as a huge line on yours?

Yep.

...
...
set editor="vi -c 'set tw=76'"

so this is for .muttrc in my /home directory? Or the one in /etc?

O.K. That was implied in the name :P

.muttrc lives in your /home/directory - while the one in /etc/ is called Muttrc ... maybe should've said:

"I have, in ~/.muttrc" ...

...
set editor="vi -c 'set tw=76'"

Exactly like that?

Yes. I quoted it verbatim, since I wasn't sure you were even *using* vi as editor. If you are (and you are if you haven't changed it) putting the above in your ~/.muttrc will instruct vi to wrap at 76 chars.

Yea, I prefer Vi, I have it set now how you requested, and put it exactly as you said too. Thanks for the help. I also added too it the subscribe and I am now replying by using L so that's awesome. Heh, I wrestled with Muttrc last night and earlier in the day for 5 hours and I now have Mutt working how I want it, with custom colors, so I think I've been doing good there.

...

...
Have to forgve me, I just started messing with Muttrc yesterday, and it took me a half hour to figure out the syntax for color. Heh I got it though. Just not sure if I need the quotes or not. Heh a minute ago I learned how to do an alias so I can stop typing the email address for the list on every reply. I type r, then I hit the down arrow key and it shows the email address for the list. Which is because when I reply it replies to the person who sent TOO the list, instead of the list. L doesn't work yet, I'm still learning this. I did have to type it out for this one too, the down key stopped working after I closed mutt for some reason. Ahh well.

You're forgiven, but have a look at the above (*one*) line...

As for replying to the list, you have to tell Mutt that it's a list or it won't know. I have in ~/.muttrc:

subscribe suse-linux-e (+ some other lists)

Should make replying to the list work as expected.

Now, man mutt, man vi and RTFM <grin>

Heh, I've never read manuals much. I usually figure these out. The color part in Mutt took me 30 minutes to get the syntax right but I did it.

...

Cheers, /jon -- Just say "know!"

-- Check the headers for your unsubscription address For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@suse.com

Jon Clausen

18:05

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations

On Wed, 13 Oct, 2004 at 02:47:51 -0400, Allen wrote:

...

...
...
Exactly like that?

Yes. I quoted it verbatim, since I wasn't sure you were even *using* vi as editor. If you are (and you are if you haven't changed it) putting the above in your ~/.muttrc will instruct vi to wrap at 76 chars.

Yea, I prefer Vi, I have it set now how you requested, and put it exactly as you said too. Thanks for the help.

You're welcome. I kind of wonder why "they" don't just make it like that by default...(?)

...

I also added too it the subscribe and I am now replying by using L so that's awesome.

Yep. Nice feature.

...

Heh, I wrestled with Muttrc last night and earlier in the day for 5 hours and I now have Mutt working how I want it, with custom colors, so I think I've been doing good there.

Nice. :)

...

...
Now, man mutt, man vi and RTFM <grin>

Heh, I've never read manuals much. I usually figure these out. The color part in Mutt took me 30 minutes to get the syntax right but I did it.

Well... What took me the longest time in *that* area was figuring out which colours I liked best. Cheers, /jon -- Just say "know!"

Allen

19:04

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations

On Wed, Oct 13, 2004 at 08:05:44PM +0200, Jon Clausen wrote:

...

On Wed, 13 Oct, 2004 at 02:47:51 -0400, Allen wrote:

...
...
...
Exactly like that?

Yes. I quoted it verbatim, since I wasn't sure you were even *using* vi as editor. If you are (and you are if you haven't changed it) putting the above in your ~/.muttrc will instruct vi to wrap at 76 chars.

Yea, I prefer Vi, I have it set now how you requested, and put it exactly as you said too. Thanks for the help.

You're welcome. I kind of wonder why "they" don't just make it like that by default...(?)

...
I also added too it the subscribe and I am now replying by using L so that's awesome.

Yep. Nice feature.

