It says "You have mail." at console login... how do I see it?

r00tb33r · 03-20-2007, 01:08 AM

When I log in as root in console it says "You have mail." on this machine.
I never configured a mail system when I installed this operating system, and I never used one.
How do I retrieve those message(s)?
I used webmail all my life due to constant roaming around... I don't know what kind of mail systems linux has. I remember during every installation in the past it asked whether or not I wanted to configure the mail system... But I never got curious enough as to what it is.
Can someone explain to me?
Thanks.

jayakrishnan · 03-20-2007, 01:19 AM

Type mail at the console and you will see them. vector is based on slackware , which sends out two local emails to the root user

Simon Bridge · 03-20-2007, 01:25 AM

Hmmm... this will be system mail - like if you have logged in incorrectly a few times, root would get sent a message.

The mail would be in /var/mail/$user

I's be accessing it with the "see" command (mailcap-run program).

Try "apropos mail" to see what options you have.

r00tb33r · 03-20-2007, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayakrishnan

Type mail at the console and you will see them. vector is based on slackware , which sends out two local emails to the root user

Code:

root:# mail
bash: mail: command not found

Um... Am I supposed to have something installed?
I recall I did not install any mail stuff... This system should be pretty stripped down...
Help...?

*EDIT*
Indeed as I predicted the "mailx" package was not installed... After intalling mail it works as it should:

Code:

root:# mail -u root
Heirloom mailx version 12.1 6/15/06.  Type ? for help.
"/var/spool/mail/root": 15 messages 8 new 15 unread
 U  1 To root            Sun Jun 13 10:47   35/977   Welcome aboard
 U  2 To root            Sun Jun 13 10:47   45/1626  Register with the Linux c
 U  3 Patrick J. Volkerd Sun Jun 13 11:09  178/8283  Welcome to Linux (Slackwa
 U  4 To root            Thu Sep  8 07:47   45/1626  Register with the Linux c
 U  5 Patrick J. Volkerd Thu Sep  8 08:09  189/8929  Welcome to Linux (Slackwa
 U  6 To root            Thu Sep  8 07:47   45/1626  Register with the Linux c
 U  7 Patrick J. Volkerd Thu Sep  8 08:09  189/8929  Welcome to Linux (Slackwa
>N  8 To root            Wed Aug 16 15:40   42/1576  Register with the Linux c
 N  9 Patrick J. Volkerd Wed Aug 16 15:43  186/8908  Welcome to Linux (Slackwa
 N 10 To root            Wed Aug 16 15:40   42/1576  Register with the Linux c
 N 11 Patrick J. Volkerd Wed Aug 16 15:43  186/8908  Welcome to Linux (Slackwa
 N 12 To root            Wed Aug 16 15:40   42/1582  Register with the Linux c
 N 13 Patrick J. Volkerd Mon Sep 25 03:52  346/16693 Welcome to Linux (Slackwa
 N 14 To root            Wed Aug 16 15:40   42/1582  Register with the Linux c
 N 15 Patrick J. Volkerd Mon Sep 25 03:52  346/16693 Welcome to Linux (Slackwa
?

Sad, but nothing useful.
So how exactly does this mail system work...? How are those messages generated?