JAKOB@FRMEU51.BITNET (12/09/87)
This is only a Test, because I have problems in sending messages to INFO-VAX@kl.sri.com, the ARPA-gateway tells me, that the info-vax adress is invalid, but on the contrary it DELIVERS the mail (sometimes)!!! ???? Till later....
carl@CITHEX.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick) (12/09/87)
> This is only a Test, because I have problems in sending messages to > INFO-VAX@kl.sri.com, the ARPA-gateway tells me, that the info-vax adress > is invalid, but on the contrary it DELIVERS the mail (sometimes)!!! > ???? Are you sure you're interpreting the failed mail messages properly? There are almost always some addresses on the info-vax distribution list that are invalid for one of the following reasons: 1) The machine to which the message is addressed is not connected to the network (it might be down, it might be in the process of a software upgrade and the mailer isn't working yet, there might be trouble with a communications device, or a machine through which it connects to the net might have one of these problems); or 2) The account to which the mail is addressed might no longer exist, or the disk on which its mail is to be sent mignt not be mounted, etc.); or 3) A mailer somewhere between the subscriber and INFO-VAX might have mangled the address at the time of the subscription. If such invalid addresses exist, then you'll see bounced mail messages, even though your message arrived at info-vax. This is because the ARPA specification for mail doesn't include the idea of an "ERRORS TO:" address (which is what should be used for failed mail messages in the case of a teleconference). Instead, there is only the "MAIL FROM:" address, which is normally the address of the original sender. Some mailers implement a "Reply To:" address, which the info-vax teleconference defines to be INFO-VAX@KL.SRI.COM, or something like that; this causes some brain-damaged mailers to send failed-mail messages back to the teleconference, thence back to the bad address..., ad nauseum.