Managing mail with MMDF

Adding channels

To add a new channel, start the Channel Administration Manager. Then:

Select Add from the Channel menu.
Specify the ``Channel Name''. The name must begin with a letter and must contain only letters and digits.
Select the ``Program''. The channel program is used to invoke this channel; it receives mail from deliver(ADM) and carries it to its destination on the local machine or across the network to a remote machine. The program must be installed in /usr/mmdf/chans.
Enter a ``Description'' of the channel. This description is used by certain programs as a display line to explain the function of the channel. For example, the checkque(ADM) program uses this description in its status reports.
Select the name of the ``Table'' to be associated with this channel. The table lists the hosts that are accessible on this channel.
If you specify a new channel table name, the name must begin with a letter and must contain only letters and digits. The new table will be defined using the same ``Name'' and ``Description'' as are used to describe this channel. For additional information, see ``Channel tables''.
Enter a ``Configuration string''. This string specifies channel-specific configuration parameters. For example, use this string to specify to a uucp channel the number of addresses remote hosts can handle in a single message. See ``Channel configuration strings''.
You can select additional options for this channel. See ``Specifying channel address parameters'', ``Specifying channel delivery options'', and ``Changing error logging levels''.

Specifying channel address parameters

To specify channel address parameters, when adding a channel using the Channel Administration Manager, select Add from the Channel menu, then select Addressing:

Select the Outgoing Address format. This parameter specifies how the addresses in outgoing message headers are reformatted on this channel:

RFC 822 uses RFC 822-style addresses (for example <@A:B@C>)

RFC 733 uses RFC 733-style addresses (for example B%C@A)

None message headers not reformatted
Specify the Addressing Options:
Select ``Domain Hiding'' if the machine cannot handle domains delivered via this channel. The leftmost part of domain names will be used.
Select ``Ignore nameserver timeouts'' if the host information for this channel is obtained from a nameserver, and you want timeouts ignored. If you do not select ``Ignore timeouts'', MMDF uses the delay channel to queue messages that temporarily fail address verification because of unavailability of a name server. When timeouts are ignored, MMDF searches other tables for host information.
Select a table of known hosts if you have selected ``Domain Hiding'' and want to provide host information in a table. This table must contain your local host's fully qualified host name.
If you specify a new table name, the name must begin with a letter and must contain only letters and digits. For additional information, see ``Channel tables''.

Specifying channel delivery options

To specify channel delivery options, when adding a channel using the Channel Administration Manager, select Add from the Channel menu, then select Delivery and make your selections:

Select a ``Delivery Mode'':

Regular
Mail is queued but not sent until deliver runs (can be run manually, via cron(C), or as a background daemon).

Background only
The channel can be invoked only by a background deliver daemon.

Passive
The channel is used as a pickup channel only.

Immediate
The channel can be invoked immediately without having to batch messages.
Select one or more ``Delivery Options'':

Allow pick up
The channel can pick up mail from the remote host.

Allow sending
The channel can send mail to the remote host.

Sort by host
After the deliver program sorts by channel, it will also sort by host. This allows as many messages as possible to be sent to a host before the connection is broken.
Specify the ``Time-To-Live'' for undeliverable messages. When there is a connection failure to a host, this value specifies the number of minutes between connection retries. The default value is 2 hours.

When you finish entering the delivery options, click on Close.

RFC 822	uses RFC 822-style addresses (for example <@A:B@C>)
RFC 733	uses RFC 733-style addresses (for example B%C@A)
None	message headers not reformatted