Re: Zmailer SMTP: Anal retentive or correct?

[Andy Poling <andy@realbig.com>]

On Thu, 25 Jul 1996, Scott Ballantyne wrote:
[...]
> I certainly apologize to Matti if my message came across as hostile -
> that was not its intent. As I said before, I am deeply appreciative of
> the work Matti has done on zmailer.
> 
> As for you Andy, I think you should get your therapist to increase
> your dosage.

I'm sorry too then.  I certainly don't want to start a flame-fest on a
mailing list that is helpful to us all.

I was trying to do two things:

- defend Matti (and others such as XEROX PARC) from a perceived slight and
	laying of blame

- make certain that you understand that is really isn't a bug in zmailer -
	it's really a problem with what you're trying to do.

I wanted to make my point clear and I obviously got carried away.  I
apologize to all.

Either your UUCP neighbors should be sending you mail with FQDN's in them or
you're responsible for converting their mail so that it is RFC compliant.
The host requirements RFCs (among others) clearly state that you must send
out SMTP mail with FQDNs (in the non-"local part" anyway).

Incidentally, your mail is apparently being sent to uunet with bang-path
addresses such as "uunet!nic.funet.fi!zmailer" so if you're sending mail
from the system in question, I'd say you still have a ways to go in your
configuration.

This (UUCP/SMTP gatewaying) is an age-old problem, but one that typically
only plagues a small percentage of sites.  Therefore the people who
administer those sites have to have a deeper understanding of the mail
system involved.  Even if Matti, I or soemone else helps you get it working,
you'll still have to understand how it works because it will break
occasionally.  Bet on it.  

As for your lack of confidence in configuring... well you'll have to get
over it sooner or later because you're trying to do is something outside the
mainstream.  You won't have a choice but to learn how ZMAILER works.  That's
part of life when you're doing the sort of gatewaying that you are.  If I
can do it... anyone can.

Pretend you're exchanging mail with Martians and you'll probably have just
about the right idea wrt UUCP...  :-)

-Andy

PS - Unless I missed it, you still haven't sent an example to the list
illustrating exactly what your mailer is doing wrong.  Without a concrete
example, most people won't be able to understand you problem to help you
figure it out.

(this sig left intentionally blank)