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DECmail/MS Installation Guide
This document reflects DECmail/MS version 10(2123)
October, 1982
1.0 SUMMARY
This document describes how to install DECmail/MS on either a
TOPS-10 or a TOPS-20 system. Where references to other software modules
are required, we refer the reader to the appropriate documentation for
the module in question. We assume that the reader is familiar with
operating system commands and at least one editor, and can compile,
link, and save programs based on instructions in a batch control file.
The installation instructions are divided into two sections. The
first section describes installation of DECmail/MS on a TOPS-10 system.
The second part describes installation of DECmail/MS on a TOPS-20
system. Each section ends with an Installation Certification Procedure
(ICP). The ICP is a simple, manual procedure you can perform to assure
yourself that you've correctly installed all the required pieces of the
software and that the product is functioning properly.
Please read this entire document through before beginning your in-
stallation.
CAUTION
Before installing DECmail/MS, be sure
you've read the Beware file for DECmail/MS
completely. It contains cautionary
notices and monitor patches required
before installing DECmail/MS.
2.0 DISTRIBUTION TAPE
There are three forms of distribution tape for DECmail/MS:
1. DECmail/MS for TOPS-10 systems
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 2
2. DECmail/MS for TOPS-20 systems, local mail only
3. DECmail/MS for TOPS-20 systems, with network mail
Each tape contains three savesets. The first saveset contains doc-
umentation (such as this file); the second saveset contains the
executable images you install on your system; and the third saveset
contains REL files that are used to build the software. You need not
keep the REL files online, or do anything with them at installation
time. They are supplied in order to provide a base on which patches may
be installed, should any patches be necessary.
One of the files in the first saveset is called MS.DIR. This is a
checksummed directory of the tape. Before proceeding with the instal-
lation, take a checksummed directory of your tape, and compare the
checksums you get with the checksums in MS.DIR. Except for MS.DIR
itself, the checksums should match. If they do not, you may have a
damaged tape; contact Digital for a replacement.
3.0 INSTALLATION OF DECMAIL/MS ON TOPS-10 SYSTEMS
3.1 Installation Instructions
There are five basic steps to the installation of DECmail/MS on
TOPS-10 systems. They are:
o Step 1 - Compile and link LGNMS to LOGIN (7.01 and 7.01A
only)
o Step 2 - Enter MS in PRVTAB (7.01 and 7.01A only)
o Step 3 - Define the MS monitor command (7.01 and 7.01A only)
o Step 4 - Install files
o Step 5 - Create STD:USERS.TXT
3.1.1 Step 1 - Compile And Link LGNMS To LOGIN -
LGNMS is a module which, when linked with LOGIN (the CUSP that logs
timesharing users in to the system), notifies users when they log in
that they have new mail. The way you link it to LOGIN depends on the
version of LOGIN you have.
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 3
3.1.1.1 Rebuilding LOGIN -
Before compiling and linking LGNMS, you must recompile LOGIN so
that it calls LGNMS. You will find instructions for recompiling LOGIN
in the BUILD.CTL file distributed with the monitor. Look for the tag
LOGIN::, which precedes the section of the control file that rebuilds
LOGIN.
The way to recompile LOGIN with the LGNMS hook depends on which
version of LOGIN you have.
3.1.1.1.1 LOGIN Version 61(751) -
LOGIN version 61(751) has the LGNMS hook, but enclosed in a REPEAT
0. Look for the PUSHJ P,RNMAIL## in LOGIN.MAC, and remove the REPEAT 0
conditional around it. Now recompile LOGIN.
Example:
.COMPILE/COMPILE LOGIN.MAC
.COMPILE/COMPILE FACTOR.MAC
3.1.1.1.2 LOGIN Version 62(1005) -
LOGIN version 62(1005) has a conditional assembly switch called
FTMAIL instead of the REPEAT 0. Just set FTMAIL to -1 and recompile
LOGIN.MAC.
