August 19, 2004 VACATION 1

### NAME

vacation - return ``I am not here'' indication

### SYNOPSIS

vacation -dIi [-f databasefile] [-m messagefile] [-r interval] [-t interval] vacation -dj [-a alias] [-F F|R|S] [-f databasefile] [-m messagefile] [-s sender] [-T A|D] login

### DESCRIPTION

vacation returns a message to the sender of a message telling them that you are currently not reading your mail. The intended use is in a ```.forward` file. For example, your ```.forward` file might have:

  `

      \eric, "|/usr/bin/vacation -a allman eric"

  `

which would send messages to you (assuming your login name was eric) and reply to any messages for ``eric'' or ``allman''.

Available options:

-a alias
  Handle messages for alias in the same manner as those received for the user's login name.

-d
  Turn debugging on; don't send an actual message, but print it on stdout.

-f database_file
  Use the specified database_file prefix and append ```.db` to it instead of ```$HOME/.vacation.db`.

-F F|R|S
  Make vacation additionally look in From: (F), Return-Path: (R), or Sender: (S) headers to determine the From: field.

-i

-I
  Initialize the vacation database files. It should be used before you modify your ```.forward` file.

-j
  Do not check if the recipient is present in the ```To:` or ```Cc:` lines. Usage of this option is strongly discouraged because it will result in vacation replying to mailing lists or other inappropriate places (e.g., messages that you have been ```Bcc` to).

-m message_file
  Use message_file instead of ```$HOME/.vacation.msg`.

-s sender
  Reply to sender instead of the the value read from the message.

-r interval

-t interval
  Set the reply interval to interval days. If the interval number is followed by ```w`, ```d`, ```h`, ```m`, or ```s` then the number is interpreted as weeks, days, hours, minutes, or seconds respectively. The default interval is one week. An interval of ``0'' means that a reply is sent to each message, and an interval of `````infinite`'' (actually, any non-numeric character) will never send more than one reply. It should be noted that intervals of `````0`'' are quite dangerous, as it allows mailers to get into ``I am on vacation'' loops.

-T A|D
  Make vacation additionally look in Apparently-To: (A) or Delivered-To: (D) headers to determine the To: field.

No message will be sent unless login (or an alias supplied using the -a option) is part of either the ``To:'' or ``Cc:'' headers of the mail. No messages from ``???-REQUEST'', ``Postmaster'', ``UUCP'', ``MAILER'', or ``MAILER-DAEMON'' will be replied to (where these strings are case insensitive) nor is a notification sent if a ``Precedence: bulk'' ``Precedence: list'' or ``Precedence: junk'' line is included in the mail headers. The people who have sent you messages are maintained as a db(3) database in the file ```.vacation.db` in your home directory.

vacation expects a file ```.vacation.msg`, in your home directory, containing a message to be sent back to each sender. It should be an entire message (including headers). If the message contains the string ```$SUBJECT` then it will will be replaced with the subject of the original message. For example, it might contain:

  `

      From: eric@CS.Berkeley.EDU (Eric Allman)
      Subject: I am on vacation
      Delivered-By-The-Graces-Of: The Vacation program
      Precedence: bulk

      I am on vacation until July 22.
      Your mail regarding "$SUBJECT" will be read when I return.
      If you have something urgent, please contact Keith Bostic
      <bostic@CS.Berkeley.EDU>.
      --eric

  `

vacation reads the first line from the standard input for a UNIX ``From'' line to determine the sender. sendmail(8) includes this ``From'' line automatically.

Fatal errors, such as calling vacation with incorrect arguments, or with non-existent logins, are logged in the system log file, using syslog(3).

### FILES

```~/.vacation.db`
  database file
```~/.vacation.msg`
  message to send

### SEE ALSO

syslog(3), sendmail(8)

### HISTORY

The vacation command appeared in 4.3BSD.

### BUGS

Adding -t A or -t D should only be done for misconfigured or non-compliant MTAs. Doing so may auto-respond to messages that were not supposed to be replied to.