[comp.dcom.telecom] Email FTP Access to Archives

Scott Barman <scott@nbc1.ge.com> (06/06/91)

Patrick,

We discussed once before trying to get those of us with uucp-only
access to be able to get to the Telecom Archives.  Well, if someone
hasn't informed you yet, I found something in one of the comp.unix.*
newsgroups.

I got the following by sending a message with only "help" in the body
to ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com:

 >Date: Wed, 5 Jun 91 14:36:54 -0700
 >From: crdgw1!Decwrl.dec.com!nobody (ftpmail daemon on uucp-gw-1.pa.dec.com)
 >To: scott@nbc1.ge.com
 >Subject: your ftpmail request has been received

 >>>> this help file was last edited on 15-February-1991
 >>>> commands are:
 >	reply <MAILADDR>	set reply addr, since headers are usually wrong
 >	connect [HOST [USER [PASS]]]  defaults to gatekeeper.dec.com, anonymous
 >	ascii			files grabbed are printable ascii
 >	binary			files grabbed are compressed or tar or both
 >	compress		compress binaries using Lempel-Ziv encoding
 >	compact			compress binaries using Huffman encoding
 >	uuencode		binary files will be mailed in uuencode format
 >	btoa			binary files will be mailed in btoa format
 >	ls (or dir) PLACE	short (long) directory listing
 >	get FILE		get a file and have it mailed to you
 >	quit			terminate script, ignore rest of mail message
 >					(use if you have a .signature or
 >					 are a VMSMAIL user)
 >>>> notes:
 >	-> you must give a "connect" command, default host is
 >	   gatekeeper.dec.com, default user is anonymous, default
 >	   password is your mail address.
 >	-> binary files will not be compressed unless 'compress' or 'compact'
 >	   command is given; use this if at all possible, it helps a lot.
 >	-> binary files will always be formatted into printable ASCII
 >	   with "btoa" or "uuencode" (default is "btoa").
 >	-> all retrieved files will be split into 60KB chunks and mailed.
 >	-> VMS/DOS/Mac versions of uudecode, atob, compress and compact
 >	   are available, ask your LOCAL wizard about them.
 >
 >  -- Ftpmail Submission Transcript --
 ><<< help
 >>>> Help is on the way.
 >  -- End Of Ftpmail Transcript --

I have not tried it yet (other than to get this help listing), but it
looks promising!  I hope this helps the telecom readers ... I'm looking
forward to trying it myself.


scott barman      scott@nbc1.ge.com


[Moderator's Note: And the other method available, recently started
just for telecom readers is discussed in this earlier message:


 Subject: New Telecom Archives Server on Line; Current Index of Files
 Date: Wed, 29 May 1991 00:00:00 GMT

I am pleased to announce a new mail service is available for use with
the Telecom Archives. It is just in the beginning stages, and will
have more and more of our files on line as time goes on. My
understanding is this service is *only* for the Telecom Archives at
this time.

Furthermore, this service is intended for NON-INTERNET sites who would
otherwise not have access via ftp. If you can use ftp lcs.mit.edu,
then you are strongly encouraged to continue doing so. The program
described below was written by Doug Davis so that our many readers on
the commercial mail services, Fido, and similar sites (Portal and
Chinet for example) can also participate.

FIRST, here is a help file, prepared by Doug Davis:

   From: "Doug Davis at letni.lonestar.org" <doug@letni.lonestar.org>
   Subject: Help File
   Date: 27-May-91 23:14:40 CST (Mon)


This mail server is pretty simple minded, commands are sent as a
single line in the body of the message.  The ``Subject:'' (if any)
will be returned as the subject line from the mail off of this site.
This way you can keep track of your own requests.

The following commands are available. Pretend the parser is stupid and
spell and space them exactly as they are listed here.  Anything else
in in the body of the message will be quietly ignored.

Path:<space>{rfc-976/internet/@) return address for yourself}

   The parameter of this command should be internet style 
   notation for your username.  If your machine is not locateable
   on the internet via an MX record or gethostbyname() don't bother
   trying this, since the returning mail will undoubtably be lost.

Command:<space>[sub-command]<space>{parameters/filenames}

   Currently the only supported subcommand right now is "send" with the 
   parameters being the filenames separated via spaces to be sent via
   return mail to you.

For example, to get the index file, send the server a message with the
line below in the body of the message.

Command: send index

This will cause the index of available files to be sent back to you.
Also, this is a system V site (hey it was cheap) so you will have to
request the file via it's short time.  Some later version of the
server software will work with the longer names. Oh, yeah, in the
above, <space> means the space-bar, i.e. a character with the value of
0x20 hex. Not the word <space> itself.

Mailing addresses:

  telecom-archive-request@letni.lonestar.org:      The mail server itself

  telecom-archive-server@letni.lonestar.org:       Returning mail to
                                                   you will come from this
                                                   address.  Mail sent
                                                   TO this address will be
                                                   silently ignored.

  doug@letni.lonestar.org:                         My address.


Other notes, There is a 500k (per-day) limit on messages leaving the
server. If the backlog has exceeded this you will be sent a short note
saying your request is acknowledged and how many requests are in the
queue before yours.

Also presently the back issues of the Digest are being reformatted and
are not presently available, my hope is to finish them by the first
part of June.


doug 
(Mon May 27 1991)

                         --------------

I assume by now (6-12-91) Doug has the index a little more complete in
case you have not checked it out recently.   PAT]