Example:
.COMPILE/COMPILE LOGIN.MAC
.COMPILE/COMPILE FACTOR.MAC
3.1.1.2 Compile LGNMS -
One of the output files produced when you recompile LOGIN is the
LOGIN universal file, LGNUNV.UNV. Using this file (just make sure it's
in the directory you're working from), compile LGNMS.MAC from the tape,
producing LGNMS.REL.
Example:
.COMPILE/COMPILE LGNMS.MAC
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 4
3.1.1.3 Link LGNMS With LOGIN -
Once you've compiled LOGIN and LGNMS successfully, link them to-
gether. Refer to the batch control file (BUILD.CTL) shipped with your
monitor; there is a tag called LOGIN:: that precedes the LOGIN build
procedure. Follow the procedure documented there for linking LOGIN,
except that you must add the module name LGNMS to the LINK command line.
Install the LOGIN.EXE thus created on SYS:.
Example:
.R LINK
*LOGIN/SSAVE=LOGIN,LGNMS/GO
.COPY STD:=LOGIN.EXE
3.1.2 Step 2 - Enter MS In PRVTAB -
Under TOPS-10, version 10 of DECmail/MS delivers mail by appending
each message directly to the end of each recipient's MAIL.TXT file. In
order to have the privileges to do this (since the recipient's MAIL.TXT
resides in a different PPN than the sender's), MS must run with the
JACCT bit. To accomplish this, MS must be entered in the monitor table
PRVTAB.
PRVTAB is a table which is defined in COMCON.MAC. Edit COMCON.MAC
and find the label PRVTAB. The beginning of this table looks like this:
;TABLE OF PRIVILEGED CUSPS
;USED TO TURN ON JACCT WHEN R OR RUN COMMAND OR RUN UUO
PRVTAB:
LGONAM::SIXBIT /LOGOUT/ ;NAME FOR "LOGOUT" (TURN OFF JLOG TOO)
SIXBIT /LOGIN/
QUENAM: SIXBIT /QUEUE/
SIXBIT /SPRINT/
Add the following line anywhere in the table:
SIXBIT /MS/
Ordering of the entries in the table is not significant, so this line
may appear anywhere in PRVTAB.
3.1.3 Step 3 - Define The MS Monitor Command -
To define the MS monitor command, edit the file COMMON.MAC and look
for the definition of the NAMES macro. The beginning of this definition
looks like this:
DEFINE NAMES<
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 5
C <>,CBLANK,NOCORE!NOJOBN!NOLOGIN!NOINCK!NOCRLF
C START,START,NOPER!TTYRNU!INCORE!NOACT!NORUN!NOLOGIN!NOJOBN
C .HALT,STOPF,NOCORE!NOJOBN!NOLOGIN!NOINCK!CMWRQ
The following line must be added to the definition of the NAMES macro:
C MS,RUNAME,RUNFLG
Ordering of the entries in this macro is not significant, so this line
may be added wherever you like. Just be sure it's not inserted inside a
conditional which is turned off in your monitor.
Now that you've edited COMCON.MAC and COMMON.MAC, follow the
instructions in the TOPS-10 Monitor Installation Guide, and build and
install your new monitor. Briefly, this involves recompiling
COMMON.MAC, recompiling your configuration-dependent files using the new
version of COMMON.MAC, recompiling COMCON.MAC, and then replacing the
copy of COMCON in TOP?10.REL with the one you just assembled (using
MAKLIB), and linking and saving the monitor in the usual way.
3.1.4 Step 4 - Installation Of Files -
The following files should be copied as indicated:
File on distribution medium Where to copy it
--------------------------- -------------------
MS.EXE SYS:
MS.HLP HLP:
MS.INI STD:
MS.DOC DOC:
3.1.5 Step 5 - Create STD:USERS.TXT -
With DECmail/MS, people are referred to by name. Since TOPS-10
refers to people by number (PPN), a method for associating names and
numbers is required. This is the file STD:USERS.TXT. It is a simple
text file, which you can create with any editor, which defines the
correspondence between usernames and PPNs (Project-Programmer Numbers).
A USERNAME is a continuous string of characters; only the fol-
lowing characters are valid in usernames: letters, digits, hyphens, and
dots.