...
Heh, I wrestled with Muttrc last night and earlier in the day for 5 hours and I now have Mutt working how I want it, with custom colors, so I think I've been doing good there.

Nice. :)

...
...
Now, man mutt, man vi and RTFM <grin>

Heh, I've never read manuals much. I usually figure these out. The color part in Mutt took me 30 minutes to get the syntax right but I did it.

Well... What took me the longest time in *that* area was figuring out which

Lol, I'm still hashing that out. So far I have black in the Background and Bright Red colors, and it does look awesome. Thanks again dude.

...

colours I liked best.

Cheers, /jon -- Just say "know!"

-- Check the headers for your unsubscription address For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@suse.com

Carlos E. R.

14 Oct 14 Oct

12:08

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations

The Wednesday 2004-10-13 at 07:17 +0200, Jon Clausen wrote:

...

...
Have to forgve me, I just started messing with Muttrc yesterday, and it took me a half hour to figure out the syntax for color. Heh I got it though. Just not sure if I need the quotes or not. Heh a minute ago I learned how to do an alias so I can stop typing the email address for the list on every reply. I type r, then I hit the down arrow key and it shows the email address for the list. Which is because when I reply it replies to the person who sent TOO the list, instead of the list. L doesn't work yet, I'm still learning this. I did have to type it out for this one too, the down key stopped working after I closed mutt for some reason. Ahh well.

You're forgiven, but have a look at the above (*one*) line...

It shows perfectly well in Pine, it reflows automatically - if I change xterm size, it reflows on the fly. I'm almost sure mutt can do that as well. -- Cheers, Carlos Robinson

Patrick Shanahan

13:27

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations

* Carlos E. R. [10-14-04 07:53]: ...

...

It shows perfectly well in Pine, it reflows automatically - if I change xterm size, it reflows on the fly. I'm almost sure mutt can do that as well.

And in mutt but required an entry in muttrc: set wrapmargin=XX # where XX= num chars from rt side margin also: set wrapmargin='echo$(( $COLUMNS - 72 ))' show fine here also... -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Leendert Meyer

13:50

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations

On Thursday 14 October 2004 15:27, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

also: set wrapmargin='echo$(( $COLUMNS - 72 ))'

FWIW: in a bash script I can do 'echo $[ COLUMNS - 72 ]'. Does that work in muttrc too? (it's 3 chars shorter...) Cheers, Leen

Patrick Shanahan

14:19

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations

* Leendert Meyer [10-14-04 08:59]:

...

On Thursday 14 October 2004 15:27, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...
also: set wrapmargin='echo$(( $COLUMNS - 72 ))'

FWIW: in a bash script I can do 'echo $[ COLUMNS - 72 ]'. Does that work in muttrc too? (it's 3 chars shorter...)

yes, as above enclosed in [']s -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Jon Clausen

15 Oct 15 Oct

04:54

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations

On Thu, 14 Oct, 2004 at 09:19:19 -0500, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

* Leendert Meyer [10-14-04 08:59]:

...
On Thursday 14 October 2004 15:27, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...
also: set wrapmargin='echo$(( $COLUMNS - 72 ))'

FWIW: in a bash script I can do 'echo $[ COLUMNS - 72 ]'. Does that work in muttrc too? (it's 3 chars shorter...)

yes, as above enclosed in [']s

Hmmm... Nice trick, but it doesn't work here... I have to use backticks (`) or mutt says: Error in /home/jon/.muttrc, line 23: echo $(( COLUMNS - 72)): invalid value source: errors in /home/jon/.muttrc so: I try using backticks, and although this gives no error, it also doesn't do any on-the-fly reflow/wrapping... This is on 8.2 with jon@Scum:~> rpm -q mutt mutt-1.4i-312 Anyone got any suggestions? /Jon -- Just say "know!"

C Hamel

05:01

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations

On 06:54 Fri 15 Oct , Jon Clausen wrote:

...

