NAME

vacation - automatically respond to incoming mail messages.

SYNOPSIS

vacation [-l logfile] [-m mailfile] [-M canned_msg_file] [-F
failsafe]

DESCRIPTION

When a new mail message arrives, the mail command first checks if the recipient's mailbox indicates that the message is to be forwarded elsewhere (to some other recipient or as the input to some command). vacation is used to set up forwarding on the user's mailbox so that the new message is saved into an alternative mailbox and a canned response is sent to the message's originator.

Command-line options are:

-l logfile  File to keep track  of  which  originators  have
            already seen the canned response.  If not speci-
            fied, it defaults to $HOME/.maillog.
-m mailfile Alternate mailbox to save new messages into.  If
            not specified, it defaults to $HOME/.mailfile.
-M canned_msg_file
            File to send back as the  canned  response.   If
            canned_msg_file is not specified, it defaults to
            /usr/lib/mail/std_vac_msg, which contains:

             Subject: AUTOANSWERED!!!

             I am on vacation. I will read (and answer if necessary)
             your e-mail message when I return.

             This message was generated automatically and you will
             receive it only once, although all messages you send
             me while I am away WILL be saved.

-F failsafe If mail has troubles delivering to the  mailfile
            specified,  it  may  optionally  be forwarded to
            another login id  (failsafe)  instead  of  being
            returned to the sender.

-d          The log file will have the day's date appended.

To remove the vacation functionality, use

            mail -F ""

FILES

/tmp/notif*                   temporary file
/usr/share/lib/mail/std_vac_msg
                              default canned response
/var/mail/*                   users' standard mailboxes

/usr/lib/mail/vacation2 program that actually sends back the canned response

SEE ALSO

mail(1)
User's Guide.

NOTES

Because vacation uses the ``Forward to  |command''  facility
of   mail  to  implement  notifications,  /var/mail/username
should not be specified as the place to  put  newly  arrived
messages  via  the  -m  invocation option.  The mail command
uses /var/mail/username to hold  either  mail  messages,  or
indications of mail forwarding, but not both simultaneously.