STD:USERS.TXT is a text file which contains one line per user.
Each line contains a file structure name, a colon, a PPN, a comma, and
then the username. PPNs and usernames should be unique (that is, don't
assign two names to the same PPN, or two PPNs to the same name).
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 6
NOTE
USERS.TXT can contain at most 1400
entries, which means that a TOPS-10 system
can support at most 1400 DECmail/MS
subscribers.
Here is a sample USERS.TXT:
DSKB:[10,4432],Farke
DSKB:[33,5513],Gar
DSKE:[127,4454],Fred-from-purchasing
DSKE:[107,2],Operator.at.node.107
DSKX:[12,667],BigEd
UFDs must exist corresponding to each entry in STD:USERS.TXT. If
you attempt to send to a user who does not have a UFD corresponding to
the area defined for him in STD:USERS.TXT, then DECmail/MS will produce
the following error message:
?Can't send message because: Non-existant UFD
NOTE
In order to insure that a UFD always
exists into which mail can be received, it
is a good practice to create an empty file
in each UFD named in USERS.TXT (because
LOGOUT normally deletes empty UFDs).
Protect this file <777> to prevent
accidental deletion. You may wish to call
this file MAIL.NUL or MAIL.000, or some-
thing like that, to indicate its purpose.
Users who are not registered in STD:USERS.TXT cannot use
DECmail/MS; they can neither send nor receive mail. Running MS for
them will produce the fatal message "?You are not registered in
SYS:USERS.TXT".
3.2 Installation Certification Procedure (ICP)
Before running the ICP you must be sure that you're running with
the modified monitor you built, containing the MS command. This means
that after having built and installed the monitor, you must reload your
system.
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 7
Make sure that the user list, STD:USERS.TXT, contains an entry for
PPN [1,2] called "Operator". Make sure that this entry refers to a file
structure that is always online, and on which a [1,2] UFD exists and has
unused disk space.
Next make sure that you, the person doing the procedure, has an
entry in STD:USERS.TXT that also refers to a structure that is online
and on which you have a UFD. This UFD must be for a PPN that is NOT in
project 1; that is, do not run the ICP from any PPN of the form [1,*].
Log in to your (non-project-1) PPN. In response to the monitor
prompt (.), type the MS command. MS should start up and inform you that
you have no message file.
If you get the following error message from the monitor in response
to the MS command:
.MS
?MS?
then the MS command has not been correctly installed. Check to make
sure that you correctly edited COMCON.MAC, and built and loaded a new
monitor containing the MS command.
If MS complains that it cannot find STD:USERS.TXT, check to see
that this file is properly installed.
If MS complains that "?You are not registered in STD:USERS.TXT",
check USERS.TXT to see if the PPN under which you're logged in is
listed.
If MS complains about the format of USERS.TXT, check to see that
you've followed the instructions for creating this file.
Once you've successfully started MS up, try sending mail to the
operator. The typescript should look something like this:
MS>send
To: Operator
cc:
Subject:
Message (ESC to enter Send Level, ctrl-Z to send, ctrl-K to redisplay,
ctrl-B to insert file, ctrl-E to enter editor):
This is a test message.
^Z
Sending to Operator - OK
MS>
If, instead of typing "OK" after "Sending to Operator", MS
complains about a protection violation, then it is running without the
JACCT bit. Check to make sure that you've installed the MS command in
the monitor properly, and that MS appears in the monitor table PRVTAB.
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 8
Once you've successfully sent mail to the operator, have the
operator run MS and send you mail back. Now log out and log back in
again. LOGIN should give you the following reminder:
[LGNYHM You have 1 new message; to receive it, type 'MS READ']
If you do not get this message, check to insure that you've cor-
rectly installed the module LGNMS in LOGIN and that the modified LOGIN
is the one you're running to log in.
If the above steps succeed with no problems, you've correctly
installed MS and can announce it to your user community.