On Thu, 14 Oct, 2004 at 09:19:19 -0500, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...
* Leendert Meyer [10-14-04 08:59]:

...
On Thursday 14 October 2004 15:27, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...
also: set wrapmargin='echo$(( $COLUMNS - 72 ))'

FWIW: in a bash script I can do 'echo $[ COLUMNS - 72 ]'. Does that work in muttrc too? (it's 3 chars shorter...)

yes, as above enclosed in [']s

Hmmm... Nice trick, but it doesn't work here...

I have to use backticks (`) or mutt says:

Error in /home/jon/.muttrc, line 23: echo $(( COLUMNS - 72)): invalid value source: errors in /home/jon/.muttrc

so:

I try using backticks, and although this gives no error, it also doesn't do any on-the-fly reflow/wrapping...

This is on 8.2 with

jon@Scum:~> rpm -q mutt mutt-1.4i-312

Anyone got any suggestions?

/Jon -- Just say "know!"

-- Check the headers for your unsubscription address For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@suse.com

Line from my .muttrc. It works. set editor="pico -r 78" -- "Yogi" CH Namasté Yoga Studio

Jon Clausen

05:54

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations

On Fri, 15 Oct, 2004 at 00:01:33 -0500, C Hamel wrote:

...

...
...
...
On Thursday 14 October 2004 15:27, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...
also: set wrapmargin='echo$(( $COLUMNS - 72 ))'

...

Line from my .muttrc. It works. set editor="pico -r 78"

Yeah, but I don't want to change editor. As posted earlier the line set editor="vi -c 'set tw=76'" works fine. What *doesn't* work (here) is the 'wrapmargin' thing: set wrapmargin=`echo $[COLUMNS - 72]` As above, or in the other forms I tried it, using [']s, $(( )) in various combinations, including the one quoted above, with the missing space between 'echo' and '$((' On the commandline; echo $[COLUMNS - 72] works fine. It's just as if Mutt doesn't respond to the "set wrapmargin" -line... Cheers, /Jon -- Just say "know!"

Anders Johansson

06:05

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations

On Friday, 15 October 2004 07.54, Jon Clausen wrote:

...

On Fri, 15 Oct, 2004 at 00:01:33 -0500, C Hamel wrote:

...
...
...
...
On Thursday 14 October 2004 15:27, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...
also: set wrapmargin='echo$(( $COLUMNS - 72 ))'

Line from my .muttrc. It works. set editor="pico -r 78"

Yeah, but I don't want to change editor. As posted earlier the line

set editor="vi -c 'set tw=76'"

works fine.

What *doesn't* work (here) is the 'wrapmargin' thing:

set wrapmargin=`echo $[COLUMNS - 72]`

As above, or in the other forms I tried it, using

[']s, $(( )) in various combinations, including the one quoted above, with the missing space between 'echo' and '$(('

On the commandline;

echo $[COLUMNS - 72]

works fine. It's just as if Mutt doesn't respond to the "set wrapmargin" -line...

Are you sure it doesn't evaluate to -72, making mutt ignore it? If you execute that echo in a non-interactive shell, I don't think $COLUMNS is set

Jon Clausen

16 Oct 16 Oct

11:44

New subject: Dynamic variables (was; Mutt configurations)

I'm splitting up the thread. In this part I'm wondering about the behaviour of dynamic variables: On Fri, 15 Oct, 2004 at 08:05:44 +0200, Anders Johansson wrote:

...

On Friday, 15 October 2004 07.54, Jon Clausen wrote:

...

...
On the commandline;

echo $[COLUMNS - 72]

works fine. It's just as if Mutt doesn't respond to the "set wrapmargin" -line...

