mh-redistribute + identity is broken with nmh >= 1.5

This is a very serious problem, since not only does mh-redistribute not work, but use of it causes messages to be silently dropped (I will file another bug on that).

Thanks, Kevin.

I'd suggest fixing #3558007 first so that we have a test case to recover gracefully if rdist fails. Then fix this one.

I'm finally looking at this.

I wrote some code to get this from the identity. However this does not work if you do not have an identity.

In order to fix this we are going to need to figure out if we are running the version of nmh that has a problem. If we are, we'll need to get nmh to tell us what Resent-From needs to be from the distcomps file. That means doing a 'comp -build -form distcomps' and parsing out the Resent-From value. If it does not exist, that's going to be an error.

I'll try to work on this over Xmas break.

Attached is my diff to fix this and inline here is annotation on this diff. Anyone care to weigh in on this?

diff --git a/lisp/mh-e/mh-comp.el b/lisp/mh-e/mh-comp.el
index 5875b41..3fede82 100644
--- a/lisp/mh-e/mh-comp.el
+++ b/lisp/mh-e/mh-comp.el
@@ -77,6 +77,14 @@ Default is \"components\".
If not an absolute file name, the file is searched for first in the
user's MH directory, then in the system MH lib directory.")

+(defvar mh-dist-formfile "distcomps"
+ "Name of file to be used as a skeleton for redistributing messages.
+
+Default is \"distcomps\".
+
+If not an absolute file name, the file is searched for first in the
+user's MH directory, then in the system MH lib directory.")
+
(defvar mh-repl-formfile "replcomps"
"Name of file to be used as a skeleton for replying to messages.

@@ -411,7 +419,7 @@ See also `mh-send'."
(interactive (list (mh-get-msg-num t)))
(let* ((from-folder mh-current-folder)
(config (current-window-configuration))
- (components-file (mh-bare-components))
+ (components-file (mh-bare-components mh-comp-formfile))
(draft
(cond ((and mh-draft-folder (equal from-folder mh-draft-folder))
(pop-to-buffer (find-file-noselect (mh-msg-filename message))

%%
%% I updated mh-bare-components to require a form file name
%%

@@ -647,7 +655,7 @@ Original message has headers FROM and SUBJECT."
(format mh-forward-subject-format from subject))

;;;###mh-autoload
-(defun mh-redistribute (to cc &optional message)
+(defun mh-redistribute (to cc identity &optional message)
"Redistribute a message.

This command is similar in function to forwarding mail, but it

%%
%% mh-redistribute now takes an identity
%%

@@ -666,6 +674,9 @@ The hook `mh-annotate-msg-hook' is run after annotating the
message and scan line."
(interactive (list (mh-read-address "Redist-To: ")
(mh-read-address "Redist-Cc: ")
+ (if mh-identity-list
+ (mh-select-identity mh-identity-default)
+ nil)
(mh-get-msg-num t)))
(or message
(setq message (mh-get-msg-num t)))

%%
%% When identities are enabled mh-redistribute prompts for one
%%

@@ -674,15 +685,35 @@ message and scan line."
(draft (mh-read-draft "redistribution"
(if mh-redist-full-contents-flag
(mh-msg-filename message)
- nil)
- nil)))
- (mh-goto-header-end 0)
- (insert "Resent-To: " to "\n")
- (if (not (equal cc "")) (insert "Resent-cc: " cc "\n"))
+ (mh-bare-components mh-dist-formfile))
+ (not mh-redist-full-contents-flag)))

%%
%% When not redisting contents, get MH/nmh to give us the
%% componenets file as our draft
%%

• (from (or
• (mh-identity-field identity "From")
• (mh-get-header-field "Resent-From:")
• ))

%%
%% If an identity is specified and has a From, use that.
%% Otherwise read the header field
%%

• (fcc (mh-get-header-field "Resent-fcc:")))

%%
%% Get value of Resent-fcc: from components file
%%

• ;; Read interesting fields from distcomps file
• (if mh-redist-full-contents-flag
• (let ((components-file (mh-bare-components mh-dist-formfile)))
• (mh-mapc
• (function
• (lambda (header-field)
• (let ((field (car header-field))
• (value (cdr header-field))
• (case-fold-search t))
• (cond
• ;; Address field
• ((string-match field "^Resent-fcc$")
• (setq fcc (or fcc value)))
• ((string-match field "^Resent-From%")
• (setq from (or from value)))))))
• (mh-components-to-list components-file))
• (delete-file components-file)))

