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ID Category Severity Type Date Submitted Last Update
0000991 [1003.1(2013)/Issue7+TC1] Shell and Utilities Editorial Clarification Requested 2015-10-13 17:16 2020-04-08 15:39
Reporter steffen View Status public  
Assigned To
Priority normal Resolution Accepted As Marked  
Status Applied  
Name steffen
Organization
User Reference
Section Vol. 3, mailx
Page Number 2923
Line Number 96565-96568
Interp Status Approved
Final Accepted Text Note: 0003297
Summary 0000991: mailx `mbox' command clarification
Description The documentation currently reads

96565 Direct Messages to mbox
96566 Synopsis: mb[ox] [msglist]
96567 Arrange for the given messages to end up in the mbox save file when mailx terminates normally.
96568 See MBOX. See also the exit and quit commands.

For all tested BSD mails the `mbox' command is not honoured unless used in the system mailbox (for the forked series i maintain mailboxes can be "treated alike" (via %:BOXNAME etc.)).
Looking at Illumos[1] it seems they do the check unless the opened mailbox is readonly, but which also doesn't match the standard wording.

  [1] https://github.com/illumos/illumos-gate/blob/master/usr/src/cmd/mailx/quit.c [^]

Then again, the `quit' command is documented starting at line 96601 on page 2924 with the words

96604 Terminate mailx, storing messages that were read in mbox (if the current mailbox is the system
96605 mailbox and unless hold is set), deleting messages that have been explicitly saved (unless
96606 keepsave is set), discarding messages that have been deleted, and saving all remaining messages
96607 in the mailbox.

So this rather indicates that BSD is right (more so, anyway) since `mbox' is implicitly hooked to normal exit as via `quit'.
Desired Action Well in my opinion this command should just work and arrange for the given messages to be saved in MBOX, even if it will take some years to get there.
I propose to change on page 2923, starting at line 96567

  Arrange for the given messages to end up in the mbox save file when mailx terminates normally.

to

  Arrange for the given messages to be moved to the MBOX file when mailx terminates normally or when the folder is changed. Whereas this command can be used in any folder, messages residing in the system mailbox will also ignore the settings of the internal variables [no]hold and [no]keepsave when `mbox' has been used to mark them explicitly.
Tags issue8
Attached Files

- Relationships

-  Notes
(0002878)
steffen (reporter)
2015-10-19 14:16

Looking again it seems more items would benefit from clarification, namely `save', `Save', `touch', possibly more! I'll reread the entire entry and update this issue, hopefully covering all affected occurrences.
(0003297)
geoffclare (manager)
2016-07-14 16:17

Interpretation response
------------------------
The standard is unclear on this issue, and no conformance distinction can
be made between alternative implementations based on this. This is being
referred to the sponsor.

Rationale:
-------------
None.

Notes to the Editor (not part of this interpretation):
-------------------------------------------------------

Change on page 2923, starting at line 96567:
Arrange for the given messages to end up in the mbox save file when mailx terminates normally.
to:
Arrange for the given messages to be moved to the mbox save file when mailx terminates normally or when the folder is changed. This command can be used in any folder; for messages residing in the system mailbox, mailx shall ignore the settings of the internal variables [no]hold and [no]keepsave when the mbox command has been used to mark them explicitly.
(0003298)
ajosey (manager)
2016-07-15 09:01

Interpretation Proposed: 15 July 2016
(0003352)
ajosey (manager)
2016-08-16 08:48

Interpretation approved: 16 August 2016

- Issue History
Date Modified Username Field Change
2015-10-13 17:16 steffen New Issue
2015-10-13 17:16 steffen Name => steffen
2015-10-13 17:16 steffen Section => Vol. 3, mailx
2015-10-13 17:16 steffen Page Number => 2923
2015-10-13 17:16 steffen Line Number => 96565-96568
2015-10-19 14:16 steffen Note Added: 0002878
2016-07-14 16:17 geoffclare Note Added: 0003297
2016-07-14 16:19 geoffclare Interp Status => Pending
2016-07-14 16:19 geoffclare Final Accepted Text => Note: 0003297
2016-07-14 16:19 geoffclare Status New => Interpretation Required
2016-07-14 16:19 geoffclare Resolution Open => Accepted As Marked
2016-07-14 16:19 geoffclare Tag Attached: issue8
2016-07-15 09:01 ajosey Interp Status Pending => Proposed
2016-07-15 09:01 ajosey Note Added: 0003298
2016-08-16 08:48 ajosey Interp Status Proposed => Approved
2016-08-16 08:48 ajosey Note Added: 0003352
2020-04-08 15:39 geoffclare Status Interpretation Required => Applied


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