Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 alpha 4/3/85; site decuac.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!decuac!avolio
From: avolio@decuac.UUCP (Frederick M. Avolio)
Newsgroups: net.mail,net.mail.headers
Subject: Re: From lines in mail headers
Message-ID: <524@decuac.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 24-May-85 08:52:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: decuac.524
Posted: Fri May 24 08:52:04 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 25-May-85 07:01:32 EDT
References: <487@bonnie.UUCP>
Organization: ULTRIX Applications Center, MD
Lines: 24
Xref: linus net.mail:822 net.mail.headers:336
Summary: "From_ vs From:" or "UUCP is not pretty"

In article <487@bonnie.UUCP>, jww@bonnie.UUCP (Joel West) writes:
> What do the two "From" headers at the beginning of a mail message signify?  
> ...
> In particular, isn't the >From line redundant to an honest-to-goodness
> RFC822-std From: line (which I assume has been assaulted by each and
> every mailer along the way).  Is it necessary to include both of these
> first two "From" lines (I'm writing my own mailer to drop mail at a
> sendmail site, so the question is not academic).

  Well, From_ is for UUCP mailing/routing.  From: should be the
"ultimate" address of the person.  Strictly speaking, it should be in
a form such as "User@Domain" as in you sample #7 (which was
"user@cbosgd.ATT.UUCP"). (RFC822-std.) So you are quite right -- UUCP
mailers all over are "assaulting" that line.  That line should never
be rewritten.  The way things *should* work is if you have a smart
mailer, it uses the From: line.  Since most UUCP mailers are not
smart, they should use the From_ line. (But they do not always do this
-- I don't think UCB Mail does, for example.)

  By the way, I think is is a mistake for a system to be tacking on an
extra "From_" line (From uucp .....) as it appears yours is.  At the
least it is redundant.
-- 
Fred Avolio      {decvax,seismo}!decuac!avolio      301/731-4100 x4227