"visaris tds.net" <visaris@tds.net> writes:

> Whereas I have been reading mail with emacs for decades, I did a new install
> (I'm a gentoo user) and now what once automagically worked nolonger does...
> Emacs seems to function -- exept for mail.
>
> Although I have fethcmail and exim running, and although mail does
> arive in /var/spool/exim/input, the format is that each message is split
> into
> a header file and then the body of the message.
>
> M-x rmail does not get mail from  /var/spool/exim/input.
>
> I have spent much time chasing cryptic pointers reading unintelligable
> documents making vague references to "movemail" but it is beyond me.
> I have contemplated perusing the RMAIL file and comparing it with
> contents of /var/spool/exim/input so as to increase the chance that I can
> make some lucky guesses and write a c program to bridge the gap from
> /var/spool/exim/input to RMAIL.  Surely emacs has not deteriated to the
> point that this would be necessary.  I find it difficult to believe there
> is not
>  some simple way to proceed.
>
> Sorry to be so ingorant of what must be the obvious simple solution.

I use gnus and part of my 'gnus.el' is -
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(setq mail-sources '((file :path "/var/mail/boudiccas")
		        	 ;; (pop :server "mail.talktalk.net" :user "boudiccas@talktalk.net" :password "cherrypie")
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

That gets my mail from the root message spool, but it could help in your
situation.

Sharon.
-- 
A taste of linux = http://www.sharons.org.uk
my git repo = https://bitbucket.org/boudiccas/dots
TGmeds = http://www.tgmeds.org.uk
Debian testing, fluxbox 1.3.5, emacs 24.3.92.1