RFC 221 (rfc221) - Page 1 of 5
Mail Box Protocol: Version 2
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group R. Watson
Request for Comments: 221 SRI-ARC
NIC: 7612 25 August 1971
A Mail Box Protocol, Version-2
INTRODUCTION
Initial reaction to RFC 196, "A Mail Box Protocol", NIC (7141,)
indicates general agreement on the need for such a mechanism. The
conventions suggested in RFC 196 assumed only the use of the Data
Transfer Protocol (in NIC 7104) in order to simplify an initial
implementation. The valid argument, we believe, has been made that
sites will also implement the File Transfer Protocol and that as much
as possible the Mail Box Protocol should be a subset of it. This
version is in answer to this suggestion.
The purpose of a mail box protocol is to provide at each site a
standard mechanism to receive sequential files for immediate or
deferred printing or other uses. The files for deferred printing
would probably be stored in intermediate disk files, although details
of how a file is handled, stored, manipulated, or printed at a site
are not the concern of this protocol.
A mail box, as we see it, is simply a write only (from the Network)
sequential file to which messages and documents are appended,
separated by an appropriate site dependent code.
It is also assumed that there would be a program at the sending site
which sends the file in the format given below with the optional
control codes when appropriate. This program could probably be
accessed as a subcommand of the Telnet program.
The motivation for developing this protocol is the Network
Information Center's (NIC) need to be able to deliver messages and
documents to remote sites, and to be able to receive documents for
cataloging, redistribution, and other purposes from remote sites
without having to know the details of path name conventions and file
system commands at each site. Multiple mail boxes (256) are allowed
at each site and are identified as described below. The default is
mail box number 0 for use with the standard mail printer defined
below.
The only place where the Mail Box Protocol has a potential conflict
with the File Transfer Protocol is in file naming conventions. The
File Transfer Protocol assumes that the using site will use a
filename which follows the access and file path name conventions of
Watson
