Email to Users on Same Mac?

[Horrortaxi]

I have an idea I'd like to try on the Mac in my classroom, but I don't know how to go about it, or if it's even possible. Each student has a user account on the computer (G3 AIO running 10.2.6). I'd like to be able to send them email on that computer but it does not connect to the internet. Is there a way to set up a server on the computer? This is for school use so obviously free solutions are best. Anybody know something about this?

 

[mnkeybsness]

does it specifically need to be email?

you could just make a drop box in each users home folder and put dated text messages into them.

 

[JackRipper]

Mail

Set up the Mail app to use the G3 as the mail server. Then the students could send mail to <osxusername>@<computername or localhost(?)>.

I don't know if OS X has the mail service running by default though.

Every unix system I've ever used has a built in mail system so I'm assumming OS X does as well. Try typing mail into terminal and see what you get.

Hope this helps.

 

[AdamR01]

The mail command should work. Its not pretty, but it works. Very little work is needed if you already have user accounts on the system. I may be wrong but to send mail you would type in mail "username". Then you will be given a cursor to type your message at. When you want to end your message type a lone . on a new line and press enter. To read your mail just type mail. At the ? prompt type d to delete a message or press enter to go to the next one. I just started a unix class recently so I may be wrong, but I hope that helps.

 

[Horrortaxi]

mnkeybsness: Yeah, it has to be email. I know I could put text messages or pdf files in the drop box but it's the email format that I'm after.

JackRipper: If I type "mail" in terminal it tells me "no mail for horrortaxi"--at least on my iBook. I can try sending a message on the G3 tomorrow in the manner you suggested.

AdamR01: Neat! It pretty much works as you described apart from the addition of a subject line after you say "mail username". I tried it on my iBook with only 1 account and I can't send it to myself, but I get the idea of how it works. It reminds me of Pine from about 10 years ago--still probably my favorite email client. It's a little intensive a process to teach my students--they definitely need the gui. Still a very cool thing to know about.