Does Unix (Berkeley) mail or Elm or Pine mail have to be "compressed" like VMS Mail?

No. While you can use a compression utility under Unix to compress mail folders, just as you can compress any other file, it is not analogous to VMS Mail compression. In Unix, you keep the entire folder, but reduce its size temporarily by encoding it. In VMS you discard the parts of the folder that are no longer in use, much like cutting out all the articles on a newspaper page, discarding the ads and blank space, then reassembling the articles on a smaller piece of paper. Unix mail doesn't need to do this because it rewrites the folder in as small a space as needed every time you change and leave a mail folder.

If you use the Unix compress or gzip commands to compress a mail folder, you won't be able to read it or write to it within mail until you uncompress it. This is something you most likely would do only to folders you plan to use infrequently.

For more information about Unix compression commands, see the online manual pages by entering any of the following at the Unix prompt: man compress man uncompress man gzip man gunzip

Note: Elm is not available on any UITS systems.

At Indiana University, for personal or departmental Linux or Unix systems support, see At IU, how do I get support for Linux or Unix?

Comments/Questions/Corrections