Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!nishri
From: nishri@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (Alex Nishri)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk
Subject: Re: SMTP mail to Mac's
Message-ID: <1989Sep5.121104.10155@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Date: 5 Sep 89 16:11:04 GMT
References: <473@shuldig.Huji.Ac.IL>
Reply-To: nishri@gpu.utcs.UUCP (Alex Nishri)
Organization: University of Toronto Computing Services
Lines: 34
Checksum: 09959

In article <1555@durin.sparta.COM> you write:
>I am looking for a way to get mail from my Sun mail gateway to the desktop
>Mac's without having to use telnet...

The University of Toronto Computing Services has written an SMTP server which
runs on a Macintosh.  The SMTP server picks up mail from a Macintosh folder and
sends it to the appropriate internet host.  It can also accept mail from any
internet SMTP host and puts it into a Macintosh folder.  We originally wrote the
server on top of the CITI TCP/IP, but switched to the Apple MacTCP package when
it became available, in order to take advantage of the improved performance,
support of newer 68030 based machines, and vendor support.  (This was done by
writing a sockets interface for the Apple MacTCP package.)

Using our SMTP server we have also written a simple CE Software QuickMail
"bridge".  The bridge is a simple QuickMail exit which is handed mail destined
out of the LAN;  it adds an 822 header and envelope and puts it in the folder
used by the SMTP server.  The bridge also finds files of mail that SMTP has
received and delivers them to QuickMail.

This software is now running successfully in internal alpha test.  A Mac II acts
as the QuickMail server, the QuickMail bridge, and the SMTP server.  We have run
into two problems thus far.  The first problem is that the Mac II must be
directly on an ethernet and not on a Localtalk behind a Gatorbox.  This is
because the Gatorbox (and Fastpath, we understand) do not handle TCP/IP packet
fragmentation;  most Internet SMTP servers use large packet sizes and these end
up on the floor.  The second problem is that for some reason the Mac II, which
also runs Timbaktu, cannot be run without a video card and monitor once we
install Apple MacTCP.  (Since the Mac II server will sit in a closet, we don't
want the expense of having to buy a video card and monitor for it.  Timbaktu has
a feature which uses RAM instead of the video card and permits remote screen
access.)  We have not resolved the second problem yet.

Alex Nishri
University of Toronto Computing Services