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 9
INSTALLATION OF DECMAIL/MS ON TOPS-20 SYSTEMS
4.0 INSTALLATION OF DECMAIL/MS ON TOPS-20 SYSTEMS
4.1 Summary
There are two kinds of DECmail/MS installation on TOPS-20. The
simplest installation is that for local mail only; this means mail to
other users on the same host. This installation is required. In
addition, if you have other DECSYSTEM-20s in a DECNET network and wish
to be able to exchange messages with users on other hosts, you must
install the network mail software.
4.2 Local Mail Only
4.2.1 Installation Instructions -
For local mail (mail to users on the same host) only, you need to
install the following files as indicated:
File on distribution medium Where to install it
--------------------------- -------------------
MS.EXE SYS:
MS.HLP HLP:
MAILEX.EXE SYS:
MS.INIT SYSTEM:
You also need to edit SYSTEM:SYSJOB.RUN so that it runs MAILEX.
Place the following line in SYSTEM:SYSJOB.RUN:
RUN SYS:MAILEX
If you wish to use MS immediately, rather than waiting until the
next system reload, you also must start MAILEX under SYSJOB, using the
^ESPEAK command (refer to the DECSYSTEM-20 Operator's Guide for infor-
mation on the ^ESPEAK command).
Example:
@ENABLE
$^ESPEAK (TO SYSJOB)
[Please type SYSJOB commands - end with ^Z]
RUN SYS:MAILEX
^Z
$
You also need to create a dummy network host table. Create the
file SYSTEM:DECNET-HOSTS.TXT. This is a simple ASCII text file which
should contain simply the name of your local node, followed by a CRLF
For example:
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 10
INSTALLATION OF DECMAIL/MS ON TOPS-20 SYSTEMS
@ENABLE
$COPY TTY: SYSTEM:DECNET-HOSTS.TXT
TTY: => PS:<SYSTEM>DECNET-HOSTS.TXT.1
MYNODE
^Z
$
4.2.2 Installation Certification Procedure (ICP) -
Once you've installed MS, log in and try to send mail to some other
user. Your typescript should look something like this:
@MS
%No current mail file
MS>send
To: Other-user
cc:
Subject: Test message
Message (ESC to enter Send Level, ctrl-Z to send, ctrl-K to redisplay,
ctrl-B to insert file, ctrl-E to enter editor):
This is a test message.
^Z
Processing mail...
Local mail delivered OK.
MS>
If you get the following error message:
?Could not send to local mailer
then neither MAILER nor MAILEX is running. Check the installation
instructions for local mail above and be sure that you've installed
either MAILER or MAILEX and that one of them is running.
If you get the following message:
?MAILER is not running. Messages not sent.
then MAILER or MAILEX has crashed. Check to insure that whichever one
you are running is running under OPERATOR, so that it has the privileges
it needs.
Once you've sent mail to some other user, have them log in and read
the mail. Then have them send mail back to you. If this works, you've
successfully installed DECmail/MS for local mail on your node and can
announce it to your user community.
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 11
INSTALLATION OF DECMAIL/MS ON TOPS-20 SYSTEMS
4.3 DECNET Mail Installation
4.3.1 Installation Instructions -
For a network mail installation, you first do the installation
described above for local mail. In addition to MS, however, there are
some ancillary modules, known as network mail (or netmail) daemons,
which do the work of moving messages around the network for you. This
section describes the installation of the netmail daemons, and for
DECNET mail, the network database that the DECNET mail daemons require.
4.3.1.1 DECNET Mail -
4.3.1.1.1 Install Network Mail Daemons -
Install the following files as indicated:
File on distribution medium Where to install it
--------------------------- -------------------
DMAILR.EXE SYS:
NMAIL.EXE SYS:
4.3.1.1.2 Edit SYSTEM:SYSJOB.RUN To Run The Daemons -
Add the following lines to SYSTEM:SYSJOB.RUN:
RUN SYS:DMAILR
RUN SYS:NMAIL
4.3.1.1.3 Start Network Mail Daemons -
If you wish to begin using network mail immediately (rather than
waiting for the next system reload), you must start these two tasks by
hand (SYSJOB will start them automatically on every system reload). Use
the ^ESPEAK command to do this. Refer to the TOPS-20 Operator's Guide
for a description of the ^ESPEAK command.
