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   NOTE: The recommended mail reader in XEmacs is VM, which provides
more flexibility than Rmail and stores mail in standard Unix-mail-format
folders rather than in a special format.  VM comes with its own manual,
included standard with XEmacs.

   XEmacs also provides a sophisticated and comfortable front-end to the
MH mail-processing system, called `mh-e'.

   This manual documents the Rmail mail reader under Emacs.

   Rmail is an Emacs subsystem for reading and disposing of mail that
you receive.  Rmail stores mail messages in files called Rmail files.
You read the messages in an Rmail file in a special major mode, Rmail
mode, which redefines most letters to run commands for managing mail.
To enter Rmail, type `M-x rmail'.  This reads your primary mail file,
merges new mail in from your inboxes, displays the first new message,
and lets you begin reading.

   Using Rmail in the simplest fashion, you have one Rmail file,
`~/RMAIL', in which all of your mail is saved.  It is called your
"primary mail file".  You can also copy messages into other Rmail files
and then edit those files with Rmail.

   Rmail displays only one message at a time.  It is called the
"current message".  Rmail mode's special commands can move to another
message, delete the message, copy the message into another file, or
send a reply.

   Within the Rmail file, messages are arranged sequentially in order
of receipt.  They are also assigned consecutive integers as their
"message numbers".  The number of the current message is displayed in
Rmail's mode line, followed by the total number of messages in the
file.  You can move to a message by specifying its message number using
the `j' key (see Rmail Motion.).

   Following the usual conventions of Emacs, changes in an Rmail file
become permanent only when the file is saved.  You can do this with `s'
(`rmail-save'), which also expunges deleted messages from the file
first (see Rmail Deletion.).  To save the file without expunging,
use `C-x C-s'.  Rmail saves the Rmail file automatically when moving new
mail from an inbox file (see Rmail Inbox.).

   You can exit Rmail with `q' (`rmail-quit'); this expunges and saves
the Rmail file and then switches to another buffer.  However, there is
no need to `exit' formally.  If you switch from Rmail to editing in
other buffers, and never happen to switch back, you have exited.  Just
make sure to save the Rmail file eventually (like any other file you
have changed).  `C-x s' is a good enough way to do this.

Scroll: Rmail Scrolling: Scrolling through a message.
Motion: Rmail Motion: Moving to another message.
Deletion: Rmail Deletion: Deleting and expunging messages.
Inbox: Rmail Inbox: How mail gets into the Rmail file.
Files: Rmail Files: Using multiple Rmail files.
Output: Rmail Output: Copying message out to files.
Labels: Rmail Labels: Classifying messages by labeling them.
Summary: Rmail Summary: Summaries show brief info on many messages.
Reply: Rmail Reply: Sending replies to messages you are viewing.
Editing: Rmail Editing: Editing message text and headers in Rmail.
Digest: Rmail Digest: Extracting the messages from a digest message.

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