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From: stef%uci-750a@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: MMDF Host Package
Message-ID: <1579@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 2-Jul-84 12:08:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.1579
Posted: Mon Jul  2 12:08:08 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Jul-84 01:10:24 EDT
Lines: 34

Hi Dave - Jerry Sweet, Terry Domae and I have been working on an
adaptation (close to a port) of the Rand MH User Agent from Unix (tm)
to CP/M (tm).  It is reasonably independent of a revised Phonenet
Interface that we devised to give the PC User some interactive control
of the mail transfer process when interacting with a larger host's Mail
Transfer Agent such as MMDF.  All this work is partially complete.

One of the main advantages we see in the MH approach for the PC is that
it's commands are each individual commands files, as is often the case
in CP/M or MS/DOS operating systems, so the whole MH concept falls
nicely into place on the PC.  In MH, each command is a separate
program, and each message is kept in a separte regular ASCII text file.
In Unix, MH message files are organized in "folder" directories, and in
CP/MH, message files are organized in "folder diskettes" (more or less).

So far, Jerry Sweet has implemented the mail FOLDERS facility, and a
rudimentary REPLY command to build a reply draft from the results of
parsing a received message to get the needed reply addresses.  The
basic COMPOSE program just copies a "template file" to establish a
draft, and then you can use any editor on your template based draft, as
long as it will result in a clear ASCII file for posting with the MTA.
FORWARD is just a COMPOSE plus an append of the forwarded message file. 

Terry Domae has most of the MMDF Phonenet interface working, as a
separately interfaced set of modules which involve PC programs for
CONNECTING via Phonenet, POSTING and RECEIVING, and for SCANNING new
mail before requesting delivery.  His programs interact with Unix based
counterparts at the larger MMDF Host, and all interactions use Phonenet
Packets to assure error control on both commands and text transfers.

If you are interested, we would like to consider interfacing our CP/MH
with your MMDF software for the PC.

Best - Stef