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AutoShare, a freeware EIMS companion application.
A list server and auto-responder for the Macintosh.
The AutoShare software and this document are copyright © 1994-1997 Mikael Hansen.
The credits are located in the AutoShare About box.
Binhex enclosures accompanying automated responses are optional. The enclosures may be created using StuffIt or Compact Pro (use conversion to BinHex 4.0); the two software packages are shareware and available from your local Info-Mac mirror site.
Below is an outline of what AutoShare adds to your MailShare server environment:
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MailShare is
a Macintosh based POP3 and SMTP e-mail server by Glenn Anderson.
It is freeware and can be downloaded from your local Info-Mac mirror site
(in the directory comm/tcp/mail).On June 29 1995, an Apple press release noted that MailShare was acquired by Apple and as such was entitled the Apple Internet Mail Server 1.0 (AIMS).
On April 16 1997, it was publicly confirmed that AIMS was acquired by Qualcomm and as such was entitled the Eudora Internet Mail Server 1.1.2. The most recently released version of EIMS is EIMS 1.1.2.
MacTCP is a commercial product from Apple. An introduction to MacTCP (mactcp.txt) written by Eric Behr can be obtained by anonymous ftp to ftp.math.niu.edu (in the directory /pub/mac/doc) or by gopher to gopher.math.niu.edu (directory "Various documents"). Or the Web way at http://www.math.niu.edu/~behr/docs/mactcp.html.
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In order to use AutoShare, a thorough knowledge of the forwarding options of MailShare is required (please read the MailShare documentation, e.g. Carl Steadman's at http://www.freedonia.com/ism/mail/mail.html):
AutoShare implements plenty of multi stuff:
There is one service per MailShare account. Each account is able to return a default message or one taken from a multitude of different messages based on the contents of the subject line.
The AutoShare Preferences is essentially the glue that holds everything together. The name of the Filed Mail folder is specified here; this name must be referred to in MailShare for all of your AutoShare accounts.
The name of the Docs folder must be specified in AutoShare Preferences via the Preferences menu selection, so that AutoShare knows where to find the text files to be returned. Inside the Docs folder, you must create subfolders with names corresponding to the user names of the AutoShare accounts in MailShare. Inside each subfolder, create a default document called Default. This document is used for senders not specifying a particular string in the subject line. Alternate documents may be created, and the subject line of the sender's e-mail must match one of the names of these documents for it to work.
Filtering can be enabled, so that vacation notices are not returned to for instance list server lists or mailing lists. The filtering applies to From, To, Subject, Reply-To, Sender or any header being one of the five. Inside the Filters folder, documents containing the filter definition lines are named according to the user names of the AutoShare accounts in MailShare.
A particular aspect is the ability to configure a user's filters file, so that any given sender will receive one vacation notice only regardless of how many messages the sender mails to the user on vacation.
In order to reduce of the risk of vacation notices being returned to list server lists, filtering is automatically applied to any messages with an e-mail header line of 'Precedence: bulk'. In the case of an AutoShare list server, the very same header line is added to list contributions.
You may have heard of complex Unix software with specific names such as LISTSERV, Majordomo or ListProc (to obtain the Mailing List Management (MLM) software FAQ, write 'get mlm-software faq' in the body of mail to listserv@listserv.net). AutoShare is by no means as advanced as these software packages, but the AutoShare documentation does use the generic term list server. You may be aware of StarNine's ( http://www.starnine.com) ListSTAR (formerly eMOD) for Macintosh as well, which was released June 26 1995.
The list server feature has been developed as a natural extension within AutoShare and of MailShare. The list server account is merely an auto-answer account, with some special features added to it; the list server lists are set up using separate MailShare accounts (although not possible here, integrating the list server features into the list account itself would lead to far too dangerous events: imagine you wanted to unsubscribe from a list, but misspelled the command, then everyone on the list would receive the message!).
First of all, the user name of the list server account must be 'autoshare' (as in 'autoshare@...'). With the list server account configured as Save as files, you can run a list server, supporting the LIST, REVIEW, SUB, UNSUB, SET (CONCEAL, NOCONCEAL, DIGEST, NODIGEST, MAIL and NOMAIL, ACK and NOACK options), INDEX, GET, WHICH, RELEASE and QUERY commands. In order to apply list server lists configured as MailShare mailing lists, you must specify a listserv folder in the AutoShare Preferences (the LSFolder folder). After having created the actual folder as well, put the various list server mailing lists in the folder and make sure that the MailShare mailing list accounts are updated to correspond to the folder. Within a mailing list, AutoShare supports the 'address (name)' format.
