Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!lll-winken!decwrl!hayes.ims.alaska.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: hayes!tnixon@uunet.uu.net (Toby Nixon)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Accessing Archives Through Mail
Message-ID: <13584@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 15 Oct 90 16:01:04 GMT
Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu
Organization: Hayes Microcomputer Products, Norcross, GA
Lines: 60
Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 738, Message 7 of 8


Since I've recently done the research on how to do this, I thought I'd
post a brief message on how ANYONE who gets comp.dcom.telecom can
access the Telecom Archives through MAIL rather than FTP.

As our Moderator has mentioned, the key is using an FTP server.  All
you do is send a message to the server, containing the FTP commands
you want to execute.  It sends you back a transcript of the activity,
then, as separate messages, any files you requested.

The email address of the server I've been using is "bitftp@pucc.
bitnet".  First, to get a list of valid commands, send a message to
this address which contains only the word "HELP" on the first (and
only) line of the message.

To get a directory of the Telecom Archives, send a message to 
"bitftp@pucc.bitnet" containing the following:

	ftp lcs.mit.edu
	user anonymous
	cd telecom-archives
	ascii
	dir
	quit

To request a file, for example the "cocot-in-violation-label", send 
a message containing the following:

	ftp lcs.mit.edu
	user anonymous
	cd telecom-archives
	ascii
	get cocot-in-violation-label
	quit

It's really that simple.  I'm sure some more experienced users may 
expand on this.  The HELP file is very useful.

I've been really pleased with the response time of the server --
less than 24 hour turnaround on most request, some in less than four
hours. 


Toby Nixon, Principal Engineer     Fax:    +1-404-441-1213  AT&T:     !tnixon
Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc.  Voice:  +1-404-449-8791  CIS:    70271,404
Norcross, Georgia, USA             BBS:    +1-404-446-6336  MCI:       TNIXON
UUCP:   ...!uunet!hayes!tnixon     Internet:        hayes!tnixon@uunet.uu.net


[Moderator's Note: Thanks for sending this article. I'd like to add a
couple points: As they say, uucp-kids, don't try this on your home system
without a frank discussion with your postmaster/sysadmin first. Some
of the files are huge, and uucp sites rely upon the good will of the
sites they connect with to send/receive mail. Sure as I'm sitting here
drinking coffee, a connecting site will beef if you get umpty-jillion
bytes of stuff shoved through at one time. For next: the address given
above as 'bitftp.pucc.bitnet' is the same as 'bitftp.pucc.princeton.edu'.
Its the same machine, just coming from another network is all. Use the
Internet version of the address if you are on uucp, fido, or mcimail.  PAT]