PINE
 
What is Pine?  Pine is an text-based e-mail software program. It is an old but improved version of an older Unix based e-mail software program called Elm. It is the basic e-mail software provided by the university on mason.gmu.edu account.  It allows you to send or receive e-mail and newsgroup messages.
How Do I Start Pine?  After using telnet to login into your Mason account, type pine after the prompt (e.g. mason.gmu.edu> or osf1.gmu.edu>) and press the ENTER key.  

The computer will create a directory for your e-mail messages then ask you if you to receive a message about the pine program. Answer yes by pressing the Y key on your keyboard. Later you will have a message in your in-box that tells you about the Pine program. It's a long message, but it's informative. Now you should see the Main Menu in front of you on the computer screen.
How Do I Send A Message?  At the Main Menu, choose COMPOSE MESSAGE (press the C key on your keyboard or use the up or down arrow key on your keyboard (the four keys with arrows on them--usually near the bottom righthand side of your keyboard near the ENTER key ) to highlight COMPOSE MESSAGE then press the ENTER key).  

The To: line will automatically be highlighted. If the receiver of your message has a GMU account, simply type the username of that person (e.g. llmiller).  If the person has an account outside of GMU, you will need to type that person's entire e-mail address, for example, gdigger@aol.com, not only gdigger. This will send the message to that single person. 

If you want to send the same message to two or more people, you have several choices: 

  • type two user names (or e-mail addresses) on the To: line with commas between them,  e.g. llmiller, ktrump
  • use the Cc: line to type in another username (or e-mail address)
  • use a distribution list that you have created in your address book (more about this later)
Press the ENTER key (use the Cc: and attachment lines if you want to, otherwise continue to press the ENTER key) until the Subject: line is highlighted. 

At the Subject: line, type in a short (one or two word) title for your message. 

Press the ENTER key. 

Now the -------Message Text-------- line should be activated. You can type your message now. It can be as long or as short as you would like.  

Here are a few tips to use as you type you message:
  • If you want to get to the end of a line, press ^E (^=control, or Ctrl, key), where you press the control key and the E key at the same time.
  • If you want to get to the beginning of a line, press ^A
  • If you want to delete an entire line of text in your message, press ^K
  • If you want to paste in a line you have cut out, use the arrow keys to put the cursor where you want to paste in the cut text then press ^U
  • If you want to highlight part of a line or any length of text other than one line, move the cursor to the point where you want to begin the highlighting and press the control, shift and 6 keys all at once. A message at the bottom of the screen will say [Mark Text]; use your arrow keys to move the cursor to highlight the text you want highlighted. Now use the cut command (^K) to cut the highlighted material. To put the cut material in a new position in your message, use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the position that you want the cut text to now be and then use the paste command (^U) to paste it there.
  • If you want to spell check the message, press ^T
  • If you want postpone the message, press ^O. Later you can come back and finish the message by using the Compose and Send a Message command.
When you are finished typing your message and you are ready to send it, press the Control key and the X key on your keyboard at the same time. When the computer asks if you really want to send the message, answer yes by pressing the Y key on your keyboard. Once the message is sent, you will find yourself back at the main menu.
What Are All Those Things at the Bottom of the Screen?  Any time you are in the Pine program, you will see commands listed at the bottom of your screen. The ^ symbol represents the Control (Ctrl) key on your keyboard. When you see this symbol before a letter, you have to press the control key and the letter key at the same time. When you sent the message above, you pressed the control and X keys at the same time. This command is represented as ^X at the bottom of the computer screen.
How Do I Stop Pine?  When you want to stop Pine, press the Q key on your keyboard and the Pine program will ask if you really want to quit Pine. Answer yes by pressing the Y key on your keyboard. 

REMEMBER to LOGOUT of your Mason account when you are done!  If you don't logout, other people can use your e-mail and another other part of your account (such as making or making changes to  webpages).
Want On-Line Help? Check out Indiana University's webpage for on-line advice about using PINE.