---
name: "fastmail"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "elm-me+"
version: "2.4pl25ME+66-1"
release: "Debian 2.2 (Potato)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/fastmail"
---

# fastmail(1)

quick batch mail interface to a single address

## NAME

fastmail - quick batch mail interface to a single address

## SYNOPSIS

**fastmail** \[-b bcc-list\] \[-c cc-list\] \[-C comments\] \[-d\] \[-f fromname\] \[-i msg-id\] \[-r replyto\] \[-R references\] \[-s subject\] filename\|- address-list\

## DESCRIPTION

*Fastmail* is a low-level interface to the mail system that allows batch processing of mail.  It's intended for mailing to very large groups of people in a staggered fashion.

The starting options are;

- **-b bcc-list**

  This allows a list of people to receive blind-carbon copies, or BCCs, of the message.  This list should be full email addresses.

- **-c cc-list**

  This allows a list of people to receive carbon copies, or CCs, of the message.  This list should be full email addresses.

- **-C comments**

  This allows a Comments: line to be added to the RFC822 header with any text you desire.

- **-d**

  Debug.  This is helpful for strange, unfriendly errors from the program (etc).

- **-f from**

  This overrides the users name in the From: line, so that if the user was x@y, and their name was MrX then the default  From: line would be "From: x@y (MrX)".  Using "-f Joe" when invoking this, though, would change it to "From: x@y (Joe)"

- **-i msg-id**

  This allows a message-id to which this message refers.

- **-r replyto**

  Occasionally, you might send mail but want the replies to go to a different address (very common with mailing lists).   There is a header for this purpose called "Reply-To:" which can be utilized by using this starting option.  For example, we could send mail with a reply-to to list-request by using "-r list-request".  The header generated would then be of the form "Reply-To: list-request".

- **-R references**

  This allows descriptive/reference text for this message.

- **-s subject**

  The subject of the message is specified by using  this starting option.

Either the name of the file containing the message, or a - to indicate usage of standard-in is required.

## EXAMPLE

Let's say we're user "big" on machine "big-vax" and we have a shell script called 'batch-mail' that contains the following lines:

```
   #
   # Batch Mail - batch mailing of a file to a LOT of users
   #
   # Usage: batch-mail "from" "subject" filename
   sender_copy = $LOGIN
   replyto = "The-Mr-Big-list"
   fastmail -b $sender_copy -r $replyto -f "$1" -s "$2" $3 person1
   sleep 10
   fastmail -r $replyto -f "$1" -s "$2" $3 person2
   sleep 10
   fastmail -r $replyto -f "$1" -s "$2" $3 person3
   sleep 10
   fastmail -r $replyto -f "$1" -s "$2" $3 person4
   < etc >
with the invocation:
   batch-mail "Mr. Big" "Warning to all" warning.text
```

would mail a copy of the 'warning.text' file to person1, person2,  person3, etc.  "$LOGIN" will also receive a copy of the first message in the mail, *silently*.  Each resultant message will include the headers:

```
    From: big-vax!big (Mr. Big)
    Subject: Warning to all
    Reply-To: The-Mr-Big-list
```

This program should turn out to be considerably faster than the alternative methods of accomplishing this task.

## FILES

/usr/lib/sendmail       sendmail transport if available\
 /bin/rmail              transport if no sendmail\
 /tmp/fastmail.$$        temporary file

## AUTHOR

Elm Development Group

## SEE ALSO

[sendmail(1)](/sendmail/1.md), [rmail(1)](/rmail/1.md), elm(1L)

## BUG REPORTS TO

Syd Weinstein	elm@DSI.COM	(dsinc!elm)

## COPYRIGHTS

Copyright 1988-1992 by The USENET Community Trust\
 Derived from Elm 2.0,  Copyright 1986, 1987 by Dave Taylor