---
name: "preline.courier"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "courier-mta"
version: "1.4.1-3+deb13u2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/preline.courier"
---

# preline.courier(1)

Prepend legacy mbox headers

## NAME

preline - Prepend legacy mbox headers

## SYNOPSIS

**/usr/bin/preline** {*program*} \[arg...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**preline** is a wrapper for **program**. **preline** is usually invoked from $HOME/.courier. **preline** runs **program**, together with any additional arguments specified on the command line. **program** then receives the message being delivered, with some additional headers. The additional headers come from the **UFLINE**, **DTLINE**, and **RPLINE** environment variables. These environment variables are initialized by **courierdeliver**, which reads and executes commands from **$HOME/.courier**. These environment variables contain additional headers that should be added to every message that's delivered to a local mailbox.

**preline** must be used if **program**, that is executed from $HOME/.courier to deliver mail, does not recognize these environment variables. **UFLINE** contains the From\_ line, **DTLINE** contains the Delivered-To: header, and **RPLINE** contains the Return-Path: header. If these headers are not present in the message that the program reads, you may end up with excessive resources being consumed by mail loops or by malfunctioning software which expects to see From\_ lines in all messages scheduled for local delivery (such as **procmail**).

## EXAMPLE

```
| /usr/bin/preline /usr/bin/procmail
```

This is the normal way to arrange for **procmail** to handle local mail delivery.

## SEE ALSO

[**courierpop3d**(8)](/courierpop3d/8.md)\[1\], [**couriertcpd**(8)](/couriertcpd/8.md)\[2\], [**authlib**(7)](/authlib/7.md)\[3\].

## AUTHOR

**Sam Varshavchik**

Author

## NOTES

- 1\.

  [**courierpop3d**(8)](/courierpop3d/8.md)

  http://www.courier-mta.org/courierpop3d.html

- 2\.

  [**couriertcpd**(8)](/couriertcpd/8.md)

  http://www.courier-mta.org/couriertcpd.html

- 3\.

  [**authlib**(7)](/authlib/7.md)

  http://www.courier-mta.org/authlib/authlib.html