Viewing hidden email headers

Most mail readers are configured by default to show just a few headers lines: Date:, From:, To:, Subject:, etc. However, there should be an option in your mail-reading software to "view full headers" (i.e., including the ones that are normally hidden.) Here are some software-specific hints for how to do this.

NOTE: This list is obviously very incomplete. Please email to help@physics with corresponding hints for other kinds of mail software, especially if you found that there is anything tricky about it.

Pine

This is a popular Unix mail reader. Make sure you have the "enable-full-header-cmd" feature turned on. You can do this by finding the "feature-list=" line in your .pinerc file and adding this option. The result could look something like this:

  feature-list=use-current-dir,
        enable-full-header-cmd,
        expunge-without-confirm

Or, follow the Pine menus --> Setup (S) --> Config (C), find "Advanced Command Preferences", and put an "X" in the box for "enable-full-header-cmd".

When activated, this option allows you to toggle back and forth between "normal" and "full-header" view by pressing the "h" key while reading email.

Evolution

This is a popular Linux client with features similar to Microsoft Outlook. It is not only a mail client, but includes calendar and other functions.

To see full mail headers, click View --> Message Display --> Show Full Headers.
To return to the normal, click View --> Message Display --> Normal Display.

You must be in a mail window, not a calendar or other window for this to work. (Tested only on Evolution 1.4.)

Thunderbird

This is a popular mail client available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux. It installs in a breeze on all platforms: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird. It has features similar to Microsoft Outlook Express.

To see full mail headers, click View --> Headers --> All

If you see only the Subject and From headers, click the "plus (+)" next to the Subject header.

Outlook Express

Choose "properties" under the "file" menu after you open the email in a new window. Or you can right click on the email list and choose "properties". Then click on the "details" tab.