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Path: utzoo!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!ucbvax!NADC!eichelbe
From: eichelbe@NADC
Newsgroups: mod.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: NIC host table changes - how to survive?
Message-ID: <8607020415.AA11796@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Tue, 1-Jul-86 23:25:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8607020415.AA11796
Posted: Tue Jul  1 23:25:35 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 2-Jul-86 21:14:17 EDT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 63
Approved: tcp-ip@sri-nic.arpa


	In regard to the changes in the host table to fully support domains:

Yes, this is "breaking" the mail system at some sites.  Due to legal problems
which I won't discuss here, I am stuck with an smtp mail system on a 4.1 BSD
UNIX system for a VAX 11/780.  Going to 4.2 BSD or 4.3 BSD (which I assume
will support the domain stuff) is not presently and may never be an option
for my site.

Since I do have source code and I am a C programmer, fixes to the source
are possible.  Does anyone have an idea of the magnitude of the changes
that are required?  (That was not a rhetorical question!)  I'd be interested
in some informal help.  The code looks like it was originally produced by
BB&N since the code has bug fixes in it which are labeled as from BB&N.
When I called BB&N they told me that they were not supporting the code.

Although I can make the mail headers for my /usr/spool/netmail/arpa*
files (mail to be sent) have the complete system name (e.g.,
aim.rutgers.edu) the smtp mailer says that no such site exists.  This
is evidenced by the command "host" which is supossed to return
information from the host table existing on MY system when a site name
is provided.  If I type:

host nadc

I get back:

nadc.arpa nadc:26.0.0.24 hostcap=1 tcp/ftp tcp/smtp tcp/telnet

which is fine.  But it has always been true for my "host" command that
typing:

host nadc.arpa

returned:

host: bad host: network not found

and typing:

host ru-aim

returns:

aim.rutgers.edu ru-aim ru-aim.arpa:128.6.4.15 hostcap=1 tcp/finger tcp/ftp tcp/smtp tcp/telnet

but typing:

host aim.rutgers.edu

returns:

host: bad host: too many address components
---
So it becomes obvious that low-level routines in the mailer do not under-
stand domain-type information.  Are code changes required?  Maybe there is
something I should be placing in my NETWORKS file to tell the mailer about
.arpa and .edu?  The mailer has obviously always assumed .arpa.  Any help
or ideas on what I can do to join everyone else here in 1986 would be
appreciated.  Thank you.

		Jon Eichelberger
		eichelbe@NADC.ARPA