Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!cbmvax!vu-vlsi!psuvax1!owens
From: owens@psuvax1.psu.edu (Robert Michael Owens)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.ibm
Subject: Re: BSMTP problem with UREP 3.2
Message-ID: <3478@psuvax1.psu.edu>
Date: 25 Apr 88 17:17:38 GMT
References: <8804251118.AA06988@jade.berkeley.edu>
Organization: Computer Science Department, Penn State University
Lines: 32
Summary: urep "mail from:<>"

In article <8804251118.AA06988@jade.berkeley.edu>, patterso@HARDEES.RUTGERS.EDU (Ross Patterson) writes:
+ Leonid,
+ 
+    The failing BSMTP command appears to be the "MAIL FROM:<>" command,
+ which is hardly gratuitous. It is persfectly reasonable SMTP as well
+ as BSMTP, and means "Under no circumstances are you to attempt to
+ reply to this mail. Should you find an error, simply drop the mail
+ without comment." It is also well known that some mailers (including,
+ I belive, the Crosswell) don't like this form. Someone from the
+ Weizmann Institute posted a fix for the Crosswell code to the XMAILER
+ list some time ago, perhaps UREP needs a similar fix?
+ 
+ Ross Patterson
+ Rutgers University

the bsmtp router which comes as part of urep supports "mail from:<>".

history (1983) - originally only "trusted mailers/routers" or "local
user agents" were suppose to be able to send mail to/through a BSMTP
mailer/router/gateway.  i.e., BSMTP was originally NOT to be a user
protocol. BSMTP routers were suppose to have been written for the
different systems on bitnet. it never happened. however many users
were willing to wrap their own BSTMP so they could use one of the
bitnet gateways (i.e., psuvax1). it was impractical (and unwise)
to register each such user. instead a router/gateway is suppose to
check BSMTP mail from non trusted users to make sure they aren't
lieing about who the mail is from. many of the gateways on bitnet
simply don't do this. the code supplied with urep does. trusted
mailers must be listed in a file "DOMAINS" which also specifies
the domain naming tree.

owens