Rather than having list server list messages go directly to the MailShare mailing lists acting as list server lists, an AutoShare preview of list server list messages has been applied, so that it becomes possible for AutoShare to take a look at them and sometimes make minor modifications to them. AutoShare is able to distinguish list messages from other messages.
Since the list server is also an auto-answer, remember to create an autoshare subfolder inside the Docs folder. Inside the autoshare subfolder, create the Default as well as the LIST, REVIEW, SUB, UNSUB, SET, INDEX, GET, WHICH, RELEASE and QUERY documents. In the latter documents, you should specify the /=list, /=review, /=sub, /=unsub, /=set, /=index, /=get, /=which, /=release and /=query token pairs respectively; the rest of the text contents is up to you.
List server list archives, formatted as text or HTML, are created automatically. One archive file (Current.html), located in a subfolder (named after the list) inside the Archives folder, per list server list will accumulate continuously (rename current files when it's appropriate).
The text vs HTML option applies to archives only, not to digests as a digest is merely a small collection of messages mailed to digest subscribers on a regular basis.
Whenever a list contribution takes place, the digest set of files (current.html and current.toc) and the archive set of files (digest.html and digest.toc) are updated: the message and toc (table of content) parts are formatted and then appended to the respective files. With the GET command, further formatting is added to form a single text or HTML document (within the begin/end block of the returned message following the GET request).
Incoming UUCP: The MailShare POP account is configured as 'Save as archive' to an inspool folder/user (e.g. 'MAILSHARE HD:Misc:inspool:meh'); this forwarding option satifies Eudora's expections of the mail drop being in the standard Unix mailbox format. The Eudora part (Settings, POP Account, e.g. '!MAILSHARE HD:Misc:inspool:meh') is made possible thru the use of file sharing applied to the MailShare server's harddisk.
Outgoing UUCP: The Eudora part (Settings, SMTP, e.g. '!MEH HD!MAILSHARE HD:Misc:Filed Mail:!meh!0000') is possible thru the use of file sharing to the standard Filed Mail folder. AutoShare automatically acts upon detection of the D./X. UUCP pair of files by converting them into one properly formatted file sent to the MailShare Incoming Mail folder and finishes by deleting the UUCP pair of files.
The contents of the D. file is transferred directly to the data part of the new mail file; the resource part is updated based on the X. file (sender (appends the domain from the Bounce address) as well as (multiple) recipient(s)).
It is recommended that you choose to reduce the file sharing to include the two above folders (the inspool folder and the Filed Mail folder). The mail spooled by Eudora to the Filed Mail folder will stay there for a very brief moment and as such poses no major risk in terms of security. Access to the inspool folder may be adjusted to include the individual user only.
Please read this document in its entirety for further information. Also, make sure to have your Map Control Panel configured properly as well as MailShare fully set up and running.
If you prefer a quick start, you may want to start out focusing on the following, which is enclosed with the AutoShare software:
The AutoShare application
Assuming that you have already created a MailShare folder for the MailShare application, create now an AutoShare folder for the AutoShare application and put AutoShare inside.
The Filed Mail folder
First of all, it is suggested that you start out creating a folder, e.g. Auto, inside the harddisk root folder for your AutoShare folders. Then create the Filed Mail folder (see Folders below) inside the Auto folder. As for MailShare, the Saved as files accounts must specify the Filed Mail folder.
The Docs folder and files
Create a Docs folder inside Auto, then create the Docs/user subfolders, one per account; within each:
Create a special LS folder (inside the Auto folder) aimed at list server mailing lists, which is specified by the LSFolder field in the AutoShare Preferences. As for MailShare, create 1. corresponding MailShare 'save as files' accounts ('<list> @<domain>') which point to the Filed Mail folder, and 2. two sets of corresponding MailShare 'mailing list' accounts ('<list>.m@<domain>' and '<list>.d@<domain>') and have them point to automatically created and updated .m and .d list files (based on the main list files) in the LS folder; these MailShare accounts make the AutoShare preview possible.
