                   Internet Mail Handling on 1:1/31
                   ================================

 1:1/31 does NOT interact with its smart-host/server via 'uucico',
 but by MOVING the queued files between the PC and the server using
 a product from Sun Microsystems known as PC-NFS.  Since the PC has an
 Ethernet card and is located on the same Ethernet as the UNIX server
 we are able to "mount" directories from the servers as drives on the
 PC.  Because of this feature,  we are able to handle the enormous
 amounts of E-mail which are being handled by this system at speeds
 clocked at 8-Mb per second.  However, we have to operate using
 very NON-STANDARD methods and have heavily modified our batch files
 and scripts to accomodate this.


 OUTGOING Mail (to the Internet):
 -------------------------------

    Messages must be addressed to 1:1/31 and either have the UserName
    "Uucp" in the FidoNet-Header with the Internet destination in a
    "To: address" line as the very FIRST line of the message;
                                -or-
    have the Internet destination as the UserName field, complete
    with the '@' sign.

    (For more specific details,  F'req magic-name  UUCPHELP  from 1:1/31)

    Mail is processed using GIGO.  The resulting queued files are
    *moved* to the smart-host/server via PC-NFS where they are fed
    to the mail handler by a script.


 INCOMING Mail (from the Internet):
 ---------------------------------

    The mail which is queued on the smart-host/server is prepared
    by a script which renames the files to the MS-DOS filenames
    as if they were received by Waffle's 'uucico'.  It is then *moved*
    to the PC side of the gateway over a "mounted" link to the
    server's directories.  The mail is then gated by GIGO.

    Some of the incoming Mail is ROUTED thru the FidoNet Backbone
    via 1:270/101.  The mail for some systems are put directly on HOLD
    at 1:1/31 either at the request of the recipient SysOp, or one of
    the backbone routers or at the discretion of the gateway-operator.
    In the latter case, NetMail is sent by the gateway operator to
    the SysOp informing him/her that they must POLL 1:1/31 to pick up
    their Internet mail.

    Systems receiving large volumes of E-mail in the form of
    mailing-lists, UUencoded files and such *will* be asked to POLL
    for their Mail.  The FidoNet backbone will NOT route such large
    volumes of mail.

    Mail will be HELD for a period of not more than 6 days (depending
    on disk space).  You *must* Poll for your Mail at least twice a
    week or some mail will be lost.  We just cannot hold mail indefinitely.

    If you would *like* for your Internet mail to be put on HOLD at
    1:1/31, simply  File-Request  UUHOLD  from 1:1/31.  This will pass
    your address into a process that will dynamically re-configure the
    routing and related files.  You will not receive any confirmation
    immediately, but will receive a routed NetMail confirmation from
    a later process.
    Be aware that when you do so, it will also automatically install
    an MX-record for your address so that your Internet mail will come
    in thru 1:1/31 even though your Net may have mail normally coming
    in thru another of the gateways.

    If you are an NC and would like your entire Net's mail held for
    you and your mailer is capable of EMSI, just F'req  UNETHOLD instead.

 Newsgroups:
 ----------

    Usenet Newsgroups are handled using GIGO.
    Incoming news is queued on the server in *.BAG format.
    The gateway handles the inbound bundles much the same as if they
    were in PageSat format.

    Outbound news is handled by moving the queued files to the nntp-server
    where they are fed by a script directly into  rnews/relaynews.
    
    We are now gating ALL of the comp,misc,news,rec,sci,soc,talk
    and ieee.* hierarchies.

    Newsgroups are NOT generally available to FidoNet nodes, but are
    gated for Net-107 (our "home" Net) and invited guest links.

#####################################################################

                       Frequently Asked Questions
                       ==========================

Q:  I sent a message to 'listserv@somewhere' and the gateway bounced
    it.  Why?


A:  In order to curtail traffic, it is necessary to inhibit folks from
    getting themselves on mailing-lists when their traffic is routed.
    We can only *globally* BLOCK mail from going to such addresses,
    and cannot do it selectively.


Q:  Someone sent me E-mail and it didn't arrive.  He didn't get a
    'bounce' either.

A:  One of several things could be happening.

    1)  The MX-record points your traffic to come in thru a different
    gateway other than 1:1/31.  Traffic comes IN according to the DNS
    tables,  NOT necessarily back in via the same gateway that you might
    have sent a message out.
    The complete Domain-Name-Server table is File-Requestable from
    1:1/31 by REQuesting magic-name  DNS.  Inside, there are comments
    explaining how to read it.  You need to see if there is an entry
    for your Net pointing to another gateway's MX-receiver.
    The MX-receiver for 1:1/31 is 'zeus.ieee.org'.

    2)  It is also possible that the message is circling around thru
    the LPM links of the FidoNet backbone somewhere.  Any mail which is
    routed is routed via 1:270/101 (ProtoStar).  Contact your NC, RC, or
    REC to track down a possibly broken LPM link to your Node.

    3)  Your mail could be on HOLD and you failed to PICKUP your mail
    before it was automatically deleted.


Q:  I know that GIGO can assign a unique name to a system instead of
    the '@f###.n###.z1.fidonet.org'  address.  I'd like my system to
    have a shorter address.  Can you do this for me?

A:  Sorry, folks.  Our configuration is rather unique because of the
    method we use to transfer the mail between the PC and the UNIX-server.
    Besides,  we'd go kinda nuts maintaining the configuration for the
    number of Nodes we serve.  The more we shove into the configuration,
    the longer the gating takes and there's also a memory limitation
    that the software has to deal with too.


Q:  I got onto a mailing-list and I don't know how to UNsubscribe.
    How do I UNsubscribe from the mailing-list?

A:  Mailing-lists vary in how they are handled.  Some have an automated
    procedure for subscribing and unsubscribing.  Usually the initial
    verification when you were subscribed contained the instructions
    for unsubscribing from the mailing-list.  If you do NOT have these
    instructions, there is usually an address which will get to a
    "human" owner who can help you.
    In general,  the mailing-list will be named in the FORMAT of
    'listname@somewhere' or 'listname-l@somewhere'.  The "owner"
    address will usually be either 'listname-request@somewhere' or
    'owner-listname@somewhere' or 'listname-owner@somewhere'.
    You can also look for an "Errors-To:" header in one of the messages
    from the list.  1:1/31 will have this line hidden behind a ^A line
    near the top of the text.  If it has an "Errors-To:" line, this
    is *usually* the address that will reach the "owner" of the list
    who can help you.


#####################################################################

                                       Burt Juda
                                       postmaster

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