You can change some MM features by changing (setting) the variables that control them.
Information on the variables is available in the online help screens. Type just show or set to see a list of all the variables and their current settings. Type help set and the name of a variable to see information about what the variable does, its normal (default) setting, and what other settings it can have.
To change a variable, type set, the variable's name, and a new value.
The following shows some sample changes that you might want to make. This example shows the variety of values that different variables will accept. See the help screens for an explanation of each of these.
MM>set crt-filter /usr/ucb/more -d MM>set display-outgoing-message yes MM>set dont-type-headers received, return-path, message-ID, resent-messa ge-ID, status, x-status MM>set expunge-on-bye never MM>set personal-name John Doe MM>set print-filter pcprint MM>set read-prompt "R>" MM>set send-prompt "S>" MM>set use-crt-filter-always no MM>set user-level expert MM>
Use the built-in help. For example, rather than type expunge-on-bye, type exp and press the tab key, to let MM complete the variable name. Typing a question mark after the variable name will confirm whether the variable takes a limited range of values (like yes-no).
Some variables can have the value null (nothing). If you want to set a variable to null, just type set, the variable name, and press the return key; that is, type nothing after the variable name.
The set command changes the value of the variable only for the current MM session. You have to use the save-init command to save the change.
It may at times be desirable not to save new settings. For one thing, you might change several variables to test what happens, and if you don't like result, you can simply end the session (with the bye command) and put it all behind you. In another case, you might want to use an unusual setting just for one session.
Giving the save-init command at any point saves all variable settings that are currently in effect. If you are making only one change, you can give the save-init command immediately after the set command, although even then you may prefer to test the new setting before you save it. If you make a long list of changes with set, one use of save-init will save them all.
MM>save-init MM>
What the save-init command does is create or update a file in your directory named .mminit (note the dot in the name).
When MM starts up, it looks for an .mminit file, and executes any define and set commands that are in it (no other commands are allowed in it). You can look at .mminit by typing more .mminit at the UNIX shell prompt.
$ more .mminit set crt-filter /usr/ucb/more -d set display-outgoing-message yes set dont-print-headers set dont-type-headers received, return-path, message-ID, resent-message-ID, st atus, x-status set expunge-on-bye never ...
As you may notice, only the variables that were changed are listed. Any other variables have their original default values. It is just as if you typed in the set commands every time you started MM.
The line for set dont-type-headers is very long and will appear on screen as two lines. It is really one line, and was typed in originally as one line, without using the return key.
MM also maintains another file named .mmfast (again, it starts with a dot). .mmfast is a condensed version of .mminit and is updated whenever .mminit has changed. If there is an .mmfast file, MM uses it instead of .mminit, and starts up slightly faster.
$ more .mmfast Columbia MM, version 0.88(26)-Beta 13,16,/usr/ucb/more -d, 24,1, 25,0, 26,6,8,received,11,return-path,10,message-ID,17,resent-message-ID,6,status,8,x -status, 29,0, ...
The variable fast-init-file, which defaults to yes, tells MM whether to create .mmfast. .mmfast is a small file, but if you don't want to have it, change the variable to no using the set and save-init commands. Never edit .mmfast, although you can remove it entirely without causing any problems.