comparc@twwells.com (comp.archives) (02/05/90)
The comp.archives database server is a set of shell scripts to let you use
e-mail to get information from the comp.archive database. At this time, all
that is available are the archive site database, some informational messages,
and some archive related software.
What you do is to send a message to
comp-archives-server@twwells.com
The server reads the Subject: line and the body of the message to discover
what you want it to return to you. The commands it recognizes are:
path <your-address>
Normally, the server determines where to send the reply by examining
the mail headers. If there is a Reply-To: header, that header is
used. If not, the From: header is used. Life being as it is, the
headers may have been mangled in transit, making them unreliable for
replying. Or you may want the reply to go somewhere other than from
where you sent the message (and not have Reply-To: available to you).
If so, you can add a path command to your message. The reply will be
sent to the address in the path command. For example, if you are
desperate@broken.mailer.com, and you don't get anything back from the
server, you might try adding a command
path desperate@broken.mailer.com
in your request. Or, if you prefer, you can use a uucp route, as in:
path uunet!somewhere!mailer!desperate
help
send help
Send the latest version of this help message. If your message contains
no requests, the server will send you the help message anyway.
send sitereg
Send a form you can fill out to register your archive in the database.
You fill out the form and send it to:
comp-archives-request@twwells.com
send format
Send a description of the comp.archives database entry format.
index
send index
Send an index of the comp.archives database. The index has entries of
the form:
<site name> -- <access> -- <title>
<keywords>
...
When requesting information about a site, you use <site name> in a
"send site" command. The <access> field indicates how you can get to
the archive: words like uucp, ftp, mail, bbs, and fido. The keywords
are there to give you a clue as to what is in the archive.
send db.perl.shar
There is a perl script to automatically extract the archive info from
the DB: postings. This will get you that perl script.
send db.serv.shar
send decwrl.shar
send netlib.1.shar
send netlib.2.shar
I archive three servers. The first is the server I use for
comp.archives; it is a very simple set of shell scripts and has no
documentation. I also have the decwrl server and the netlib server.
[Right at the moment, I have withdrawn db.serv.shar; I just rewrote
it and want to finish the documentation before making it available.
I'll be posting about it when it is available.]
send site site-name
Send information about a specific site. You will receive both the
database entry and the informational posting that went with it, if
there was one.
quit
Cause any data after this line to be ignored. Useful if your mailer
appends a signature to your message.
The server is entirely automatic and does not try to resend failed mail, nor
do I pay any attention to failed mail. If you don't get a reply after a
reasonable time, or get a bad reply, send mail to
comp-archives-request@twwells.com
and tell me what the problem is. Server requests to this address will be
summarily ignored.
---
Bill { uunet | novavax | ankh | sunvice } !twwells!bill
bill@twwells.com
send comp.archives postings to comp-archives@twwells.com
send comp.archives related mail to comp-archives-request@twwells.com
send comp.archives server requests to comp-archives-server@twwells.com