The Echoes Mail Server Help File - ArchivesSubscription, etc.

The Echoes Mail Server Help File - Archives/Subscription, etc. /\ /|_\ /___|\ /__|___\ /_|___|__\ /|___|___|_\ /___|___|___|\-------|||||---||||--|---|---|||---|||||---||||-- /_ __\------|------|------|---|--|---|--|------|--------- =========/_ echoserv |__\-----|||||--|------|||||--|---|--|||||---|||----- /|__ __|_\----|------|------|---|--|---|--|----------|----- /___|___|___|___|___|\---|||||---||||--|---|---|||---|||||--||||------- /__|___|___|___|___|___\ /_|___|___|___|___|___|__\ /|___|___|___|___|___|___|_\ /___|___|___|___|___|___|___|\ /__|___|___|___|___|___|___|___\ /_|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|__\ # contents # introduction to echoserv # addresses of note # using the server # server databases # commands - an intro # quit command # subscription commands # subscription commands - realtime # subscription commands - digest # un-subscription commands # file list commands # file retrieval commands # misc. commands o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # introduction to echoserv this is the help file (such as it is) for "echoserv". what is that? echoserv is the automated mail server for the pink floyd mailing list "echoes". NB: the word automated -- it will do a *very* limited set of things as described herein. if you what you need cannot be satisfied by the capabilities of the server, or you are otherwise having trouble getting it to do your bidding, please contact the administrivia address (below). o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # addresses of note submissions: echoes@fawnya.tcs.com administrivia: echoes-request@fawnya.tcs.com automated mail server: echoserv@fawnya.tcs.com o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # using the server now, as for using the mail server, it is nearly as easy as 1,2,3... 1. commands go in the body of a message only (the subject is ignored.) 2. *only* commands go in the body of a message. if you (or your mailer) must include a sig, please be sure to use the "quit" command (see below.) 3. for all commands where your address is to be included, *please* make sure that the address is both complete and accurate. o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # server databases echoserv is capable of maintaining and allowing access to multiple databases. in the file commands (see below) echoserv must be provided with the name of the desired database from which to extract the desired file. as of this writing, echoserv is maintaining six databases (there may be more by now -- check it out using the "index" command, described elsewhere in this write up.) first among these is the "echoes" database. this consists of the faq, digest back issues, etc. the second database is "roio". an acronym that you will often see used on echoes (and elsewhere -- its use is spreading) in place of the (read on) b-word. the "roio" database contains large amounts of information on what we call "recordings of [illigitmate, indiscriminate, etc.] origin" in the cd format. third is the "roio-lp" database. it is for roio's in lp format. still wondering what the b-word is? hint: consider the type of footwear good for hiking.... call them collectors' editions, or whatever, but not b**ts. electronic mail is not secure, and easily lends itself to eavesdropping. so, since i'd rather not have any undue attention brought to this little venture, don't use the b-word: it could cause the termination of our forum. the fourth and fifth databases are "pc-code" and "sun4-code" which have (oddly enough) code in them. the code files here are uuencoded, so you'll need uudecode as a minimum. the 6th database is daily traffic from "eclipse" the precursor to "echoes." o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # commands - an intro echoserv will parse each line of received mail and mail a reply for valid commands as they are handled. in the event that echoserv cannot parse commands from a received post, it will so notify the sender. commands to echoserv come in several categories: quit command subscription commands un-subscription commands file commands misc. commands each of these are described below with unix style templates: first the commands will be named and summarized. the second element is a synopsis of the command useage template. care must be taken in the use of the template: some of the information (e.g. the command name) must be entered precisely and some things require that a real value (e.g. an address or filename) be provided and that a bit of intelligence be applied. finally there is a mass of pertinent information lumped as a description. reading of the descriptive section is highly recommended, as it may contain useful information and hints about the consequences of dealing with echoserv in a specific way. o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # quit command name quit - stop command parsing end - stop command parsing b!uK - stop command parsing synopsis quit end b!uK description echoserv is the automated mail server for the pink floyd mailing list "echoes". NB: the word automated -- it will do a *very* limited set of things as described herein. as it cannot cope with the signatures often appended to mail, this command can be used to cause echoserv to ignore everything which follows. this can also be useful if both server commands and general text must appear in the same post: just put all the commands first, end them with a 'quit' command, and then go ahead and add whatever else is to be included. but be warned that nobody will look at it if it is sent only to echoserv, only if you have cc'd somebody in addition. o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # subscription commands name add - add sender to the echoes realtime list add-digest - add sender to the echoes digest list synopsis add echoes add-digest echoes description these are the basic commands used to request echoserv to begin a