%%
%% When we are redisting the full contents, we need to read the
%% components file separately. Are we interested in any values
%% other than Resent-From: and Resent-fcc:?
%%

   (mh-clean-msg-header
    (point-min)

• "^Message-Id:\|^Received:\|^Return-Path:\|^Sender:\|^Date:\|^From:"
• "^Message-Id:\|^Received:\|^Return-Path:\|^Sender:\|^Date:\|^Resent-fcc:\|^Resent-From:"
  nil)
• (mh-insert-fields "Resent-To:" to "Resent-cc:" cc "Resent-From:" from "Resent-fcc:" fcc)
  (save-buffer)
  (message "Redistributing...")
  (let ((env "mhdist=1"))

@@ -700,7 +731,7 @@ message and scan line."
;; Annotate...
(mh-annotate-msg message folder mh-note-dist
"-component" "Resent:"
- "-text" (format "\"%s %s\"" to cc)))
+ "-text" (format "\"To: %s cc: %s From: %s\"" to cc from)))
(kill-buffer draft)
(message "Redistributing...done"))))

%%
%% I think removing From was wrong.
%% Remove the fields we are going to add back
%%

@@ -896,7 +927,7 @@ CONFIG is the window configuration before sending mail."
(message "Composing a message...")
(let ((draft (mh-read-draft
"message"
- (mh-bare-components)
+ (mh-bare-components mh-comp-formfile)
t)))
(mh-insert-fields "To:" to "Subject:" subject "Cc:" cc)
(goto-char (point-max))

%%
%% I updated mh-bare-components to require a form file name
%%

@@ -906,23 +937,25 @@ CONFIG is the window configuration before sending mail."
(mh-letter-mode-message)
(mh-letter-adjust-point))))

-(defun mh-bare-components ()
- "Generate a temporary, clean components file and return its path."
- ;; Let comp(1) create the skeleton for us. This is particularly
+(defun mh-bare-components (formfile)
+ "Generate a temporary, clean components file from FORMFILE
+and return its path."
+ ;; Let comp(1) create the skeleton for us. This is particularly
;; important with nmh-1.5, because its default "components" needs
- ;; some processing before it can be used. Unfortunately, comp(1)
- ;; doesn't have a -build option. So, to avoid the possibility of
- ;; clobbering an existing draft, create a temporary directory and
- ;; use it as the drafts folder. Then copy the skeleton to a regular
- ;; temp file, and return the regular temp file.
+ ;; some processing before it can be used. Unfortunately, comp(1)
+ ;; didnt't have a -build option until later versions of nmh. So, to
+ ;; avoid the possibility of clobbering an existing draft, create
+ ;; a temporary directory and use it as the drafts folder. Then
+ ;; copy the skeleton to a regular; temp file, and return the
+ ;; regular temp file.
(let (new
(temp-folder (mm-make-temp-file
(concat mh-user-path "draftfolder.") t)))
(mh-exec-cmd "comp" "-nowhatnowproc"
"-draftfolder" (format "+%s"
(file-name-nondirectory temp-folder))
- (if (stringp mh-comp-formfile)
- (list "-form" mh-comp-formfile)))
+ (if (stringp formfile)
+ (list "-form" formfile)))
(setq new (mm-make-temp-file "comp."))
(rename-file (concat temp-folder "/" "1") new t)
(delete-file (concat temp-folder "/" ".mh_sequences"))

%%
%% Now require the name of a form file.
%% Comments updated slightly.
%%

Also needed is the patch to mh-identity to add (mh-select-identity) and (mh-identity-field).

Attached is the latest version of the patch which I believe addresses Mike's review comments.

This will be fixed in Emacs 27.1.

commit e1646e1e2864d6eaf567f4fe77cc11d3e17dde51
Author: Mike Kupfer mkupfer@alum.berkeley.edu
Date: Sat Aug 4 18:06:37 2018 -0700

Fix mh-redistribute to work with nmh 1.5 and identities (SF#268)

Co-authored-by: Jeffrey C Honig <jch@honig.net>

* lisp/mh-e/mh-comp.el (mh-redistribute): Add a non-optional
identity parameter.  Use mh-bare-components to generate a draft,
then apply identity-specific settings.  Add more details to the
"Resent" annotation line.
(mh-dist-formfile): New.
(mh-bare-components): Add a formfile argument.
(mh-edit-again, mh-send-sub): Track the change to
mh-bare-components.
* lisp/mh-e/mh-identity.el (mh-select-identity)
(mh-identity-field): New.