There are several benefits to the AutoShare preview: 1. the current archives file is updated automatically without any extra configuration, 2. a Reply-To e-mail header field indicating the list is inserted, and 3. the digest feature which automatically updates message (.m) and digest (.d) lists, based on the main list of subscribers.
Furthermore, the preview suppresses messages, which were meant to be sent to the list server address, but mistakenly were sent to a list address; if the subject of a list contribution begins with a list server command, the message will not be posted, but will be returned to the sender with a brief note added to the original contents of the message (if the list server is configured to accept list server commands in the first line(s) of the body, then the check will apply to both subject and the first line of the body).
Also, if you haven't subscribed to a list, but contribute anyway, a similar kind of action will be taken. A list is for subscribers only. Enclosures may be included with list contributions, but filtered away for the archives. The attachment removal filter is automatically applied to all BinHex 4.0 portions of any processed list contribution file in the Filed Mail folder and is aimed at the archives only. The parsing is based primarily on the lines starting with "Content-Type" (both header and text parts).
New documents in the Docs/autoshare folder must be named LIST, REVIEW, SUB, UNSUB, SET, INDEX, GET, WHICH, RELEASE and QUERY and include the /=list, /=review, /=sub, /=unsub, /=set, /=index, /=get, /=which, /=release and /=query token pairs respectively (don't forget the Default).
Furthermore, <command>.<list> documents in the Docs/autoshare folder override the default <command> documents. One example is SUB.FUN-L, which is used for users having subscribed to the FUN-L list.
For the list server, create also an Archives folder (inside the Auto folder). Subfolders (named after the lists) inside the Archives folder must be created as well.
The Filters folder
The filters feature is aimed at excluding addresses such as list addresses from receiving automated vacation notices. For more information, find the part entitled 'Filter definitions' below.
The AutoShare preferences
Start up AutoShare on your MailShare server. From the Preferences menu, choose Miscellaneous; type in the administrator address (e.g. listmaster@yourdomain) and the bounce address (e.g. postmaster@yourdomain). From the Preferences menu, choose Folders and type in (or use the Select buttons for) the full path (with a trailing colon) of each of your newly created folders plus the MailShare Incoming Mail folder. Please note that all paths must begin with the startup volume of the server.
Want to make it easy for yourself?
Use the System 7.5 NowMenus feature to get a clearer overview of your folders (or use the Now Utilities with earlier system versions); the documents may be opened directly from within the file hierarchy of the submenus.
Verification plus added overview is provided by the AutoShare Analysis tool, which is available from the Preferences menu. A file entitled 'AutoShare Analysis' will be created in the folder, in which the AutoShare software resides.
That's about it
You're pretty much set up by now. Keep adding MailShare accounts as well as AutoShare subfolders and files as your needs grow. Keep your Auto folder and all of the subfolders clean; also, initial planning pays off later.
AutoShare (or similar) = folder with AutoShare Filed Mail (or similar) = MailShare 1.0b8, 'Saved as files' folder Incoming Mail = MailShare 1.0b8, 'Incoming Mail' folder Docs (or similar) = folder with user named subfolders with text files LS (or similar) = folder with list server mailing lists Archives (or similar) = folder with archive files Filters (or similar) = folder with filter files Preferences(/AutoShare) = the System 7 savvy Preferences folder
AutoShare Documentation = this document AutoShare Version History = versions (development, ...) AutoShare = the software AutoShare Preferences = preferences file AutoShare Log = log file AutoShare Hosts = hosts file AutoShare Times = times file Default etc = return text file Default.hqx etc = Binhex 4.0 enclosures List server list files = MailShare mailing lists Archive files = list server list archives Filter files = filter documents
Each line consists of two tokens (a command and an option) separated by a delimiter (a space). There are 11 different commands:
AdminAddress = e-mail address of AutoShare Administrator (log) BounceAddress = e-mail address of the bounce account (see below) Log = Off, Always, Brief (default), Tech (see Logs below) Format = (for the archives:) Text (default), HTML Bounce = Off, On (default), Empty (see below) FiledMail = full path of folder (MailShare 1.0b8, 'Saved as files' folder) IncomingMail = full path of folder (MailShare 1.0b8, 'Incoming Mail' folder) DocsFolder = full path of folder with user named subfolders with text files LSFolder = full path of folder with list server mailing lists Archives = full path of folder with archive files Filters = full path of folder with filter files
