aalliiaasseess -- System Administration

File of users' aliases
/uussrr/lliibb/mmaaiill/aalliiaasseess
$HHOOMMEE/.aalliiaasseess
$HHOOMMEE/.ffoorrwwaarrdd

aalliiaasseess is  a file  that holds  aliases by which  users on your  system and
other systems  are known.  An  ``alias'', in effect, gives  another name by
which you  can address a mail  message to a user on  either your or another
system.  It  can serve as a  mnemomic, a ``mailing list'',  or to spare you
the trouble of typing a complicated UUCP path name.

The format of each alias is

     alias_name:    target

where _a_l_i_a_s__n_a_m_e gives the alias to which you mail your message, and _t_a_r_g_e_t
is the  place where ssmmaaiill  actually directs the  message.  _t_a_r_g_e_t can  be a
login identifier on your local system;  a mail address of a user on another
system, or a cluster of users on your system, on remote systems, or both.

ssmmaaiill ignores  differences in case when  it compares a name  with an alias.
Lines that  start with a  white-space character continue  from the previous
line.  ssmmaaiill  ignores strings within parentheses, as well  as any text that
appears after a pound sign `#'.

Prior  to  delivering  local mail,  ssmmaaiill  checks  file $HHOOMMEE/.ffoorrwwaarrdd  for
forwarding instructions.  This feature  can be used to forward inbound mail
for a user to another machine or even a group of machines.

_E_x_a_m_p_l_e_s
The following gives an example form of aalliiaasseess:

    # this whole line is a comment

     # "mail programmers" sends mail to local users joe, jack, and bill
     programmers:   joe jack bill

     # same as above
     programmers:   joe jack
                    bill

     # same as above
     programmers    joe jack
                    bill

     # same as above
     programmers    joe   # Joe Smith
                    jack  # Jack Thomas
                    bill  # Bill Williams

     # and yet another way; note use of parentheses to comment text
     programmers    joe (Joe Smith) jack (Jack Thomas)
                    bill (Bill Williams)

     # send a message to someone on another system
     joe:           boston!widget!js

     # send a message to users on both your and another system
     programmers:   boston!widget!js   # Joe Smith
                    chicago!gadget!jt  # Jack Thomas
                    bill               # Bill Williams

     # all members of "programmers" group work at site "widget"
     programmers!widget  joe jack bill

Mailing lists are easily handled by two forms of file inclusion.  The first
form is the same as is supported by sseennddmmaaiill:

     fredlist       :include:/usr/lib/mail/fredlist

ssmmaaiill adds each entry in /uussrr/lliibb/mmaaiill/ffrreeddlliisstt to the alias for ffrreeddlliisstt.

The  second  form allows  /uussrr/lliibb/mmaaiill/aalliiaasseess  to  include other  aliases
files:

    :include:/usr/lib/mail/morealiases

This   adds  the   contents  of   /uussrr/lliibb/mmaaiill/mmoorreeaalliiaasseess  to   those  of
/uussrr/lliibb/mmaaiill/aalliiaasseess as a regular alias file.

All aliases are recursive, so you  must be careful when defining them.  For
example, the entries

     bill:     joe
     joe:      bill

causes an infinite loop.  ssmmaaiill  attempts to prevent infinite loops, and to
guess what  you intended to  do.  The following example  illustrates how an
alias can  be used to deliver mail  to a remote user as well  as to a local
user having the  same name as the alias being  expanded.  ssmmaaiill expands the
alias

     mylogin:       mypc!mylogin  mylogin

to

    mypc!mylogin mylogin

even though the second occurrence of mmyyllooggiinn matches the alias name.

Both forms of  file inclusion are recursive, too, and  may lead to infinite
loops if handled carelessly.

_S_e_e _A_l_s_o
AAddmmiinniisstteerriinngg CCOOHHEERREENNTT, mmaaiill
