Mail sent by the send_mail "command" goes into the recipient's mailbox,
and the recipient reads it from there with the read_mail command.  The
read_mail command works interactively, that is, instead of taking all
information from you on the "command line," it prompts you for more
information and direction as you go.

     In addition to reading mail, the read_mail command can be used to save
mail, reply to mail, forward mail, and discard mail.  All of this is done by
issuing "requests" when you are asked for input by the prompt 'read_mail:'.
When you issue the read_mail command, it tells you how much mail is
in the mailbox and, if there is some, immediately asks you to provide more
information.  For example, when you type:

read_mail

the following message and prompt will be returned:

You have one message.

read_mail:

At this point you can request to read the mail with the print request, print
a summary with the list request, or a number of other things with the
appropriate requests.  One of those things is to ask for a summary of the
requests by typing a question mark (?).

     The read_mail command automatically reads from your regular mailbox
unless you specify another mailbox by way of an "argument" to the command.
For example:

read_mail high_priority

     You can also go to another mailbox from within read_mail by using the
execute request.  This request, whose short name is e, treats the rest of
the line like a command.  So, if in response to a prompt you type:

read_mail: e read_mail high_priority

you will go into the mailbox named high_priority.

     To see this command in action, go to "command level" by pressing the
function key F2.  Then type the read_mail command.  When you are prompted,
type the list request; it will list all of your messages, unless you specify
particular messages by number.  Then try using a few of the other requests,
such as the question mark (?) and print.  Whenever you are ready to return to
the Tutorial, leave read_mail by typing the quit request in response to a
prompt and then type pi when you've returned to command level.


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Historical Background

This edition of the Multics software materials and documentation is provided and donated
to Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Group BULL including BULL HN Information Systems Inc. 
as a contribution to computer science knowledge.  
This donation is made also to give evidence of the common contributions of Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Bell Laboratories, General Electric, Honeywell Information Systems Inc., Honeywell BULL Inc., Groupe BULL
and BULL HN Information Systems Inc. to the development of this operating system. 
Multics development was initiated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Project MAC (1963-1970),
renamed the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the mid 1970s, under the leadership
of Professor Fernando Jose Corbato. Users consider that Multics provided the best software architecture 
for managing computer hardware properly and for executing programs. Many subsequent operating systems 
incorporated Multics principles.
Multics was distributed in 1975 to 2000 by Group Bull in Europe , and in the U.S. by Bull HN Information Systems Inc., 
as successor in interest by change in name only to Honeywell Bull Inc. and Honeywell Information Systems Inc. .

                                          -----------------------------------------------------------

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these programs and their documentation for any purpose and without
fee is hereby granted,provided that the below copyright notice and historical background appear in all copies
and that both the copyright notice and historical background and this permission notice appear in supporting
documentation, and that the names of MIT, HIS, BULL or BULL HN not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining
to distribution of the programs without specific prior written permission.
    Copyright 1972 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Honeywell Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by BULL HN Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by Bull SAS
    All Rights Reserved