[comp.mail.misc] Destination dependent name conversions And Smail 3.1.21

brinkema@fjc.GOV (John R. Brinkema) (06/17/91)

I want to use Smail 3.1.21 (on various systems) to route external and internal
mail to a network that that uses a non-standard user name convention.  Specific-
ally, brinkema@funnynet needs to be converted to John_Brinkema@funnynet; this
conversion is to be done only if the destination is funnynet (ie.
brinkema@oknet coming into the same smail - machine goes to brinkema@oknet
whereever that is with *no* name conversion), so alias files
don't seem to be the obvious tool.  The name brinkema exits on several machines
connected via a LAN and name should NOT be touched if sent to those machine.

So what I *think* I need is a route sensitive aliaser.  It is not possible
to change the naming conventions on funnynet (it is an office-automation
machine manageged and used by 'real people' who
like full names as well as us UNIX types that live both there and on UNIX
machines).

Any ideas?  jb.

les@chinet.chi.il.us (Leslie Mikesell) (06/26/91)

In article <434@fjcp60.GOV> brinkema@fjc.GOV (John R. Brinkema) writes:
>I want to use Smail 3.1.21 (on various systems) to route external and internal
>mail to a network that that uses a non-standard user name convention.  Specific-
>ally, brinkema@funnynet needs to be converted to John_Brinkema@funnynet; this
>conversion is to be done only if the destination is funnynet (ie.
>brinkema@oknet coming into the same smail - machine goes to brinkema@oknet
>whereever that is with *no* name conversion), so alias files
>don't seem to be the obvious tool.  The name brinkema exits on several machines
>connected via a LAN and name should NOT be touched if sent to those machine.

>So what I *think* I need is a route sensitive aliaser.  It is not possible
>to change the naming conventions on funnynet (it is an office-automation
>machine manageged and used by 'real people' who
>like full names as well as us UNIX types that live both there and on UNIX
>machines).

I'm not entirely sure I understand the scenario and there are different
solutions that could be used depending on the constraints.  If funnynet
is really a separate entity, then it should be doing it's own aliasing.
That is, the alias file on funneynet should map brinkema to John_Brinkema
and no other machine needs to know about it.  If funneynet isn't running
smail and you want the gateway machine to handle the aliasing there are
still a couple of ways to do it.  One way would be to hide the funneynet
machine completely behind a domain or gateway name and resolve delivery
to the hidden machines through the alias file on the gateway machine.
Another would be to make an entry in "transports" that uses an external
program to perform delivery and make that program perform the translations
you want.

Les Mikesell
  les@chinet.chi.il.us