Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!bbn!gateway!RELAY.NSWC.NAVY.MIL!dpaulso
From: dpaulso@RELAY.NSWC.NAVY.MIL
Newsgroups: comp.emacs
Subject: [ucsd!sdcc6!ix561@ames.ARPA: rmail and mbox]
Message-ID: <38632@bbn.COM>
Date: 13 Apr 89 17:48:27 GMT
Sender: news@bbn.COM
Organization: BBN news/mail gateway
Lines: 40


Wen writes:

>when I invoke rmail, it is supposed to copy mbox to RMAIL, but
>in fact, it moves my mbox to RMAIL, changing its format from
>UNIX one to Babyl one.  I'd like to use UNIX command mail -f
>more often to read my old mails.  How can I solve this problem?

First, to correct a misconception:

From the manual: "Rmail first copies the new mail from the inbox file
to the Rmail file; then it save the Rmail file; then it deletes the
inbox file."   The effect is the same as a move.

Now, `M-x apropos inbox' reveals:

[...]
rmail-primary-inbox-list      
  Variable: *List of files which are inboxes for user's primary mail file ~/RMAIL.
[...]

then, `C-h v rmail-primary-inbox-list' reveals:

rmail-primary-inbox-list's value is nil

Documentation:
*List of files which are inboxes for user's primary mail file ~/RMAIL.
`nil' means the default, which is ("~/mbox" "/usr/spool/mail/$USER")
(the second name varies depending on the operating system).

so you should try using `M-x set-variable' to alter
the current setting of your rmail-primary-inbox-list

/dave 

[BTW, I'm using GnuEmacs 18.52]

---
Dave Paulson	dpaulso@relay.nswc.navy.mil	(703)663-2137
"I've upped my standards; now up yours" -- Pat Paulsen