How do I create an auto-reply / auto-respond for e-mail when I'm on vacation?

The easiest way to do this is to write to info at drizzle.com with your vacation message and we'll be happy to add it for you. However, if your account is on the shell space, you can use the following instructions.

Open a Telnet or SSH connection to drizzle.com. Hit RETURN to enter the Online Salon. When you get to the YOUR TURN prompt, type:

vacation

This will open a file containing a default autoresponder message. You can edit it as you like. To save the changes, hit control-X. It will ask you if you want to save the file. Hit 'y' or 'enter'. Then it will prompt you for a filename; just hit enter again.

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If Drizzle is hosting your domain name, you'll need to make a couple more changes. At the YOUR TURN prompt, type:

You'll see a line that looks like this:
\username, "|/usr/local/vacation username"
(where 'username' is your Drizzle account name)

Edit this line so that it reads (this all needs to be on one line):
\username, "|/usr/local/vacation username -a user@domainname.com"

To save the changes, hit control-X, then "Y", then Return.

For example, if your username is "raindrop" and you receive e-mail addressed to singing@intherain.com, that line would need to look like (again, all on one line):

\raindrop, "|/usr/local/vacation raindrop -a singing@intherain.com"

Then, once you're back at the YOUR TURN prompt, type:

!pico .vacation.msg

Add this line to the very top of the file, above the "Subject:" line:

From: user@domainname.com (Drizzle User)

Again, if your username is "raindrop" and your address is singing@intherain.com, that line would need to look like this:

From: singing@intherain.com (Rain Drop)

To save the changes, hit control-X, then "Y", then Return.

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To undo the autoresponder, go into the Salon, and type:

unvacation

at the YOUR TURN prompt.

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Here's a more full-featured auto-respond program, that can send e-mail back to a user who clicks on a link on your web page.

Note: This page and its recommendations are not endorsed by Drizzle.

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