NWG/RFC# 278                            RWW 17-NOV-71 14:12  8056
Revision of the Mail Box Protocol

NETWORK WORKING GROUP             Abhay Bhushan, MIT-DMCG
Request for Comments #278         Bob Braden, UCLA-CCN
NIC 8056                          Eric Harslem, RAND
Categories: A.5, O.7              John Heafner, RAND
Obsoletes RFC 221, NIC 7612       Alex McKenzie, BBN-NET
                                  John Melvin, SRI-ARC
                                  Bob Sundberg, HARV
                                  Dick Watson, SRI-ARC
                                  Jim White, UCSB
                                  17-Nov-1971

                   REVISION OF THE MAIL BOX PROTOCOL

   The file transfer committee met and discussed the Mail Box Protocol
   RFC 221, NIC 7612.  The potential utility for the mechanism was
   confirmed and a couple of changes suggested.  We first give the
   changes and then restate the Protocol.

                                  CHANGES

   1) The Mail Box Protocol is only to allow ASCII stings of text
   formatted for a network standard line printer rather than allowing
   other data types.

   2) A new command is to be added to the File Transfer Protocol called
   "Append With Create" which appends to a file if the file exists, and
   creates a file if it does not exist.

   3) The standard path name for the mailbox is to be, using conventional
   metalanguage symbols,

      "MAIL" <separator> ("PRINTER"/<ident>)

      <separator> is the ASCII GS, octal 035.  The semantics of
      the above are the following:

      <ident> is a NIC IDENT

      "MAIL" <separator> "PRINTER" would be interpreted by the
      receiving site as meaning Append With Create the
      transmitted file to a bulk mail file to be printed or
      directly output it to a printer.

      "MAIL" <separator> <ident> would be interpreted to mean
      either




                                                             PAGE 1 


NWG/RFC# 278                            RWW 17-NOV-71 14:12  8056
Revision of the Mail Box Protocol

         1) The same as "MAIL" <separator> "PRINTER" i.e., ignore
         <ident> or

         2) Append With Create the following file to a file
         specifically for the person designated by <ident> for
         either online access or printing or both.

   The problem of delivering mail to TIPs was discussed.

   At the moment TIPs support only the Telnet Protocol, but it is planned
   to support the Data Transfer Protocol.  TIPs will have an ASCII line
   printer available as an optional device.  People desiring to send a
   mail item to a TIP with a printer can open a standard published socket
   and transmit to it with Telnet Protocol now, later also with the Data
   Transfer Protocol.  The NIC's plans with regard to TIPs is not to do
   automatic network delivery to them.  Messages to people using TIPs can
   be sent to them through the NIC and will be delivered as with everyone
   else directly to the person's initial file at the NIC. The TIP user
   can read the item online or obtain a hardcopy at his terminal with the
   Output Device Teletype command of NLS.

                           MAIL BOX PROTOCOL

   The Mail Box Protocol will use established network conventions,
   specifically the Network Control Program, Initial Connection Protocol,
   Data Transfer Protocol, and File Transfer Protocol (as described in
   current Network Protocols, NIC 7104).

   The transmission is to be Network ASCII.  The standard receiving mail
   printer is assumed to have a print line 72 characters wide, and a page
   of 66 lines.  The new line convention will be carriage return (Hex
   per the Telnet Protocol, RFC 158, NIC 6768.  The standard printer will
   accept form feed character (Hex '0C') (Octal '014') as meaning move
   paper to the top of a new page.

   It is the sender's responsibility to control the length of the print
   line and page.  If more than 72 characters per line are sent, or if
   more than 66 line are sent without a form feed, then the receiving
   site can handle these situations as appropriate for them.  These
   conventions can be changed by control codes as described below.  At
   the head of the message or document sent there is to be two copies of
   an initial address string each terminated by a form feed.  This
   address string is to contain the sender's name and address, and the






                                                             PAGE 2 


NWG/RFC# 278                            RWW 17-NOV-71 14:12 8056
Revision of the Mail Box Protocol

   receiver's name and address formatted in some reasonable, easy-to read
   form for a clerk to read and distribute.  Comments could also be
   included in the address string.  The requirements for two copies are
   to make one readable from a fan fold paper stack without effort.

   Initial Connection

   Initial Connection will be as per the Official Initial Connection
   Protocol, Document #2, NIC 7101, to the standard File Transfer socket
   #3.

   File Transfer

   The mail item (file) to be transferred would be transferred according
   to the File Transfer Protocol.

   As per the File Transfer Protocol, a file (mail item) can be sent in
   more than one data transaction as defined in the Data Transfer
   Protocol.  End of file is indicated by the file separator (as defined
   in Data Transfer Protocol) or by closing the connection.

   Order of Transactions

   The only basic operation required is an Append With Create

                   Append With Create Request

     (Mailer) User -------------------->  Server (Mail Box)

                          <File -  data>

                      -------------------->

                     End of File indication

                      -------------------->

                           Acknowledge

                      <--------------------

   The data type default is network ASCII.  The Standard line printer
   default is as defined above.  Other control transactions can be used.

                    CONTROL TRANSACTIONS TO BE USED




                                                             PAGE 3 


NWG/RFC# 278                            RWW 17-NOV-71 14:12 8056
Revision of the Mail Box Protocol

      OP CODE

     Hex     Octal

      09       011      Error or unsuccessful terminate

      0A      012      Acknowledge or successful terminate

      05      005       Append With Create request (add to
                        existing file or create file if
                        none exists)

      5A      132       Change printer control settings

                              ERROR CODES

   All error codes defined in the file Transfer Protocol could be
   returned.

                         PRINTER CONTROL CODES

     Hex     Octal

      D1      321       Meaning: Set line width to 72 characters

      D2      322       Meaning: Use the full width of your printer

      03      323       Meaning: Set page size to 66 line

      04      324       Meaning: Set page size to infinite

   Other virtual printer control codes can be added in the future.

   Other classes of control codes can be added as the need arises.


       [ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ]
       [ into the online RFC archives by BBN Corp. under the   ]
       [ direction of Alex McKenzie.                   12/96   ]










                                                             PAGE 4 



Revision of the Mail Box Protocol

RFC TOTAL SIZE: 7526 bytes
PUBLICATION DATE: Wednesday, March 5th, 1997
LEGAL RIGHTS: The IETF Trust (see BCP 78)