Hacker Chronicles 2/HACKER2.BIN/481.SERVER.DOC

Text File | 1987-08-24 | 4KB | 72 lines

SERVER.DOC  24 sept 1987    by Gerard van der Grinten, PA0GRI.

This document describes the features and functioning of the SERVER gateway
for interfacing WA7MBL's PBBS mailbox system and KA9Q's AMPRnet implementation
of the TCP/IP family of protocols. It has code stolen from N3EUA's implemen-
tation of an SMTP server called BM and depends on messages to be compatible
with the way BM works.

SERVER executes in two parts.

The first part transfers messages written by WA7MBL's PBBS into the file
SERVER.TXT into the mqueue directory for the SMTPCLIent if server can find
the destination host in the file \HOSTS.NET. If not found that message is
written back onto the file SERVER.INP to be processed by the test to message
part of WA7MBL PBBS. An descriptive text is placed around it and send back
to the writer of that message. The To: is taken from the Subject line asked
by the PBBS and the Subject line in the generated message is the first line
of that message. This means a shift of lines occurred but this cannot harm
anybody. The subject line at the PBBS message MUST be as name@host in lower
case letters otherwise the hostname cannot be matched with the HOSTS.NET file.

The second part reads the file /spool/mqueue/server.txt for messages addressed
to this server. It scans the file for RFC822 compatible formatted messages
and extracts via an state machine the header of an message. Server then scans
the To: field for an destination. Expected is BM compatible messages, this
means: simple types. We are not equiped with an advanced router yet so server
expects: server@mailbox%destination_callsign.
Server because that is the file SMTPSERV will make for the messages.
Mailbox as the destination where BM can find that host address.
%destination_callsign is the way server can easily find whereto to send it
"on the other side". If no "%call" is found the message will be send as
SB ALL , so it ends up as a bulletin on that board and the person who thinks
the message is for him can read it too on the PBBS.

Further notes:
1)
 Server uses the config file \BM.RC for various config issues.
2)
 Server deletes the file /spool/mail/server.txt when done reading it.
3)
 I use an litle .bat file from WA7MBL d command in FWD.BBS. It reads:
   SERVER pa0gri
   IF ERRORLEVEL 1 pause "error running server"
   IF NOT EXISTS SERVER.TXT goto done
   COPY SERVER.OLD+SERVER.TXT
   DEL SERVER.TXT
   done:
4)
 Server has one parameter being your stations call sign. If not added to the
 command line PA0GRI will be used , but i guess that is not what you want.
5)
 As this is my first try-out and is designed in 3 days (evenings) I guess
 lots of suggestions will be comming in.
 I welcome them and will try to get them in as they fit in the code or design.
6)
 I know i do the wrong thing in assigning server@host%call as the way to for-
 ward destination description but that is the only way i could think of in
 this short time. ( i wanted it to be finished before LA so you get an extra
 cookie of the Phill/Bdale smorgasbrot).
7)
 If we get smarter routers they will be added into this program as well to
 get rite of point 6.
8)
 There are 2 conditionals in the 'c' code:
 1 DEBUG , to be used whatfore, i forgot...
 2 BSLASH , to help the conversion people. if NOT defined all / in filenames
   come out as /. if defined all / for filenames are converted into \.
   This aids the people for MSC and possible 680x0 systems "compatible" with
   MS/PC-DOS. For msc i also added my dirty way of index(), rindex().

 Regards  gerard , PA0GRI.      [e-mail]