Are you sure it doesn't evaluate to -72, making mutt ignore it? If you execute that echo in a non-interactive shell, I don't think $COLUMNS is set

Indeed it does (evaluate to -72 that is). Quoting from the PM you sent a little later: <quote> By default, $COLUMNS is a dynamically set variable. You may need to "export" it before you run mutt ~> cat test.sh #!/bin/bash echo $[COLUMNS-72] ~> echo $[COLUMNS-72] 8 ~> ./test.sh -72 ~> . test.sh 8 ~> export COLUMNS=$COLUMNS ~> ./test.sh 8 </quote> I get similar results on my systems, when doing the above. So that explains why the .muttrc 'set wrapmargin' doesn't take effect, because obviously -72 is invalid. But I'm a bit puzzled why it works for Patrick (and Leendert) Is it a difference between the SUSE versions (I'm on 8.2 still)? Or do (did) you export $COLUMNS manually? /Jon -- Just say "know!"

Patrick Shanahan

12:53

New subject: [SLE] Dynamic variables (was; Mutt configurations)

* Jon Clausen [10-16-04 06:54]:

...

I get similar results on my systems, when doing the above. So that explains why the .muttrc 'set wrapmargin' doesn't take effect, because obviously -72 is invalid.

...

But I'm a bit puzzled why it works for Patrick (and Leendert)

Is it a difference between the SUSE versions (I'm on 8.2 still)?

I use mutt in xterm in SuSE 9.0.

...

Or do (did) you export $COLUMNS manually?

no. Did you try 'set wrapmargin=XX' where XX is some char distance from the right margin? The 'columns' formula gives you a consistant line length regardless of term/screen width but will still cause odd wraps at less than the XX ( $COLUMNS - XX ) integer, whereas the notation above will give a consistant wrap from the right margin in all term/screens wider than XX. I have used both but personally prefer the first. -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Jon Clausen

13:18

New subject: [SLE] Dynamic variables (was; Mutt configurations)

On Sat, 16 Oct, 2004 at 07:53:35 -0500, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

* Jon Clausen [10-16-04 06:54]:

...
I get similar results on my systems, when doing the above. So that explains why the .muttrc 'set wrapmargin' doesn't take effect, because obviously -72 is invalid.

??

The point is that $COLUMNS isn't set when .muttrc is processed. So $[COLUMNS-72] evaluates to ["" - 72] == -72 At this point I'm interested in why the evaluation succeeds on your system (implying that $COLUMNS is set) while it fails on mine (because $COLUMNS is unset). What happens on your system if you run this script: #!/bin/bash echo $[COLUMNS-72] ? /Jon -- Just say "know!"

Patrick Shanahan

14:37

New subject: [SLE] Dynamic variables (was; Mutt configurations)

* Jon Clausen [10-16-04 08:19]:

...

The point is that $COLUMNS isn't set when .muttrc is processed. So $[COLUMNS-72] evaluates to ["" - 72] == -72

that is correct and it does not work for me now. It did sometime past, but I cannot remember when I changed it. :^( from the cl, 'echo $COLUMNS' is evaluated and presented but does not exist in env, not set. -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Jon Clausen

12:07

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations; wrapmargin

This other thread, about wrapmargin setting in Mutt, generally: On Fri, 15 Oct, 2004 at 08:05:44 +0200, Anders Johansson wrote:

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On Friday, 15 October 2004 07.54, Jon Clausen wrote:

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...
On the commandline;

echo $[COLUMNS - 72]

works fine. It's just as if Mutt doesn't respond to the "set wrapmargin" -line...

Are you sure it doesn't evaluate to -72, making mutt ignore it? If you execute that echo in a non-interactive shell, I don't think $COLUMNS is set

Indeed. Your example (quoted in the thread "Dynamic variables (was; Mutt configurations)") made me wonder about the reasoning behind the whole `echo $[COLUMNS - 72]` -deal. In your example (using an 80 char terminal) the above evaluates to 8. What sense, then, does it make to set wrapmargin using the above expression? I dunno, maybe I'm misunderstanding something... Does wrapmargin 'count' from the right side or the left side of the terminal? *Anyway* I think I should clarify on what I'm seeing. I almost all the time ssh into the server and run mutt on it. This usually happens from a Kterm, maximized on my 17" monitor. When I 'echo $COLUMNS' I get 156. It's not that mutt doesn't wrap single long lines, but it does it at the edge of the Kterm. Which means that long lines really *stay* long. If I resize the terminal, text reflows nicely though. So: Just setting wrapmargin=80 has the effect that I desired. Long lines are wrapped at about the same place on the screen, that 'short' lines do. Making the term narrower than 80 chars, mutt reflows the text to fit, so I'm all happy about that. /Jon -- Just say "know!"