subscription to echoes. more complex forms of these commands are discussed below. the echoes list is available to subscribers in both realtime and digest forms. this means that subscribers get to choose whether they want to receive submissions immediately as they appear or to receive a tidy little bundle once a day. some consideration should be given to this choice. those considering a realtime subscription should be aware that peak traffic can easily amount to 50 or more posts a day. see the section titled 'subscription commands - realtime' those considering a subscription to the digest should be aware that they will get one package per day and that sometimes this package can be quite bulky -- NB: some mailers have defaults set which cause them to choke on posts bigger than 100K and the digest has been known to exceed that. see the section titled 'subscription commands - digest' subscription to one format does not preclude subscription to the other format. o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # subscription commands - realtime name add - begin sender's subscription to realtime echoes subscribe - begin sender's subscription to realtime echoes synopsis add echoes subscribe echoes description these are the basic commands used to request echoserv to begin a subscription to the realtime feed from echoes. some consideration should be given to this choice. those considering a realtime subscription should be aware that peak traffic can easily amount to 50 or more posts a day. the command will use the address of the sender as the subscription address. if the sender's return address is inappropriate and you'd like another one used as the subscription address, then you must contact the administrivia address: echoes-request@fawnya.tcs.com o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # subscription commands - digest name add-digest - begin sender's subscription to the echoes digest subscribe-digest - begin sender's subscription to the echoes digest synopsis add-digest echoes subscribe-digest echoes description these are the basic commands used to request echoserv to begin a subscription to the echoes digest. some consideration should be given to this choice. those considering a subscription to the digest should be aware that they will get one package per day and that sometimes this package can be quite bulky -- NB: some mailers have defaults set which cause them to choke on posts bigger than 100K and the digest has been known to exceed that. the command will use the address of the sender as the subscription address. if the sender's return address is inappropriate (e.g. you are at work and you just found out about echoes) and you would like another one used as the subscription address (e.g. your private machine or connection because your boss would kill you if you signed up using one of the machines in his department), then you must contact the administrivia address: echoes-request@fawnya.tcs.com o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # un-subscription commands name delete - cancel all of sender's subscriptions to echoes unsubscribe - cancel all of sender's subscriptions to echoes synopsis delete echoes unsubscribe echoes description these are the commands used to request that echoserv cancel all of a user's subscriptions to the echoes digest. the command will use the address of the sender as the subscription address to process. to change from realtime to digest, or vice versa, one must first delete oneself from the list and then add oneself back in the desired mode. NB: it is possible to be on both realtime and digest forms of echoes: failure to delete oneself is the easiest way to do this. o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # file listing commands name filelist - mail a list of available files to the requestor dir - mail a list of available files to the requestor ls - mail a list of available files to the requestor synopsis filelist echoes dir echoes ls echoes description these are the commands used to request that echoserv return a list of available files. o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # file retrieval commands name mail - mail a file back to the requestor send - mail a file back to the requestor get - mail a file back to the requestor synopsis mail DESIRED_FILE echoes send DESIRED_FILE echoes get DESIRED_FILE echoes description these are the commands used to request that echoserv return one of the files. for each file desired, the user should use a separate command. filenames must be as returned by the filelist command - no wildcards or pathing allowed. returned files are sent in straight ascii: no compression, no encryption, no nothing. o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # misc. commands name index - confirm existance of echoes longindex - return introductory information file synopsis index echoes longindex echoes description index will cause one to get some mail back that lists the different databases supported by echoserv. to get some mail back with the names of the databases and whatever brief explanation for each exists, just use the 'longindex' command. o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ # help name help - return this help file to the sender synopsis help description this command is used to get one's very own copy of this thing. if what is needed cannot be satisfied by the capabilities of the server, or echoserv is otherwise giving trouble about doing one's bidding, please contact the administrivia address. o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ ____________________________________________________________________________ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|____ | | | | | / | | | | | | | | | |goodbye| | | | | ____|_______|_______|_______|_______|/______|_______|_______|_______|_______| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|____ o/__________________________________________________________________ o\ cut here before....