Windows 95 Super Collection/Windows 95 Super Collection.iso/win95/internet/stst07b6/readme.txt

Text File | 1995-07-19 | 12.3 KB | 283 lines

ReadMe File for WinSmtp Shareware Release 1.07beta1.3
-----------------------------------------------------

WinSmtp is Copyright 1994, 1995, Jack De Winter, Wildbear Consulting,Inc.




Thanks for the time used to evaluate this product.  A lot of work by a lot
of people has gone into making this daemon work very well on a wide variety
of systems.  Feel free to send any comments about this package to:
[e-mail]

Special Installation Note:
--------------------------

Due to a lot of people not reading or understanding specifications right,
a lot of the SMTP daemons out in the world are not properly implemented.
Below we list all of the protocols that we obey, and if anyone finds any
problems, we will correctly strive to fix them.  However, most daemons do
not respect the 251 will forward answer to a RCPT TO command.  This command
is issued to tell the remote SMTP daemon who is to receive the message.
The proper responses are 250 local and 251 remote, will forward.  However,
most deamons do not accept the 251 response.  Because of this, you may
encounter some problems where the daemon will cut off in the middle of a
message and complain about no legal recipients.

To get around this problem, we recommend setting the 'use proper forward
reply' option to FALSE (unchecked in the system configuration dialog).
We have stived to come up with a solution that will allow us to obey the
specification while addressing the problems of having to have the daemon
work in the real world.


Introduction
------------
This program is an Internet Mailer Daemon.  The purpose of this product is
not to read mail, but to provide services for the users of a system to read
mail.   To this end, the daemon provides SMTP and POP3 support for sending
and reciving mail.  These services can be used by a front end, of which
there are many, that makes use of the UNIX mailbox or POP3 services
provided by this product.

To send mail, the user can call either the SMTP server and drop the mail
off there, or they can use the 'wrmail' program included with the daemon
to place the data in the proper format and in the proper location.  To
receive mail, the user may either scan the UNIX style mailbox, or they
may also use the POP3 server to access the data.

Future versions of this product will support some of the standard interfaces
for relaying mail, including Microsoft Mail support and CCMail support.
The MsMail support will be included in a 'registered' version and
commercial version only.  After all, there has to be some incentive to
register the product.


Availability
------------

This product is current availble in four forms.  Two of these forms are
the Win16 versions and are a shareware and a commercial version.  The
other versions are Win32, with a Win32 NT service version coming up very
shortly.

In addition, there is a WWW page that has been generously provided by my
employer, Software Metrics.  Feel free to access the page to get information
about WinSmtp, but please do not flood the page with tonnes of usage.  I do
have a personal Internet feed, but I do not have a FTP daemon running there
and do not foresee this in the future.  However, you may look at the web page
that is there for up to date information on the products that I write.
The WWW pages are:

http://metrics.com/SMTP/index.html/
http://wildside.kwnet.on.ca/WinSmtp.html/

There are also copies of the program at the following sites:

wuarchive.wustl.edu
xenitec.on.ca
ftp.cica.indiana.edu

However, as there is a fun process to get it in their directories, it takes
a bit of time to get the new version there.


Product Market
--------------

The aim of this product is to effectively lower the cost for people out
there.  This can be achieved by having one account on a service provider
and using a Windows-enabled machine to receive and send all of the mail.
As this will save the end-users some money, by not having to use multiple
accounts on a service provider, the modest shareware or commercial fee for
the product will be won back many times within months.

Whenever someone reads something regarding paying a shareware fee, the
usual response is: "yeah, I'll use it but won't pay anything for it".  The
usual response from the programmers are: "hey, we worked on something and
would like to be able to recover our costs for it".  As both, I have to
say that I register all of the shareware that I use.  I know what it is
like to write something and to want to recover costs.  Think of it this
way, the unregistered version is a little trailer for the movie.  If you
like it, you pay and go and see it.  Otherwise you don't.  The onus is
on you.


Features
--------

The current list of features are as follows:

- easy to read status screen, with output relayed to a log file.
- ability to filter some of the logging information to display and file
- ability to specify aliases and forwarding of messages on a user-by-user
  basis
- outgoing mail support though a rmail like interface and SMTP server
  capabilities
- full MX record resolution, including resolution to subnets
- access to incoming mail in mailboxes though the UNIX mailbox type format
  and POP3 server support
- configurable connection methods, and the ability to specify groups of
  connections based on the node or class of nodes
- easy to use method of determining which nodes are not responding
- almost invisible usage without any user intervention (except possibly at
  startup of the daemon program)
- ability to work with gateways behind firewalls
- compliant to all of the Internet RFC (protocol specifications) noted below
- easy to use dialogs to access the function for the system
- friendly reporting of connection information in the main window and retry
  information in an easy to access dialog
- friendly support over the Internet
- mailing list and auto-responder support
- use of Finger and Reverse finger to allow for mail notification responses
- ability to specify an always present or transient dialup connection
- limiting the methods by which an user can access the system
- ability to specify mailboxes that are supplied by the user as DLLs
- ability to use secondary virtual domains for enhanced access
- ability to restrict the sending of auto-responses to avoid many bounce
  situations ahead of time