/=original = picks up the original messageList server only:
/=list = displays the lists in the LS folder
/=review = lists the subscribers for a given list
/=sub = confirms the subscription of the user
/=unsub = confirms the cancelled subscription
/=set = updates various options:
conceal: conceals the subscriber (review)
nonconceal: makes the subscriber visible
digest: one daily mail with all list messages
nodigest: individual mail messages
mail: you receive list mail
nomail: subscribed, but no mail
ack: you receive a list contribution copy
noack: no acknowledgment contribution copy
/=index = lists the archive files for a list
/=get = returns a list archive file
/=which = informs you of the lists you are on
/=release = information about the list server software
/=query = information about your subscription status
From: the auto-response uses this for the To field
To: the auto-response uses this for the From field
Subject: transferred to the auto-response
Date: the auto-response obtains current date and time
Reply-To: used for filtering
Sender: used for filtering
Mime-Version: if available, transferred to the auto-response
As a general rule, the e-mail header is kept separately from the "Save
as files" 'STR ' (8192, From) and 'STR#' (8192, To) resources (which
AutoShare swaps too). Rare exceptions occur; an example (involving MailShare more than AutoShare)
is messages generated from a mailing list being put into the Filed Mail folder:
the "To" in the e-mail header is the list address, while the "To" in the resource
is the final recipient (relates to the archives issue).You create the AutoShare Hosts text file in the AutoShare folder inside the System 7 savvy Preferences folder; type in one domain name per line. Verify the list of domains by running the AutoShare Analysis tool and viewing the AutoShare Analysis file; the bounce address is listed first followed by the domains in the hosts file.
From: 'From: '
To: 'To: '
Subject: 'Subject: '
Reply-To: 'Reply-To: '
Sender: 'Sender: '
Any Header: ''
Examples:
a. Simple filters file:
qualcomm yalevm.cis.yale.edub. The one vacation notice only feature added:
qualcomm yalevm.cis.yale.edu *****When user@domain mails you, it will look like this:
qualcomm yalevm.cis.yale.edu ***** user@domainAnd later:
qualcomm yalevm.cis.yale.edu ***** user@domain user2@domain2Remember to clear and move the file, when you return!
Off = no logging
Always = important messages that are always logged (unless Off)
Brief = a single line per transaction
Tech = detailed information per transaction
Logs are automatically being mailed to the AutoShare administrator and
initialized at scheduled times configured in the Times dialog box (from the
Preferences menu, choose the Times menu item). The scheduled times for the
digests are configured in the dialog box as well; choose digests from the
pop-up menu at the top.You may schedule the times for a particular interval of days and within the day a specific time. If either 'every <number> days' or 'at <time>' has changed and you press the OK button, the new settings take effect immediately; you may update the settings for both logs and digests with a combined single OK.
If the settings have just been updated, 'every <number> days'
implies that the first log or digest will be mailed in
LIST
REVIEW <list> SUB <list> <name> UNSUB <list> SET <list> <option> INDEX <list> GET <list> <file> WHICH
RELEASE
QUERY <list>
Several alias commands are available as well:
SUB: subscribe
UNSUB: unsubscribe, signoff
LIST: lists
REVIEW: rev, recipients, who
INDEX: ind
GET: send
There is no HELP command, but it is surely okay to create a doc called HELP.
sub fun-l Mikael Hansen set fun-l ack set fun-l conceal query fun-l review fun-l bla bla listIn the above example, the first five command lines will be processed and returned as five separate mails; the sixth line is not valid (and will generate no response mail), and so the processing halts.
0: concealed (if visible, then simply no 0)
1: digest (if messages, then simply no 1)
2: no mail (if mail, then simply no 2)
3: acknowledgement (if not, then simply no 3)
Examples:
meh@admin2.kb.bib.dk (Mikael Hansen)
meh@admin2.kb.bib.dk
meh@admin2.kb.bib.dk (Mikael Hansen..0)
meh@admin2.kb.bib.dk (..0)
meh@admin2.kb.bib.dk (Mikael Hansen..012)
meh@admin2.kb.bib.dk (..0123)
(the codes 4 and upwards have not yet been implemented)
Reply-To: <list address> Errors-To: <bounce address> Precedence: bulk
First of all, it is important to understand the difference between 'actual' and 'header' addresses: while the header addresses reside in the email header of the message, the actual addresses are found in the resource part of the message file, namely the 'STR ' (8192, From) and the 'STR#' (8192, To) resources (in the world of UUCP, the D. file reflects the data part, whereas the X. file reflects the resource part).
