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

# newalias(1)

install new elm aliases for user and/or system

## NAME

newalias - install new elm aliases for user and/or system

## SYNOPSIS

**newalias** \[-g\]

## DESCRIPTION

*Newalias* creates new hash and data files from a text file. If the program is invoked with the *-g* (global) flag, the program updates the system alias files. Otherwise, the program looks for a file called *$HOME/.elm/aliases.text* and, upon finding it, creates files *$HOME/.elm/aliases.dir*, *$HOME/.elm/aliases.pag* and *$HOME/.elm/aliases* for the *elm* program.

The format that the program expects is;

```
	alias, alias, .. = comment = address
or
	alias, alias, .. = comment = alias, alias, ...
The first form is for an individual user such as;
	dave, taylor = Dave Taylor = veeger!hpcnou!dat
or optionally as;
	dave, taylor = Taylor; Dave = veeger!hpcnou!dat
to allow the aliases to be properly sorted by last name.
The second is for defining a group alias such as;
	gurus = Unix Gurus = alan, john, dave, mike, richard,
		             larry, t_richardson
```

Note that lines can be continued at will, blank lines are accepted without error, and that any line starting with '#' is considered a comment and is not processed.

If the \`comment', or \`address' fields need to contain \`=' characters, those characters must either be escaped using a backslash character or the address must be inside doublequotes (\`"').

Aliases are case insensitive so dave and Dave are both the same alias.

Finally, aliases can contain other aliases, and/or groups;

```
	unix = Unix people = gurus, taylor, jonboy
```

## FILES

$HOME/.elm/aliases.text         alias source for user \
 $HOME/.elm/aliases.dir          alias dbz directory for user\
 $HOME/.elm/aliases.pag          alias dbz hash file for user\
 $HOME/.elm/aliases              alias data file for user\
 /etc/elm-me+/aliases.text       alias source for system\
 /etc/elm-me+/aliases.dir        alias dbz directory for system\
 /etc/elm-me+/aliases.pag        alias data hash table for system\
 /etc/elm-me+/aliases            alias data file for system

## AUTHOR

Elm Development Group

## SEE ALSO

elm(1L), elmalias(1L), checkalias(1L), [mail(1)](/mail/1.md), [mailx(1)](/mailx/1.md)

## DIAGNOSTICS

Newalias has a couple of descriptive error messages which don't need to be detailed here.  It is, however, worth noting that the *checkalias* program can be used to ensure that the aliases are in the proper order and are available for the  *elm* system.

## 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