Adherance To RFCs
-----------------

RFC 821 - Simple Mail Transport Protocol
RFC 822 - Internet Mail Format (types of addressing)
RFC 876 - Survey of SMTP Implementations
RFC 1123 - Requirements for Internet Hosts
RFC 1288 - Finger Access Protocol
RFC 1153 - Digest Method Format
RFC 1460 (obs 1225) - Post Office Protocol - Version 3
RFC 1651 (obs 1425) - SMTP service extensions (ESMTP)
RFC 1653 (obs 1427) - SMTP Externsion for Message Size Declaration

In addition, this product uses a non-registered extension to the ESMTP
protocol.  The XTRN command was added to allow for some extra felxibility
in the product.  This exension is now being written up and submitted to
the appropriate Internet boards for approval as a documented extension to
the protocol.

A protocol specified by Qualcomm for changing passwords from a mail client
is also implemented.  Please inquire for details.


Shareware Version
-----------------

Currently, the unregistered shareware version of the daemon has the
following limitations:

- only one user can access the system through the POP3 services
- pops up a dialog every time the program is started
- limit of 5 active users within one daemon, as well as other limitations
  with respect to user types
- limited support for the product via the internet
- no options in the retry dialog (to bounce or try again with a given node)
- no connection exceptions used for routing besides the main routing option

Registering the program will eliminate the reminder dialog, increase the
number of POP3 sessions to 10, eliminate all of the other limitations
(except for the registered limits of 75 users, 5 mailing lists, and 5
auto-responders), and will entitle the user to full support.  The cost for
registering the shareware version will be $50 per unit ($50 USD for everyone
outside of Canada and $50 CDN for everyone inside of Canada).  Based on the
input from the beta testers, this seems to be a reasonable amount to charge.
If you want a copy of the program on a 5.25 or 3.5 inch disk, there will
also be an ammount of $5 USD added for the shipping and handling of the
disk.

Future enhancements will include:
- support for the MAPI protocol
- running as an NT service in Win32 native mode

Commercial Version
------------------

If you wish to run the commercial version, please send in your registration
as normal, but increase the cost to $100 ($100 USD outside of Canada and
$100 CAD inside of Canada).  The commercial version eliminates all of the
barriers to the number of users and sessions that can be open, limiting them
only to the limits of the computer system.  In addition, you receive more
prompt support than you would as a shareware user and your requests are
given a higher priority.


Installation
------------

1) Create a directory and unzip the zip file into that directory.  This should
be a temporary directory as you are unzipping compressed files and an
installation program.  When you have unzipped the files, there should
be the files specified in the manifest.txt file, but with a '_' at the
end of the filename.  In addition, there should be this file and a install.exe
file.

2) Go to Program Manager and select the install.exe from the directory that
you unzipped the files to.  Then run the install program by double-clicking
on it.  Basically, you need to run this program in order to install it
properly.

3) The installation process should be self explanatory.  If you have problems,
please contact the address below.


Configuration
-------------

When the program is run for the first time, it will assume some basic
settings, which you will have to change.  The most important of these is the
SmartHost setting.  This setting determines a computer that will receive
your requests to send mail and will pass mail to you.  It is important to
check with the owners of the computer to make sure that it is okay to use
their computer for this purpose.  While most people will agree to forward
mail for you, they really do appreciate you asking.

At the beginning, the only user that should be active is the root user.  You
will probably want to set up an account for yourself.  Note that the root
user and the postmaster user always have to exist.

Also, you probably want to turn off the use proper forward reply checkbox.
To make a long story short, we follow the SMTP specification, but a lot of
vendors out there don't.  Using the proper responses for one of the commands
will cause a lot of servers and clients to not function with WinSmtp.
Turning this checkbox and option off will make it work like all of the
other SMTP daemons, without the proper command set.


Problems, Bugs, and Comments
----------------------------

Please report and problems and bugs to '[e-mail]'.
You help is greatly appreciated and we will fix the bugs and get back to
you as soon as possible.  For problems, we will try to find a solution that
will address your needs.

As to comments, a lot of the things that have been added and changed in the
current version were from people asking about it.  Feel free to ask questions
about SMTP, POP3, daemons, and anything else.  If something is out of the
ballpark for this product, I'll let you know that I condsidered it, and
quite possibly the reasons why the idea was rejected.

Due to the volume of responses and requests, the following hierarchy has
been established for responding to requests:

- bugs that affect the operability of the system, can cause crashes
- new features and changes from Wildbear Consulting
- requests from distributor's and OEMs
- requests from commercial users
- bugs that are low impact (if quick fixes, may be moved up a bit)
- requests from shareware users
- requests from unliscenced users


Contact Information
-------------------

If you have any questions, please let us know.   We are pleased to answer
questions and try and help people out.

Thanks for your support.
Jack De Winter
Wildbear Consulting, Inc.
[e-mail]