Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!ames!amdcad!amd!intelca!mipos3!omepd!uoregon!dboyes From: dboyes@uoregon.UUCP (David Boyes) Newsgroups: comp.mail.uucp Subject: Re: BITNET software Message-ID: <495@uoregon.UUCP> Date: Wed, 19-Aug-87 04:25:17 EDT Article-I.D.: uoregon.495 Posted: Wed Aug 19 04:25:17 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 22-Aug-87 02:01:53 EDT References: <36b9d33e.44e6@apollo.uucp> Reply-To: dboyes@drizzle.UUCP (David Boyes) Organization: University of Oregon, Computer Science, Eugene OR Lines: 77 In article <36b9d33e.44e6@apollo.uucp> jlb@apollo.uucp (Joel Breazeale) writes: >Could someone "in the know" tell how/where one obtains the >software which interfaces to BITNET? > >I presume that BITNET software runs under several operating >systems. How about it running under a flavor of Unix and >VMS? BITNET operates primarily on VM/SP CMS and OS/VS2[MVS] with TSO. There are 2 versions of the software out there -- RSCS V2r2 (IBM's latest) and V1R3 (what everyone with any sense runs if they don't have to deal with SNA). For either of those two operating systems, contact your local IBM rep. For non-IBM machines, your choice is a bit wider. Under UNIX, the people at Penn State University have written a package called UREP that works like a dream. I know it works under BSD 4.[23] and I'm pretty sure that Sys V people won't have too much trouble. You need a synchronous port to attach to the next host along the line, though. UREP was priced around $300/yr last time I checked -- call PSU for the latest details. I *like* this package -- it's well integrated into the Unix environment as well as providing full RSCS services including interactive messages. For VMS....well, it exists. jnet 3.0 seems to be the most popular and reliable. It's reliable and it works, but it will give you screaming nightmares installing it and routing mail, especially if you have a Vaxcluster and call the whole thing by one node name (DON'T DO THIS!!! It may look convenient, but do you REALLY want everything with an origin of POSTMASTER@foo?) Personally, I hate this program with a passion, but there's nothing better available and Joiner Associates do miracles within the rather limited framework of VMS. There are other products for CDC and Prime equipment. Send me mail if you really want to know the headaches involved. > >Also, I've been running into a problem where the address on >an incoming message has been upcased, presumably by a gate- >way between BITNET and the ARPA internet. Is this a common >problem? This is a peripheral "feature" of BITNET. VM/CMS does not accept lowercase userids as valid, so it converts them to upper case. Since BITNET began as the two VM machines at CUNY and PSU talking to each other, the restriction stuck. You'll find that userids longer than 8 characters will get chopped in most situations as well due to the same limitations. >Is this gateway software standardized so that fixing >it in one place eventually propagates to all gateways? The Internet - BITNET gateways do whatever they darn well please. With the demise of WISCVM (one of the most well-behaved and tolerant of the gateways) things are going to get really weird. I would say that some MVS machine somewhere along the way uppercased everything. MVS has a tendency to do that, even when told not to. >What >process would I have to go through to get this situation >resolved, contact the gateway site administrator? Invent a TCP that will run over RSCS protocols and we'll all join the Internet and then the problem will be solved. And hell will freeze over along the same timeline. It's just a matter of inertia. >Joel Breazeale >Apollo Computer, Inc. -- David Boyes ARPA: 556%OREGON1.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU Systems Division BITNET: 556@OREGON1 University of Oregon Computing Center UUCP: dboyes@uoregon.UUCP