GNU Emacs Manual - Sending Mail

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# Sending Mail

To send a message in Emacs, you start by typing a command (`C-x m`) to select and initialize the ``*mail*'` buffer. Then you edit the text and headers of the message in this buffer, and type another command (`C-c C-s` or `C-c C-c`) to send the message.

`C-x m`
  Begin composing a message to send (`compose-mail`).
`C-x 4 m`
  Likewise, but display the message in another window (`compose-mail-other-window`).
`C-x 5 m`
  Likewise, but make a new frame (`compose-mail-other-frame`).
`C-c C-s`
  In Mail mode, send the message (`mail-send`).
`C-c C-c`
  Send the message and bury the mail buffer (`mail-send-and-exit`).

The command `C-x m` (`compose-mail`) selects a buffer named ``*mail*'` and initializes it with the skeleton of an outgoing message. `C-x 4 m` (`compose-mail-other-window`) selects the ``*mail*'` buffer in a different window, leaving the previous current buffer visible. `C-x 5 m` (`compose-mail-other-frame`) creates a new frame to select the ``*mail*'` buffer.

Because the mail-composition buffer is an ordinary Emacs buffer, you can switch to other buffers while in the middle of composing mail, and switch back later (or never). If you use the `C-x m` command again when you have been composing another message but have not sent it, you are asked to confirm before the old message is erased. If you answer `n`, the ``*mail*'` buffer is left selected with its old contents, so you can finish the old message and send it. `C-u C-x m` is another way to do this. Sending the message marks the ``*mail*'` buffer "unmodified," which avoids the need for confirmation when `C-x m` is next used.

If you are composing a message in the ``*mail*'` buffer and want to send another message before finishing the first, rename the ``*mail*'` buffer using `M-x rename-uniquely` (see section Miscellaneous Buffer Operations). Then you can use `C-x m` or its variants described above to make a new ``*mail*'` buffer. Once you've done that, you can work with each mail buffer independently.

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