Unix Vacation Email Configuration

If you do not use an ECN mail server this document is not for you.

If you are comfortable using SSH:

1. Use SecureCRT or some other SSH client
2. Log in (ssh) to your home server (check with your site specialist if you don't know the server name)
3. Type the following and hit enter:
4. vacation -I (that's a capital i for "initialize" NOTE: You must initialize the vacation message AS the user. ECNStaff must su - user
5. Edit the message file: type nano .vacation.msg and hit enter
6. Use your arrow keys to navigate and edit the text, and press the ctrl and o keys to save, press the ctrl and x keys to exit
7. Than edit the config file: type nano .procmailrc and hit enter
8. Use your arrow keys, navigate to the lines that look like the following, and remove the # from the three lines
9. Press the ctrl and o keys to save, press the ctrl and x keys to exit

###vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
#:0c
#* !^X-Spam-Status: Yes
#|/usr/bin/vacation $LOGNAME
###^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If the above lines either don't exist or are not exactly as shown above, they should be edited as follows:

###vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
:0c
* !^X-Spam-Status: Yes
|vacation $LOGNAME
###^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

To reverse the process, ssh to your homeserver, use nano .procmailrc, and just add the three # marks you deleted.

If in doubt, ask your site specialist for help- provide the message you wish included, and the dates you will be gone. Let us know when you return!

Note: Check all the rules above the vacation rule, to see if there's a rule that ends the chain of rules (eg :0w instead of :0c )