ZMAIL goes live

From: acme_at_ao.net <(acme_at_ao.net)>
Date: Sat Dec 21 10:26:00 2002

Hi --

After all the whining I've done on this list concerning virii attacking the
Windows-based PC I've been using for email, I'm pleased to announce that it's
no longer a problem.

This message was composed and mailed using the email system I've been working
on -- ZMAIL. The client-side hardware consists of a Zenith Z-100 with 1 20 MB
hard drive and 192 KB RAM, plus a 56 K modem. I really don't know what the host
machine is, except that it's running Debian Linux.

The client-side software consists of an offline email reader/writer -- ZMAILER -
-- which has many of the features you'd expect: address book, reply, forward,
import file, etc. (no sort capability yet) Additionally, there are utility
programs which concatenate the outgoing messages into a single file, break the
incoming messages out from a single file, connect to the host, and transfer the
data back and forth.

On the host side, I wrote programs to grab new incoming mail and pass it to the
client, as well as a utility to break out individual outgoing messages from a
single file and post them via SMTP.

This has been a great learning experience as I had to learn enough about
CP/M-86, Linux, SMTP, and the 2661 UART to get this system working. It also
(IMHO) is a great use of this classic old Z-100 -- actually two of them, one at
home and one at my shop.

Anyway, thanks to all of you who very kindly helped me during the course of this
project. Especially, thanks to Joe Rigdon, who gave me the Z-100s, and also to
Tony Duell, who very patiently helped me with the basics of programming the
2661.

Classic computers rule! (even at 2400 baud ;>)

Later --

Glen
0/0
Received on Sat Dec 21 2002 - 10:26:00 GMT