Taking advantage of the bounce feature (either 'On' or 'Empty' is an important step towards limiting potential problems with loops (circular references). For all auto-responses and admin log mailings, the 'STR ' resource will be updated as coming from the bounce account rather than the auto-response account in question (no change in the e-mail header's From field). This ensures that all messages, which bounce back to your server, are sent to your bounce address (and this one only).
It is recommended that you configure your AutoShare preferences, so that the Admin address is set for a Listmaster account and the Bounce address is set for the Postmaster account. It certainly does not have to be so, but it does serve as an excellent and easy-to-remember solution.
The following examples illustrate various loop situations, in which actual addresses tend to differ from header addresses.
a. Your basic bounce
The list server (in fact any AutoShare account) returns an auto-response to a user, whose mail system is malfunctioning at the time. The message bounces back to the mail system of your list server, but although the list server account is listed in the To field of the e-mail header, the bounce account receives the mail: it is the actual recipient because it was originally the actual sender.
b. Mail to the same account
You have enabled the vacation notice feature; in terms of MailShare, this means that you have turned on 'Save as files' with the 'Keep' button checked. After having sent the message, your account receives the message; furthermore, the other copy is put in the Filed Mail folder: AutoShare compares the To and From resources, and since they are identical, no vacation notice is triggered. This feature applies mostly, when the bounce feature is not used.
c. Incoming list mail
An example involving not AutoShare, but MailShare only is messages generated from a mailing list being put into the Filed Mail folder: the To in the e-mail header is the list address, while the To in the resource is the final recipient. While this is not a loop issue per se, it illustrates the difference between the two types of To addresses (this distinction relates to the feeding of the archives thru the use of the 'Save as files' Archives account, which AutoShare benefits from).
d. NewsWatcher
You have enabled the vacation notice feature and then press Command-Option-L in NewsWatcher, which mails you the news article. The actual sender is you, not the person who posted the article, so there is no problem.
e. Mail to Cc recipient
This example affects the e-mail header only, but I'll include it anyway. An AutoShare account receives a message, and the address of this account is placed in the Cc field. In this case, AutoShare doesn't use the address in the To field when creating the From address for the auto-response message; instead the newly created From resource is inserted into the From field in the e-mail header.
Feel free to test a standard AutoShare auto-answering service by writing to finger@admin2.kb.bib.dk. Also, I have an AutoShare list server running using autoshare@admin2.kb.bib.dk. Both accounts run without any problems - mostly, that is :-) http://docs.kb.bib.dk/AutoShare/ is the web site for AutoShare.
The AutoShare beta list took off on March 16 1995; as of June 7 1995
(shortly before releasing 1.0 final), the list had 280 subscribers. If you subscribe
to the beta list at
autoshare@admin2.kb.bib.dk
(put 'sub autoshare.beta
The officially released version (currently 1.0) of AutoShare is freeware and can be downloaded from your local Info-Mac mirror site (in the directory comm/tcp/mail).
Version 1.1 is aimed at an enhanced user interface and list-specific issues.
Have fun!
To disable having just subscribers post to the lists, create an empty file entitled 'all may contribute' in the same folder as the AutoShare software.
To use 'listserv@' (rather than 'autoshare@') as the list server account, create an empty file entitled 'use listserv' in the same folder as the AutoShare software. Be sure to 1. rename the docs folder called 'autoshare' to 'listserv' and 2. rename the MailShare account called 'autoshare' to 'listserv'.
Beta versions and similar (my AutoShare beta list sites): to be used by no one else than the fine individuals on my non-public beta list; anyone may subscribe to the beta list, but beta versions of AutoShare are not to be discussed outside the beta list. The beta software and the beta docs are not public information.
AutoShare is a personal project of Mikael Hansen in his free time and in no way relates to his work as such.
Mikael Hansen accepts no responsibility for the use of AutoShare.