[comp.mail.elm] Where is my full name?

mmiskowi@nmsu.edu (Michael Miskowicz) (06/05/91)

When bringing up the opening screen of elm, everyone is already
familiar with the date/prompt/lines/subject format.  

Well, I've noticed that when some people send me mail, it either says
their full name or their full e-mail address.

My problem is, why is my elm sending out simply my e-mail address, yet
when my sister sends her e-mail to me, it prints out her full name in
the opening screen?

In the options menu under full name, I have already typed my full
name.

Sorry if this was a FAQ, but I'm just curious to find out what this is
all about.  Please send responses through e-mail.  Thank you very
much.

Michael Miskowicz

syd@DSI.COM (Syd Weinstein) (06/05/91)

In article <1422@opus.NMSU.Edu> mmiskowi@nmsu.edu (Michael Miskowicz) writes:
>My problem is, why is my elm sending out simply my e-mail address, yet
>when my sister sends her e-mail to me, it prints out her full name in
>the opening screen?

Its a FAQ alright, and a confusing one.  The full name is on the
From: line.  In most configurations, the MTA adds the From: line, so
the Elm options are not used there.  Most MTA's get the full name
from either an environment variable or from the GCOS field of the
password file. 

Seek help from your local administrator in getting your full name into
the password file, or finding out what environment variable, if any,
your MTA can use.
-- 
=====================================================================
Sydney S. Weinstein, CDP, CCP                   Elm Coordinator
Datacomp Systems, Inc.                          Voice: (215) 947-9900
syd@DSI.COM or dsinc!syd                        FAX:   (215) 938-0235

dattier@vpnet.chi.il.us (David W. Tamkin) (06/07/91)

mmiskowi@nmsu.edu (Michael Miskowicz) wrote in <1422@opus.NMSU.Edu>:

| Well, I've noticed that when some people send me mail, it either says
| their full name or their full e-mail address.
| 
| My problem is, why is my elm sending out simply my e-mail address, yet
| when my sister sends her e-mail to me, it prints out her full name in
| the opening screen?

One workaround until your administrator reconfigures elm is to put this into
your $HOME/.elm/elmheaders file:

From: mmiskowi@nmsu.edu (Michael Miskowicz)

At least that trick works with elm 2.2 and 2.3 and provides a full name in
the header of every outgoing letter.

David Tamkin  PO Box 7002  Des Plaines IL  60018-7002  dattier@vpnet.chi.il.us
GEnie:D.W.TAMKIN  CIS:73720,1570  MCIMail:426-1818  708 518 6769  312 693 0591

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syd@DSI.COM (Syd Weinstein) (06/07/91)

dattier@vpnet.chi.il.us (David W. Tamkin) writes:
>mmiskowi@nmsu.edu (Michael Miskowicz) wrote in <1422@opus.NMSU.Edu>:
>| Well, I've noticed that when some people send me mail, it either says
>| their full name or their full e-mail address.
>| 
>| My problem is, why is my elm sending out simply my e-mail address, yet
>| when my sister sends her e-mail to me, it prints out her full name in
>| the opening screen?

>One workaround until your administrator reconfigures elm is to put this into
>your $HOME/.elm/elmheaders file:

>From: mmiskowi@nmsu.edu (Michael Miskowicz)

>At least that trick works with elm 2.2 and 2.3 and provides a full name in
>the header of every outgoing letter.
That trick, will produce a From: header, but its not a good trick.

First off, if Elm is configured to add From: lines, there will be
two of them in the message (as Elm just cats the contents of elmheaders
it doesnt process them and prevent dups with its own headers). 

Secondly if Elm was not configured to add From; headers, (which was
probably the case in this request), then the MTA is being presented
with a From: header when it shouldn't be.  This is contrary to what
the system administrator wanted, and for many MTA's will cause it
to do things incorrectly.

-- 
=====================================================================
Sydney S. Weinstein, CDP, CCP                   Elm Coordinator
Datacomp Systems, Inc.                          Voice: (215) 947-9900
syd@DSI.COM or dsinc!syd                        FAX:   (215) 938-0235