Ishmail is a graphical user interface (GUI) for using Internet electronic mail. Ishmail is designed specifically for reading, composing, and organizing electronic mail messages of varying file-types, including:
See MIME-encoded Messages for more information.
The Ishmail GUI is implemented using OSF Motif and the X Window System, which provide for features such as pull-down menus, pop up menus, tear-off menus, keyboard shortcuts, and drag-and-drop. Also, Ishmail has a distinctive "look and feel" common to Motif applications.
The Ishmail GUI interface cannot be run in character mode. However, the file format and directory naming conventions Ishmail uses for mail folders are compatible with common, character mode mail interfaces, such as mailx, elm, mh and pine. Thus, you can use these alternative mail programs when Motif is not available-for example when you are logged in from home using a tty terminal.