Patrick Shanahan

12:44

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations; wrapmargin

* Jon Clausen [10-16-04 07:07]:

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Indeed. Your example (quoted in the thread "Dynamic variables (was; Mutt configurations)") made me wonder about the reasoning behind the whole `echo $[COLUMNS - 72]` -deal.

In your example (using an 80 char terminal) the above evaluates to 8.

What sense, then, does it make to set wrapmargin using the above expression?

I dunno, maybe I'm misunderstanding something... Does wrapmargin 'count' from the right side or the left side of the terminal?

Yes, wrapmargin makes your line length the width of your terminal screen less the wrapmargin value. Evaluating 'Columns - 72' gives you a 72 char line length.

...

Making the term narrower than 80 chars, mutt reflows the text to fit, so I'm all happy about that.

good. -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Jon Clausen

13:20

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations; wrapmargin

On Sat, 16 Oct, 2004 at 07:44:34 -0500, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

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I dunno, maybe I'm misunderstanding something... Does wrapmargin 'count' from the right side or the left side of the terminal?

Yes, wrapmargin makes your line length the width of your terminal screen less the wrapmargin value. Evaluating 'Columns - 72' gives you a 72 char line length.

O.K. I *was* misunderstanding the meaning. So that's all cleared up.

...

...
Making the term narrower than 80 chars, mutt reflows the text to fit, so I'm all happy about that.

good.

Yep. /Jon -- Just say "know!"

Patrick Shanahan

14:39

New subject: [SLE] Mutt configurations; wrapmargin

* Jon Clausen [10-16-04 07:07]:

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When I 'echo $COLUMNS' I get 156.

It's not that mutt doesn't wrap single long lines, but it does it at the edge of the Kterm. Which means that long lines really *stay* long.

If I resize the terminal, text reflows nicely though.

So:

Just setting wrapmargin=80 has the effect that I desired. Long lines are wrapped at about the same place on the screen, that 'short' lines do.

Making the term narrower than 80 chars, mutt reflows the text to fit, so I'm all happy about that.

so mutt is wrapping at 76 chars, 156 - 80. -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

Dylan

10 Oct 10 Oct

20:15

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 Oct 2004 19:37 pm, Allen wrote: <SNIP> OK, the question is whether to create /home/<user>/Mail if it doesn't exist The error is that /var/mail/<user> does not exist - i.e. the user has received no mail. try touching that file and restarting mutt Dylan -- "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine" -Dark Helmet

Allen

22:22

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 16:15, Dylan wrote:

...

On Sunday 10 Oct 2004 19:37 pm, Allen wrote: <SNIP>

OK, the question is whether to create /home/<user>/Mail if it doesn't exist

The error is that /var/mail/<user> does not exist - i.e. the user has received no mail.

try touching that file and restarting mutt

Thanks, I'll try that out. I'd hate to have to go back to pine. I like it but I like Mutt's interface much more.

...

Dylan

-- "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine" -Dark Helmet

Carlos E. R.

