Seeking classiccmp email solution

From: Glen Goodwin <acme_ent_at_bellsouth.net>
Date: Mon Jan 7 22:23:40 2002

Greetings.

I would like to use one of my classic machines to handle all of my email.

Currently, I'm using a Win95 PC. Because it contains classic gear (Voyetra
V-24S 64 port MIDI i/f) as well as brand new stuff (Audiophile 2496 hard
disk recorder), it contains a strange mix of DOS, Win 3.1, Win95, and Win98
drivers. This weirdness is the only way to enable *all* of the stuff in
this box to work together. After four virus attacks in December alone, I
have decided to move my email capability *off* of this box before some
virus catches me off guard. It takes about four hours to wipe and reload
this system and massage all of the drivers until all the hardware is happy;
I would rather avoid this painful task.

So -- how hard would it be for me to handle email on a small, classic
micro? I'd like to use my Z100 running CP/M-86; second choice is my Kaypro
10 (2.2, of course); third choice is the Z100 under ZDOS.

My BellSouth dial-up account does not provide shell accounts, but I see
that there are plenty of free providers out there. Is it possible to get
my classic machine to first connect with my BellSouth dial-up, then log on
to a shell account, and then send mail or retrieve my incoming mail for
offline viewing?

I'd prefer to cobble together some sort of system using other people's
software, but I am a programmer and can write stuff in C or assembler if
need be. Please bear in mind, though, that I have no knowledge of the
internal workings of TCP/IP, Telnet, POP3, etc., and I don't really want to
spend three months learning the protocols and writing and debugging the
code -- but I will if I have to.

Feedback from the list members concerning this idea would be greatly
appreciated.

Glen
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Received on Mon Jan 07 2002 - 22:23:40 GMT