Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site akgua.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!houxm!houxz!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!akgua!glc
From: glc@akgua.UUCP (G.L. Cleveland [Lindsay])
Newsgroups: net.news.adm
Subject: mail/uuxqt small buffer vs. long mail path
Message-ID: <863@akgua.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Jul-84 22:49:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: akgua.863
Posted: Tue Jul  3 22:49:21 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Jul-84 01:31:20 EDT
Organization: AT&T Technologies/Bell Labs, Atlanta
Lines: 25

Recently this backbone site (akgua) has had a rash of mail thru
here which has failed due to truncated "To:" routes.  I realize
that it is the result of people replying to news article which
have followed a long path to their site.

However, the "vanilla" versions of mail and uuxqt have hard-coded
buffers of 100 bytes (and an "fget" for 100 bytes).  This was
designed back in the days before 17-hop mail addresses were ever
envisioned!  As a result, only the first 100 bytes of the mail
path is getting supplied to the next system.  This affects both
originating mail and "pass-thru" mail.

May I encourage all administrators who are fortunate to have a
source license to check the "mail.c" and "uuxqt.c" code for such
buffers (try "sendto" and "xcmd") and recompile with larger sizes.
Those with binary-only licenses I hope may have some other
recourse.  Your users and those "upstream" will appreciate having
their news replies make it all the way to the addressee.

Cheers,
  Lindsay

Lindsay Cleveland  (...{ihnp4|mcnc|sdcsvax|clyde}!akgua!glc)
AT&T Technologies/Bell Laboratories ... Atlanta, Ga
(404) 447-3909 ...  Cornet 583-3909