"mailx", "dead.letter", and "CentOS"

As a programmer on a Linux-based operating system such as CentOS, you may come across the terms "mailx" and "dead.letter". In this guide, we will explore these terms and their significance in the context of CentOS.

Mailx

"Mailx" is a command-line tool that allows users to send and receive email messages from the terminal. It is a popular alternative to graphical email clients such as Thunderbird and Outlook. Mailx is commonly included in many Linux distributions, including CentOS, and can be accessed through the command line.

To use mailx, simply open a terminal window and type the following command:

mailx

This will open the mailx prompt, where you can compose and send emails using various commands.

To send an email, use the following command:

mailx recipient@example.com

This will open the mailx editor, where you can compose your message.

Once you have finished composing your email, press "ctrl + d" to exit the editor and send the email.

Dead.letter

In the context of mailx, "dead.letter" refers to a file that is created when an email fails to send. Specifically, dead.letter is created when mailx encounters an error while trying to send an email.

If you encounter an error while sending an email using mailx, you can view the contents of the dead.letter file to see what went wrong. To view the contents of dead.letter, simply open a terminal and type the following command:

cat ~/.dead.letter

This will display the contents of the dead.letter file on your screen.

Conclusion

In this guide, we have explored the terms "mailx" and "dead.letter" in the context of CentOS. Mailx is a command-line tool that allows users to send and receive email messages from the terminal, while dead.letter is a file that is created when an email fails to send. As a programmer on CentOS, these tools can be useful for troubleshooting email-related issues.