Example:
@ENABLE
$^ESPEAK (TO SYSJOB)
[Please type SYSJOB commands - end with ^Z]
RUN SYS:DMAILR
RUN SYS:NMAIL
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 12
INSTALLATION OF DECMAIL/MS ON TOPS-20 SYSTEMS
^Z
$
4.3.1.1.4 Create SYSTEM:DECNET-HOSTS.TXT -
This file contains command lines which define the DECNET envi-
ronment. It is read by both DMAILR and MS, so it must be protected such
that all users can read it without privileges. It is a text file and
can be created with any editor. Each line defines a host, or a synonym
or alternate path to a host. Comments (started by exclamation point or
semicolon) and blank lines, for readability, are allowed.
4.3.1.1.4.1 Defining A Directly Accessible Host -
A host is directly accessible if it is in the same Phase III net-
work as your host, or in a Phase II network if it is directly adjacent.
To define such a node, just enter its name on a separate line. No punc-
tuation is required; in particular, do NOT terminate the name with
double-colon.
4.3.1.1.4.2 Defining Off-network Hosts (route-through Hosts) -
NOTE
This section is applicable only to those
networks which run the "pass-through", or
"poor-man's-router" task, as a gateway
between DECNETs. If you have a simple
network without gateways, you may skip
this section.
Hosts which are not adjacent to your host, in a Phase II network,
or are not on the Phase III network in which your host participates,
must be reached using the pass-through protocol implemented by the
"pass-through", or "poor-man's-router" task (distributed with DECNET,
not with DECmail/MS). To define such a host you must know the routing
path used to reach it. The entry for such a host is:
<host-name>,<1st-gateway>::<2nd-gateway>:: ... <host-name>::
If your gateway configuration provides multiple paths to off-network
(Phase III) or nonadjacent (Phase II) hosts, you may define all the
paths in the file. The mail system will try to use them in the order in
which they appear in the file. If the first path does not work, the
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 13
INSTALLATION OF DECMAIL/MS ON TOPS-20 SYSTEMS
second path is tried, and so forth, until the mail is delivered or all
paths have been tried. For example, consider a Phase II network as
follows:
[HOSTA]--------[HOSTB]---------[HOSTC]-------[HOSTD]
| |
| |
[HOSTE]---------[HOSTF]
As you can see, HOSTA has two possible paths to HOSTF and HOSTE. So in
SYSTEM:DECNET-HOSTS.TXT for HOSTA, the following entries should be made:
HOSTA
HOSTB
HOSTC,HOSTB::HOSTC::
HOSTD,HOSTB::HOSTC::HOSTD::
HOSTE,HOSTB::HOSTE::
HOSTE,HOSTB::HOSTC::HOSTF::HOSTE:: ! alternate path
HOSTF,HOSTB::HOSTE::HOSTF::
HOSTF,HOSTB::HOSTC::HOSTF:: ! alternate path
Note that the local host must be defined as well. Also, be careful not
to forget the trailing double-colon.
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 14
INSTALLATION OF DECMAIL/MS ON TOPS-20 SYSTEMS
4.3.1.1.4.3 Defining Host Synonyms -
Frequently you will find it useful to define mnemonic or humorous
synonyms for hosts in your network, especially if the network adminis-
trators have chosen to assign dry or unpopular names to the hosts. To
define a host synonym, enter the synonym name, an equals sign (=), and
the real name. Be careful! The real name must already have been de-
fined earlier in the the file. For example:
HOSTA ! Unimaginative name
ORANGE-PAINTED-PDP10=HOSTA ! More easily remembered name
4.3.2 Installation Certification Procedure (ICP) -
In order to perform this procedure, you should have installed MS
and the network mail software on two DECSYSTEM-20s connected via DECNET.
Before trying to verify your installation, be sure that the DECNET link
between the two systems is up and working.
