On Thu, 10 Jan 2002, Matt Grant wrote:

> I was wondering how I make a mail box for a none priviledged user. When
> I load mutt it squawks about no mailbox for user grant. When I look in

No mail has been sent to grant yet.

> the /var/mail there is just a root box (I think). This is strange to me
> because I am a Unix based mail rookie. Also that /var/mail/root file
> looks like a plain file and not a folder with stuff in it.

It is a Berkeley format mbox file. All messages in one file. Each message
is started with a "From "  line (and ends with a blank line).

> I tried copying the root file to grant and change the ownership of it
> but then I have all of root's mail and mutt still doesn't like it.

Maybe delete the grant mailbox first (if you know it has no new messages
in it).

Just send an email to grant.

 echo "test" | mail -s "first email" grant

What was the message from mutt?

> I have also tried this stuff with pine and to no avail.

pine and mutt should allow you to compose and send mail without having any
mail in your incoming mail box.

> I really want to
> learn my terminal based apps because I have no X(need to get my sparc
> mouse).

Good idea. (You'll probably find that the text-based console utilities are
faster and more powerful.)

   Jeremy C. Reed
   http://bsd.reedmedia.net/