The PINE RESOURCE file is the most important file used by Pine.
    This file contains the configuration options settable by a
    user. See under PMDF Pine Configuration_files Resource File for
    details.

    Users can have address books in pine, with nicknames for long
    addresses or mailing lists. See under PMDF Pine Configuration_
    files Addressbook for details.

    When using pine to read news group messages, a file is required
    listing the names of news groups you read; by default, pine uses
    the file PMDF_INIT:NEWSRC. See under PMDF Pine Configuration_
    files News Groups File for details.

    When reading MIME messages, pine uses a MAILCAP file to
    determine how to display the message parts. See under PMDF Pine
    Configuration_files Mailcap Files below for details.

    When sending attachments, pine consults a file to determine what
    MIME labelling to use on the attachment parts. By default, the
    file consulted is PMDF_INIT:MIME.TYPES, or as specified by the
    MIMETYPE-SEARCH-PATH option setting in the pine resource file.

    Pine also has other optional configuration files to control
    filtering incoming or outgoing message text, etc.

                                   NOTE

       System managers should also see under PMDF Pine System_
       configuration Configuration Files for information on
       tailoring the the pine environment on the system via
       additional system-level pine configuration files.

1  –  Resource File

    Pine uses a resource file to keep track of its configuration,
    user preferences, and other information. By customizing the
    option settings in your PINE RESOURCE file, you can customize
    your pine environment to your liking. Generally the best way to
    set or change option settings in your PINE RESOURCE file is from
    within pine, via the CONFIG option of the SETUP submenu accessed
    from pine's main menu. (Context sensitive help is available
    within pine for each such configurable item so you can get hints
    on setting your options.) However, the PINE RESOURCE file is
    a normal text file, so it is also possible to modify the PINE
    RESOURCE file using a text editor.

1.1  –  Location

    On OpenVMS systems, the Pine resource file is named PINE.PINERC
    and is located in the PMDF_INIT: directory. By default, PMDF_
    INIT is a logical which translates to SYS$LOGIN. Users wanting
    to keep their pine resource file elsewhere can redefine the PMDF_
    INIT logical. The logical name PINERC can be used to specify an
    alternate file name. For instance, the definition

    $ DEFINE PINERC PINE.RC

    causes the file name PINE.RC to instead be used, thereby
    accessing the file

    PMDF_INIT:PINE.RC

    The definition of the PINERC logical must not contain a device or
    directory reference.

1.2  –  Format

    In the Pine resource file, any line starting with # is considered
    to be a comment line. Lines not beginning with # contain settings
    for configuration options using the format

    option=value[,value,...]

    All values are strings; quotes can be used around any value.
    If a value is absent, then the associated option is not set
    and a system-wide default setting, if there is one, will be
    used instead. For some options, only the values YES and NO are
    allowed.

    A line beginning with a space or tab is considered to be a
    continuation of the previous line.

1.3  –  Dollar Sign

    The dollar sign, $, has a special meaning in the Pine resource
    file: it means that the word following it is an "environment
    variable", i.e., a DCL symbol or logical name, the value of which
    is then substituted at that point in the file. To specify $ in a
    value, you need to prefix it with a backslash; e.g.,

    SYS\$LOGIN:SIGNATURE.TXT

2  –  Addressbook

    You can have one or more addressbooks in Pine. In addition to a
    personal addressbook, one or more global, read-only addressbooks
    can be set up (for sharing between multiple users). The names
    of your personal addressbooks are specified in the Pine resource
    file by the ADDRESS-BOOK option. Normally, this option is set
    and modified from within Pine by using the SETUP menu and then
    selecting the Addressbook menu; it can, however, also be set by
    manually editing the Pine resource file. The built-in default
    file name used for an addressbook PMDF_INIT:PINE.ADDRESSBOOK.
    A "lookup" file is used to speed access to the addressbook. The
    lookup file has the same name as the addressbook, with -LU as
    suffix; e.g., PMDF_INIT:PINE.ADDRESSBOOK-LU. The lookup file
    is generated automatically by Pine. Global addressbooks can be
    specified using the GLOBAL-ADDRESS-BOOK option.

2.1  –  Addressbooks and PMDF Personal Alias Database

    A limited interface between Pine's address books and PMDF's
    personal alias database has existed since Pine 3.91. When you
    add an address to one of Pine's address books using Pine's
    ADDRESS BOOK menu, it will also be added to your personal alias
    database, overwriting any existing entry of the same name. The
    Pine "nickname" is the alias name used in PMDF's personal alias
    database and the e-mail address is the corresponding value for
    the alias. Adding or deleting Pine's address lists has no effect
    on PMDF's personal alias database.

    When you delete an address in one of Pine's address books, it is
    also deleted from PMDF's personal alias database if present.

    The J command can be used to dump the entire current addressbook
    into your PMDF personal alias database. If no personal alias
    database exists, it will be created.

3  –  News Groups File

    If you use the news reading capability in Pine to talk to a NNTP
    server, then you need to have a NEWSRC. file in the PMDF_INIT:
    directory, or a newsrc file with a non-default name as selected
    by your NEWSRC-PATH Setup Config option. This file contains the
    names of news groups you read. Pine updates it when you delete
    a message in the news group. Deleting a message in news does not
    really delete it, but simply makes the message unavailable to
    you when you next read the associated news group. The format of
    this file is one line per news group, with the lines having the
    format:

    newsgroupname:[message,...]

    where MESSAGE is either a number or a range of numbers (e.g.,
    1-3).

4  –  Mailcap Files

    When reading MIME messages, Pine uses a mailcap file to determine
    how to display message parts. Mailcap files are described in RFC
    1524, a copy of which can be found as PMDF_ROOT:[DOC.RFC]RFC1524.
    Or see the PMDF User's Guide which gives a brief overview of
    mailcap files.

    The default mailcap filename is MAILCAP. in the PMDF_INIT
    directory, unless the logical name PMDF_MAILCAP_DIR is defined,
    in which case the list of directories defined by PMDF_MAILCAP_DIR
    is searched for the file MAILCAP., in the order listed. The first
    entry found in the list of files will be used. For instance, with
    the following PMDF_MAILCAP_DIR definition, PMDF will use a user's
    own mailcap file, if they have one, and if the user does not have
    a personal mailcap file, PMDF will use a mailcap file in the PMDF
    table directory:

    $ DEFINE/SYSTEM PMDF_MAILCAP_DIR PMDF_INIT:,PMDF_TABLE:

    Note that a trailing colon is necessary if logical names are used
    because the filename MAILCAP. is appended to whatever value you
    have specified.