Log into an account on one system and send mail to an invalid user-
name on the other system; for example, "No-such-user". Next give the
"net-mail" command to force the mail unspooler (DMAILR) to try to
deliver your mail. You should get an error message from the other node
complaining about the invalid node name.
For example, if you're on NODEA and the other node is NODEB, your
typescript would look something like this:
@MS
%No current mail file
MS>send
To: No-such-user at NODEB
cc:
Subject: Test message
Message (ESC to enter Send Level, ctrl-Z to send, ctrl-K to redisplay,
ctrl-B to insert file, ctrl-E to enter editor):
This is a test message.
^Z
Netmail queued for transmission.
MS>net-mail
Sending to NODEB, connect OK,
?NMAIL error: Invalid username in "To:" list: NO-SUCH-USER
MS>
If you do not get the "connect OK" message, but instead get some
DECNET error message, check to make sure that the connection to NODEB is
working. If the DECNET error message is "destination process does not
exist", check to insure that NMAIL is installed and running on the other
node.
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 15
INSTALLATION OF DECMAIL/MS ON TOPS-20 SYSTEMS
Once you've successfully executed this part of the network
verification, try sending mail to a real user on the other node. Your
typescript should look something like this:
@MS
%No current mail file
MS>send
To: Smith at NODEB
cc:
Subject: Test message
Message (ESC to enter Send Level, ctrl-Z to send, ctrl-K to redisplay,
ctrl-B to insert file, ctrl-E to enter editor):
This is a test message.
^Z
Netmail queued for transmission.
MS>net-mail
Sending to NODEB, connect OK, sent OK, deleted.
MS>
Next check to see if the mail unspooler is running OK. Proceed as
in the previous example, except do NOT give the "net-mail" command.
Wait for the unspooler to deliver the mail. This should take no longer
than 30 minutes. You can check to see if the mail has been delivered
yet by getting a directory listing of your logged-in PS: directory. If
the mail has not yet been sent, you will see a file whose filespec is of
the form:
[--DECNET-MAIL--].NODEB.1
When this file disappears, the mail has been delivered. Have the
user on the other system to whom you sent the mail log in and run MS to
check to see that he's actually received the mail correctly.
If you encounter problems with this test, check the file
SYSTEM:DMAILR.LOG. This file contains a complete log of the unspooler's
activity and should point you to the problem.
Once you've successfully run these tests, you can be sure that
you've correctly installed DECmail/MS and can now announce it to your
user community.
4.4 ARPANET Mail Installation
DECmail/MS can send and receive mail over the ARPANET as well. For
information on installing the ARPANET software, refer to the TOPS-20AN
Installation Guide. There is nothing special that need be done for
DECmail/MS; if you install the ARPANET software correctly, as described
in its documentation, DECmail/MS will work with no further actions
required on your part.
DECmail/MS Installation Guide Page 16
INSTALLATION OF DECMAIL/MS ON TOPS-20 SYSTEMS
4.5 XMAILR (Stanford/MIT Internet Mailer)
DECmail/MS supports XMAILR, the Stanford/MIT internetwork mailer.
XMAILR is a mail delivery daemon which can deliver mail to hosts on a
variety of networks, including DECNET, ARPANET, Chaosnet, and Dialnet.
XMAILR is neither supported nor distributed by Digital Equipment Corpor-
ation, and so we cannot claim that DECmail/MS will always work with
XMAILR. We do make an effort to keep DECmail/MS up-to-date with respect
to XMAILR, however. For more information on XMAILR, contact Mark
Crispin at Stanford University (Admin.MRC @ SU-SCORE.ARPANET). As of
the writing of this document, DECmail/MS worked correctly with XMAILR,
but did not recognize pseudo-mailbox-names defined by the XMAILBOX pro-
gram. This capability will probably be added to future releases of
DECmail/MS.
DECmail/MS decides to use XMAILR on a system if and only if:
o The file SYSTEM:HOSTS2.BIN exists and is readable.
o The file SYSTEM:XMAILR.FLAGS exists and is writeable.
If these two conditions are not met, DECmail/MS attempts to use
supported methods of delivering the mail.
[End of MSINST.MEM]