Disclaimer

Instructions given in this page are what I used to configure my Sony Vaio VGN-S360 notebook and DELL Dimension 3000 desktop. These may very well be applicable to your computer, of other brand/model. However, note that you are using these instructions at your very own risk and this website, sgowtham.net, is not responsible for any/all damage caused to your property, intellectual or otherwise. Additionally, using PINE to access MTU Email and certain features (like accessing LDAP) automatically binds you to Internet/Email usage policies of Michigan Technological University. You are advised to read this document.

What is PINE, etc.

PINE® – a Program for Internet News & Email – is a tool for reading, sending, and managing electronic messages. PINE was developed by Computing & Communications at the University of Washington. Though originally designed for inexperienced email users, PINE has evolved to support many advanced features, and an ever-growing number of configuration and personal-preference options. PINE is available for Unix as well as for personal computers running a Microsoft operating system (PC-PINE). General User Guide is here and this article discusses the following :

1. Getting PINE and installing it (Linux)
2. Configuring it :
   1. Making it work from off-campus, especially with Charter Communications connection
   2. Adding MTU Address Book (LDAP) search feature
3. Generating a GPG Public-Private Key pair (Not in detail)
4. Embedding Digital Signature/Message Encryption feature
5. Setting up multiple roles (different From addresses; Not in detail)
6. Using it from commandline (Not in detail)
7. Entry without password? (Not in detail)

1. Installation

1. Visit PINE for Linux site and download the latest version of appropriate package. I recommend getting the source package and compiling it yourself. Moreover, pre-compiled rpm does not have the ssl feature which is required for accessing MTU mail from off-campus.
2. Compile the source (as root) by executing the command

   rpmbuild --rebuild pine-4.6x-1.i386.src.rpm 2>&1 | tee pine-4.6x-1.rpmbuild.log

3. Get into /usr/src/redhat/RPMS/i386/ and run

   rpm -ivh pine4.6x-1.i386.rpm

   and

   rpm -ivh pine-debuginfo-4.6x-1.i386.rpm

   to install PINE.

2 Configuring PINE

2.1 Making it work from off-campus

Tips and tricks suggested by CEC personnel in MTU, have been of great help in this step (especially PORT 2525 stuff) when I dealt with PINE 4.61 – I have used them again and included some more in this version. You can configure either by choosing (M) MAIN MENU » (S) SETUP » (C) Config, or edit .pinerc file, located probably in your $HOME directory. If you choose to use the second option, here is my .pinerc file. Use it as reference, if you like.

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personal-name=Your Name
 
user-domain=mtu.edu
 
smtp-server=email.mtu.edu:2525/tls/user=your-user-id
# use Port 2525 for outgoing mails since Charter blocks Port 25
 
inbox-path={email.mtu.edu/ssl/user=your-user-id}INBOX
 
folder-collections={email.mtu.edu/ssl/user=your-user-id}[]
# This is to prevent messages from being stored locally on your computer

That’s it! However, PINE will prompt for your password before sending the first message but it will won’t prompt again during the rest of the session. Messages read/sent out will not be saved on your local machine.

2.2 Adding MTU Address Book (LDAP) search feature

Thanks again to CEC personnel, I could configure PINE to look-up the MTU Address Book while composing messages. Procedure is quite simple and is as follows :

1. Start PINE and (M) MAIN MENU » (S) SETUP » SETUP » (D) Directory » (A) Add Dir to add a new directory server.
2. The cursor should be on the first option, ldap-server. Press Enter and enter the following :

   ldap.mtu.edu

3. For the next option, search-base, enter

   dc=mtu,dc=edu

4. Leave the third option as it is and for the last option, nickname, choose a name by which you want to recognize this directory server. I chose MTU Address Look Up
5. Under the Features option, check use-implicitly-from-composer so that PINE will look-up the MTU Address Book when you type just a user-id while composing a message.
6. Under the search-type option, you may choose to go with the default option or choose something that suits you. With the default option (sur-or-given-or-name-or-email), PINE will return all the results that matches the surname associated with the user-id and gives you the option to choose the one you want.

If you wish to save the search results to your local .addressbook, you may do so by selecting ldap-result-to-addrbook-add under Address Book Preferences in (M) MAIN MENU » SETUP » (C) Config

Steps (1)-(5) used to add MTU Address Book Search feature to PINE can also be achieved by editing your $HOME/.pinerc file. Search for the string ldap-servers in my .pinerc file and observe that line.

3. Generating GPG Public-Private Key pair

There are several methods (built-in gpg command is one of them) to generate Public-Private Key pair and lot of online documents to help you out. Generate a pair for yourself using a method that’s convenient to you.

4. Embedding Digital Signature / Message Encryption feature into PINE

Method One

1. Download these scripts to $HOME/.gnupg folder

   verify | sign | encrypt

   These are just gpg command with different options.

2. In the .pinerc, search for display-filters and make that line look as follows:

   1	display-filters=_LEADING("-----BEGIN PGP")_ $HOME/.gnupg/verify

3. In the .pinerc, search for sending-filters and make that line look as follows:

   sending-filters=$HOME/.gnupg/sign
   $HOME/.gnupg/encrypt
   

Method Two (One which I am currently using)

1. Find out where gpg command is stored and create the following symbolic links in $HOME/.gnupg folder.

   ln -s /usr/bin/gpg ~/.gnupg/gverify
   ln -s /usr/bin/gpg ~/.gnupg/gsign
   ln -s /usr/bin/gpg ~/.gnupg/gencrypt

2. In the .pinerc, search for display-filters and make that line look as follows:

   1	display-filters=_LEADING("-----BEGIN ")_ ~/.gnupg/gverify

3. In the .pinerc, search for sending-filters and make that line look as follows:

   1 2	sending-filters=~/.gnupg/gsign --clearsign, ~/.gnupg/gencrypt -eas -r _RECIPIENTS_

You are all set – when you are done writing a message and press Ctrl+X to send it, PINE offers options to send it unfiltered or sign and/or encrypt. You can switch between these options using Ctrl+N and Ctrl+P. If you choose not to send it as unfiltered, you will be prompted to enter the passphrase. When you receive a message encrypted using your Public Key, PINE will automatically decrypt it for you.

5. Multiple Roles (Different From Addresses)

You can read/learn about it here. I have used the instructions give there to setup four different From addresses with just one instance of PINE.

6. Using PINE from command-line

You can read/learn about it here. I use this feature, every once in a while, when mail command decides to trouble me.

7. Entry without password

Needless to say that this feature should be enabled (preferably) iff (iff = if and only if, a mathematical notation) PINE is being used in a single user environment and as to how to do it, instructions are here (under Defining a Password File section).