22:34

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

The Sunday 2004-10-10 at 21:15 +0100, Dylan wrote:

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OK, the question is whether to create /home/<user>/Mail if it doesn't exist

The error is that /var/mail/<user> does not exist - i.e. the user has received no mail.

try touching that file and restarting mutt

I don't use Mutt, I don't understand it (I tried). However, as they say it is like "Pine on sterorids", it might have a similarity with Pine. The first time you start Pine it uses '/var/mail/username' for its default mailbox (leaving email there, marked as read). However, if previously to Pine you tried plain 'mail', the last creates a mailbox in '/home/username/mbox'; when Pine is started the first time this way (ie, after 'mail'), it reads from the file '/home/username/mbox' instead. I think it may read from '/var/mail/username', as well, but copy emails over to home - not sure of this, as I use procmail and mail is never left in '/var/mail'. If mutt has a similar behaviour, depending on which email program you started first, it might explain why it may work erratically with some users. Also, the kmail documentation talks about some strange interactions between mutt and kmail, related with lockfiles. I haven't read it carefully, as it doesn't apply to me: but it is there. -- Cheers, Carlos Robinson

Allen

22:42

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 18:34, Carlos E. R. wrote:

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The Sunday 2004-10-10 at 21:15 +0100, Dylan wrote:

...
OK, the question is whether to create /home/<user>/Mail if it doesn't exist

The error is that /var/mail/<user> does not exist - i.e. the user has received no mail.

try touching that file and restarting mutt

I don't use Mutt, I don't understand it (I tried). However, as they say it is like "Pine on sterorids", it might have a similarity with Pine.

The first time you start Pine it uses '/var/mail/username' for its default mailbox (leaving email there, marked as read). However, if previously to Pine you tried plain 'mail', the last creates a mailbox in '/home/username/mbox'; when Pine is started the first time this way (ie, after 'mail'), it reads from the file '/home/username/mbox' instead. I think it may read from '/var/mail/username', as well, but copy emails over to home - not sure of this, as I use procmail and mail is never left in '/var/mail'.

If mutt has a similar behaviour, depending on which email program you started first, it might explain why it may work erratically with some users.

Also, the kmail documentation talks about some strange interactions between mutt and kmail, related with lockfiles. I haven't read it carefully, as it doesn't apply to me: but it is there.

Thanks man, I'll look into this one a bit more. I'm thinking of reinstalling Mutt from scratch after assuring I have deleted the configuration files and of course trying the touch command which someone replied with, and I'll try that out. Thanks again, -Allen.

...

-- Cheers, Carlos Robinson

Carlos E. R.

22:50

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

The Sunday 2004-10-10 at 18:42 -0400, Allen wrote:

...

Thanks man, I'll look into this one a bit more. I'm thinking of reinstalling Mutt from scratch after assuring I have deleted the configuration files and of course trying the touch command which someone replied with, and I'll try that out. Thanks again,

Welcome. You could try something else first: create a new user, and test mutt there, just with local mail sent from another user. Maybe I'll do the same one day ;-) -- Cheers, Carlos Robinson

Allen

22:50

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 16:15, Dylan wrote:

...

On Sunday 10 Oct 2004 19:37 pm, Allen wrote: <SNIP>

OK, the question is whether to create /home/<user>/Mail if it doesn't exist

The error is that /var/mail/<user> does not exist - i.e. the user has received no mail.

try touching that file and restarting mutt

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! THAT WORKED LIKE A CHARM! Heh, I looked over the helpful information I was given, and a friend of mine at the DoD gave me some good information, and now it's sorted! I finally have it working and didn't need a reboot or a reformat, I thank you much for that. Are any of you near Michigan? I could buy you a beer or something. Or if anyone bothers you I could have their mail forwarded to Africa, or make them realize they are bothering you? :)

...

Dylan

-- "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine" -Dark Helmet

Allen

23:08

New subject: [SLE] Mutt

On Sunday 10 October 2004 16:15, Dylan wrote:

...

On Sunday 10 Oct 2004 19:37 pm, Allen wrote: <SNIP>

OK, the question is whether to create /home/<user>/Mail if it doesn't exist

The error is that /var/mail/<user> does not exist - i.e. the user has received no mail.

try touching that file and restarting mutt

...

Dylan

-- "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine" -Dark Helmet

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