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-
- MAILADDR(7) UNIX Reference Manual MAILADDR(7)
-
- NNAAMMEE
- mmaaiillaaddddrr - mail addressing description
-
- DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
- Mail addresses are based on the Internet protocol listed at the end of
- this manual page. These addresses are in the general format
-
- user@domain
-
- where a domain is a hierarchical dot separated list of subdomains. For
- example, a valid address is:
-
- eric@CS.Berkeley.EDU
-
- Unlike some other forms of addressing, domains do not imply any routing.
- Thus, although this address is specified as an Internet address, it might
- travel by an alternate route if that were more convenient or efficient.
- For example, at Berkeley, the associated message would probably go di-
- rectly to CS over the Ethernet rather than going via the Berkeley Inter-
- net gateway.
-
- AAbbbbrreevviiaattiioonn..
- Under certain circumstances it may not be necessary to type the entire
- domain name. In general, anything following the first dot may be omitted
- if it is the same as the domain from which you are sending the message.
- For example, a user on ``calder.berkeley.edu'' could send to ``eric@CS''
- without adding the ``berkeley.edu'' since it is the same on both sending
- and receiving hosts.
-
- CCoommppaattiibbiilliittyy..
-
- Certain old address formats are converted to the new format to provide
- compatibility with the previous mail system. In particular,
-
- user@host
-
- and
- user@host.domain
-
- are allowed;
-
- host.domain!user
-
- is converted to
-
- user@host.domain
-
- and
-
- host!user
-
- is converted to
-
- user@host.UUCP
-
- This is normally converted back to the ``host!user'' form before being
- sent on for compatibility with older UUCP hosts.
-
- CCaassee DDiissttiinnccttiioonnss..
-
- Domain names (i.e., anything after the ``@'' sign) may be given in any
- mixture of upper and lower case with the exception of UUCP hostnames.
- Most hosts accept any combination of case in user names, with the notable
- exception of MULTICS sites.
-
- RRoouuttee--aaddddrrss..
-
- Under some circumstances it may be necessary to route a message through
- several hosts to get it to the final destination. Normally this routing
- is done automatically, but sometimes it is desirable to route the message
- manually. Addresses which show these relays are termed ``route-addrs.''
- These use the syntax:
-
- <@hosta,@hostb:user@hostc>
-
- This specifies that the message should be sent to hosta, from there to
- hostb, and finally to hostc. This path is forced even if there is a more
- efficient path to hostc.
-
- Route-addrs occur frequently on return addresses, since these are gener-
- ally augmented by the software at each host. It is generally possible to
- ignore all but the ``user@hostc'' part of the address to determine the
- actual sender.
-
- [Note: the route-addr syntax is officially deprecated in RFC 1123 and
- should not be used.]
-
- Many sites also support the ``percent hack'' for simplistic routing:
-
- user%hostc%hostb@hosta
-
- is routed as indicated in the previous example.
-
- PPoossttmmaasstteerr..
-
- Every site is required to have a user or user alias designated ``postmas-
- ter'' to which problems with the mail system may be addressed.
-
- OOtthheerr NNeettwwoorrkkss..
-
- Some other networks can be reached by giving the name of the network as
- the last component of the domain. _T_h_i_s _i_s _n_o_t _a _s_t_a_n_d_a_r_d _f_e_a_t_u_r_e and may
- not be supported at all sites. For example, messages to CSNET or BITNET
- sites can often be sent to ``user@host.CSNET'' or ``user@host.BITNET''
- respectively.
-
- SSEEEE AALLSSOO
- mail(1), sendmail(8);
- Crocker, D. H., _S_t_a_n_d_a_r_d _f_o_r _t_h_e _F_o_r_m_a_t _o_f _A_r_p_a _I_n_t_e_r_n_e_t _T_e_x_t _M_e_s_s_a_g_e_s_,
- RFC822.
-
- HHIISSTTOORRYY
- MMaaiillaaddddrr appeared in 4.2 BSD.
-
- BBUUGGSS
- The RFC822 group syntax (``group:user1,user2,user3;'') is not supported
- except in the special case of ``group:;'' because of a conflict with old
- berknet-style addresses.
-
- Route-Address syntax is grotty.
-
- UUCP- and Internet-style addresses do not coexist politely.
-
- 4.2 Berkeley Distribution June 16, 1993 2
-