Re: [semi-OT] Maximum lines in reply.

[Matti Aarnio <mea@nic.funet.fi>]

> Hi,
> 
> RFC 821 states:
> 
>             reply line
>                The maximum total length of a reply line including the
>                reply code and the <CRLF> is 512 characters.
> 
> But how many of these lines can I have for one reply?
> Should the lines together not exceed 512 characters?

	No, it is 512 chars per line.

	However many systems, most notably lots of those made by
	a company in Redmond, Washinton, barf at multiline replies
	specified by Appendix E of the same document.

	That is, bloody large percentage of stupid email submitting
	clients (and their work-group MTAs) in the world are truly
	flabbergasted when receiving:

		RCPT TO: < foo@barf >
		503-    ^
		503-There is invalid space in between ":" and "<",
		503-This address is not accepted due to input data
		503 syntax error!  Please fix your software!

	They report to user some "An error 0x7473657436736 has occurred",
	instead of that text...

	Oddly they seem to understand multiline reply for EHLO,
	but for anything else it seems to be rather impossible...

	So, try to stay in one line, and below 512 chars.

	ZMailer's smtpserver has tried to evolve to that direction over
	past few months.

> Magnus.
> --
> Magnus Sjögren <dat98msj@student3.lu.se>

	/Matti Aarnio