Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!rutgers!uwvax!oddjob!gargoyle!ihnp4!homxb!mtuxo!mtune!petsd!moncol!john
From: john@moncol.UUCP (John Ruschmeyer)
Newsgroups: comp.sources.bugs
Subject: Smail sends empty mail
Message-ID: <497@moncol.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 11-Oct-87 20:15:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: moncol.497
Posted: Sun Oct 11 20:15:59 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 13-Oct-87 07:00:37 EDT
Organization: Monmouth College, W. Long Branch, NJ
Lines: 32

I have come across what would seem to be a minor bug in the recently posted
version of smail.

Specifically, trying to use 'mail' (actually, the 'svbinmail' front end) to
send an empty letter results in an empty letter being sent. This, however,
is inconsistant with the original /bin/mail (now /bin/lmail) which will not
send any mail.

I would assume that the problem is that smail is not smart enough to
realize it should ignore the empty piece of mail and send nothing. Instead,
it tacks on headers and passes it on to /bin/lmail which knows no better.

It wouldn't be so bad except that it breaks /bin/calendar very nicely.
(Every morning, you get this nice empty (except for headers) piece of
mail.)

To repeat:
	$ mail yourself </dev/null

System specifics:
	Edition VII (v7) on a Perkin-Elmer 3220.

-- 
Name:		John Ruschmeyer
US Mail:	Monmouth College, W. Long Branch, NJ 07764
Phone:		(201) 571-3557
UUCP:		...!vax135!petsd!moncol!john	...!princeton!moncol!john
						   ...!pesnta!moncol!john

	Give computers an artificial intelligence and the
	next thing you know they want to use the same bathroom.
					- Allan Dean Foster