MAIL(6)

NAME
mail - mail addresses

DESCRIPTION
Mail(1) uses the programs of upas(8) to interpret mail addresses.

  Network addresses
A general network mail address has the form machine!...!name, with one or more machines mentioned. A machine in the middle of the list gets the mail marked `from' the preceding part of list and forwards it to the next to handle the rest of the list.

Rules for converting addresses among the conventions of different networks are given by rewrite rules; see upas(8). A rough description of the rewrite rules for the local research network follows.

A simple name, containing no punctuation, is translated according to `Local addresses' below to produce more addresses, which get rewritten in turn.

The conventional network address local!name is delivered to the mailbox /usr/spool/mail/ name if it exists or if name is registered as a login name in the password file passwd(5). Otherwise the mail is undeliverable.

Mail to another machine is forwarded.

Addresses in other forms are rewritten recursively.

  Local addresses
`Alias files' specify local name translation. Each line of an alias file begins with # (comment) or with a name. The rest of a name line gives the translation. The translation may contain multiple addresses and may be continued to another line by appending a backslash. Items are separated by white space.

In translating a name, the sender's personal alias file is checked first. Then the system alias files, listed one per line in are checked in order. If the name is not found, the translation is taken to be local!name.

On research network machines, the first system alias file is /usr/lib/upas/names.local; it is never touched from afar. Alias files for various organizations, e.g /usr/lib/upas/names.1127, are maintained, often by users themselves, at selected sites and sent around the network when changed by ship(8). The master alias file for center 1122 is kept on `alice', those for other centers on `bowell'.

  Addresses to/from major networks
A `from' address is automatically supplied as a return postmark on outgoing mail addressed `to' the several networks. Respondents should be able to send to these addresses. For non-research AT&T machines that use the research gateway, `from' addresses with @ should be replaced by person%machine@research.att.com.

UUCP:
    (to) machine!person
    (from) research!person

CSNET:
    (to) csnet!machine-domain-name!person
    (from) person@research.att.com

ARPANET:
    (to) arpa!machine-domain-name!person
    (from) person@research.att.com

ACSNET:
    (to) acsnet!machine-domain-name!person
    (from) person@research.usa

BITNET:
    (to) bitnet!machine!person
    (from) person@research.att.com

FILES

SEE ALSO
uucp(1), mail(1), upas(8)