>When LISTSERV receives a piece of MAIL in one of its' distribution
>lists and that piece of mail came from an RSCS and not another MAILER,
>it appears that LISTSERV tries to "distribute" that file via
>a "distribute" job.
 
    For our understanding,  please define "mail" and  "file" as you're
using  them  here.  I'm  assuming  "mail"  means "1)  RFC822  content,
filetype  MAIL;  or  2)  IBM  NOTE or  PROFS  content, filetype  NOTE"
(that's  LISTSERV's definition,  roughly), and  "file" means  "a spool
file" (as opposed to "not MAIL", as LISTSERV uses the term).
 
    Spool files  don't "come  from an  RSCS", they  come from  a user.
LISTSERV will apply  it's "mailness" test to anything sent  to a list.
If  it passes  (filetype =  MAIL  or NOTE),  then it's  sent as  mail,
otherwise  the  file  is  sent, intact  and  unedited,  by  DISTRIBUTE
(regardless of the setting of Mail-Via).
 
>                    In a distribute job, it also appears that
>userids in a list that are not destined for a BITNET node are not
>being sent in a normal manner (for example, using an address
>of CCMRG@BOSTONU will be distributed - but I am not sure what happens
>to an address of [log in to unmask]) Does a mail file get sent
>to such a user?
>How?
 
    Yes.  A "cut here" piece of  mail is sent, with the file following
the "cut here" line.   The file is sent in exactly  the same format as
it arrived.  So if I send a  NETDATA file to the LSTSRV-L list, you'll
get a NETDATA file enclosed in mail.
 
>I am really not sure of what is going on here.
 
    Don't worry, it's a little confusing.
 
>Harry, this has to do with the idea of putting SMTPSERV in the RSCS list.
>If you do not understand - please ask questions. I will be glad
>to give more info.
>
>            - Michael Gettes, Boston University
 
Ross Patterson
Rutgers University