Re: Directory / folder help please

[Patrick Shanahan <ptilopteri@xxxxxxxxx>]

* gena@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <gena@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> [03-31-06 07:05]:
> I'm really struggling to get mutt up and running on a debian sid system.

  :^(

> I've been reading the mutt wiki but really confused and have spent hours
> trying to get a basic set of folders in place.

  :^((

> OK, here what I know:
> 
> I want the maildir structure.
> mutt can receive messages from /var/mail/

/var/mail/<user_name>

> For now, my folder structurer needs to be in ~/Mail/mutt

 ~/Mail/mutt/
  (remember that 'maildir' required trailing '/')
 
> I've tried looking for folder creation within mutt itself but can't find
> it.  So what should I do?
> 
> Any help would be appreciated as I'd hoped to change to mutt at the
> start if a bew month.
> 
> Here's my broken .muttrc:
> 
> #
> set folder=~/Mail/mutt
> set mbox_type="maildir"

set mbox_type=maildir
set folder=~/Mail/mutt/
  (trailing '/')

> /home/gena-j/Mail/mutt $folder "+"
>  /home/gena-j/Mail//mutt/inbox $mbox ">"
> /home/gena-j/Mail/mutt/sentitems $record "<"
> /home/gena-j/Mail/mutt/drafts $postponed "+drafts"

I do not understand any of these entries (someone else may).  You
might try commenting them out.  note: there is no need to specific
defaults except for your own information.

> my_hdr "From: Georgina Joyce <gena@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>"

I advise setting "from" rather than "my_hdr From:", see list traffic.
Reserve "my_hdr From:" for hooks.  

set from='Georgina Joyce <gena@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>'

> my_hdr "Reply-To: Georgina Joyce <gena@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>"

I think this inadvisable, but that is personal preference.



I would advise beginning with a very minimal ~/.muttrc and adding
items one at a time to determine that they function as you expect
and/or wish.  You can trouble-shoot by directing mutt to utilize a
specific version of ~/.muttrc or no .muttrc,
   mutt -F /dev/null


Unless you have configured procmail or something similar to deliver
your mail to your local mailboxes "/home/<user>/Mail/mutt/" (from your
configuration above), all of your mail will remain in "/var/mail/<user_
name/" and to access it you will need to open mutt with that location
on the command line,
   mutt -f /var/mail/<user_name>

or put a link into "~/Mail/mutt" to "/var/mail/<user_name>/" and
adding a "mailboxes" entry in ~/.muttrc,
   mailboxes ~/Mail/mutt/<link_name>
   
or just a mailboxes entry to "/var/mail/<user_name>/",
   mailboxes /var/mail/<user_name>
   
remember the trailing '/' for mail in ~/Mail/mutt.  Also I believe
that you would *not* use the trailing '/' for your mail receipt
*file*, /var/mail/<user_name>, as the linux norm is to receive mail in
mbox format.


I hope this eases your entry into the mutt community.  If you have
other questions, there is always someone here willing and able to
assist.

gud luk,
-- 
Patrick Shanahan                        Registered Linux User #207535
http://wahoo.no-ip.org                        @ http://counter.li.org
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