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General discussion

Resending messages already in the spooler - Linux.

Jun 29, 2005 7:24PM PDT

I've recently setup a Linux mail server here at home and it is working successfully. However, I have a user that normally leaves messages on the server (collects email via pop3d) and now wants me, the admin, to resend a particular message. I can see the message they are after in the spool file - /var/spool/mail/username - but do not have a clue as to how to send this one particular message other than copying it and pasting it into a new email that will come from of course. However, the user wants it to retain its format so that should they choose to respond, the author would not be any the wiser.

Is this doable?

Discussion is locked

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Tell them to resend it.
Jun 29, 2005 11:02PM PDT

It's on the server in their mailbox to do as they see fit. This is not something the admin will do.

-> Open their email client and if it's a great email client, press the resend button.

Bob

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Cannot have them resending something they never sent!
Jun 29, 2005 11:39PM PDT

Okay, maybe I forgot something. This user has never logged on to the Linux machine and never will. And we are talking about messages they have RECEIVED - not sent - from another user somewhere on the net!

I have been googling for an answer in the meantime and found the following:

cat /var/spool/mail/USERNAME | formail -s sendmail -oem USERNAME

However, this will send all messages in the mailbox not a single message.

Any other suggestion?

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That's called a REDIRECT, not a resend.
Jun 30, 2005 12:26AM PDT

Over at slipstick.com they note an addon to Outlook to do such.

It's a feature of the email client software (yet un-named.)

Bob

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(NT) (NT) Thanks. I'll readup on that.
Jun 30, 2005 1:56PM PDT
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Oops. I didn't mean it to read like that.
Jun 30, 2005 11:29PM PDT

Yes, it could be called a resend. I'm just used to the REDIRECT method and name. Its not an "exact" duplicate however since you can't mimick the headers, source and all that.

Bob