Re: [TCLUG:22533] GUI mail client

[^chewie <chewie@wookimus.net>]

On Thu, Oct 12, 2000 at 01:57:49AM -0500, Bob Tanner wrote:
> What are some of the better (best?) GUI mail clients for linux these
> days?  I was an elm, now mutt fan, so I have not done much with the
> GUI mail clients.
> 
> Any recommendations?

Actually, I'm a nmh fan myself, an implementation of RAND MH.  mh
exemplifies one of the very basic principles of UNIX programming:
"Everything is a filter." [1]  It separates well the meat of the
program and it's separate functions into shell executable commands.
You simply do not need a UI to access and manipulate your email.

The beauty of this approach in application design is that you can
create any type of front end that you'd like.  All the front end needs
to do is provide a more user friendly interface to the shell commands.
Currently, there are a number of front ends you could use:

    mh-e        Emacs mode for mh mail
    xmh         X11 client
    exmh        X11 client

There a MUA's that use the mh mail format, but do not require the mh
mail tools to use them, probably designed for backwards compability
(although, I think mh mail is as applicable today as it was when first
implemented).

    mutt        We know this wonderful curses based email client
    XFMail      X-Forms (X11) client

Personally, I like storing my email in mh format, using the mh tools
when I'm in a pinch or don't feel like entring a GUI, or want to do
some powerful string searching (See pick(8)).  I use mutt for my
everyday interface, and if I want to go GUI, I'll use XFMail.  exmh is
nice, but a bit cryptic to set up.

Have fun!

REFERENCES
----------
[1] Gancarz, M., "The UNIX Philosophy" (ISBN 1555581234)
http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=4BQE1DQWL8&mscssid=2E32BW9RRSK49LQ9M41QT4DB1FJU1RE8&isbn=1555581234 


-- 
  Chad "^chewie, gunnarr" Walstrom <chewie@wookimus.net>
              http://wookimus.net/chewie

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