Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/3/84; site maynard.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!panda!talcott!wjh12!maynard!campbell From: campbell@maynard.UUCP (Larry Campbell) Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards,net.mail,net.bugs.uucp Subject: Re: Re: Avoiding expansion of mail's metacharacters Message-ID: <138@maynard.UUCP> Date: Mon, 19-Aug-85 21:13:55 EDT Article-I.D.: maynard.138 Posted: Mon Aug 19 21:13:55 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 00:20:50 EDT References: <1391@cbosgd.UUCP> <2637@sun.uucp> <1043@sdcsvax.UUCP> Organization: The Boston Software Works Inc., Maynard, MA Lines: 46 Xref: watmath net.unix-wizards:14461 net.mail:1060 net.bugs.uucp:580 > > There's an obvious and easy way to fix this problem. > > > > Put ALL the information in the input file! > > > > The only information that needs to go over the uucp link is "run this > > program on this input file". No argv. The shell is happy to > > deal with that, and the program is free to place any interpretation > > on the input file. > > This won't always work. Suppose you've got a message > To: ihnp4!cbosgd!bill, decvax!decwrl!june, sdcsvax!sdcc3!george, > ucbvax!ucbfunky!ellen > > When ihnp4 gets this message, what should it conclude? That it should > only try to deliver the copy to "ihnp4..."? Even if it has > direct paths to sdcsvax and ucbvax? Or should it just try to deliver > to everyone?... > > Joel West CACI, Inc. - Federal (c/o UC San Diego) > {ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sdcsvax!jww > jww@SDCSVAX.ARPA You're confusing the envelope with the message. Conceptually, the mail command line is the "envelope", containing delivery instructions. The message header lines are part of the message, ignored by intermediate delivery agents, and used only by the final recipient. (I'm speaking simplistically and ideally here...) To avoid shell metacharacter expansion, we just need to add an "envelope" portion of the message that contains delivery instructions. The "To:" field in the message is for the recipient's benefit only; the envelope portion would control delivery actions. Unfortunately, in today's far from perfect world, it often becomse necessary for some intermediate delivery agent to edit the message header as well, or else replies won't work. We should regard this as a temporary aberration, which can be dispensed with when a universal mail addressing scheme has been adopted. This might even happen within our lifetimes! Larry Campbell decvax!genrad The Boston Software Works, Inc. \ 120 Fulton St. seismo!harvard!wjh12!maynard!campbell Boston MA 02109 / / ihnp4 cbosgd ARPA: campbell%maynard.uucp@harvard.arpa