I'm looking for some feedback / answers to NetMail *routing* questions and links/any information people can provide on the subject :)

I'd like to put NetMail in ENiGMA 1/2 in the next (current branch) version. Very likely in phases depending on work:
- Phase 1: Support directly related to AreaFix
- Phase 2: User-to-user
- Phase 3: Enhancements

General plan / Questions:
* Phase 1 plan is to allow sending NetMail to *existing* configured FTN networks. Right now that means networks that are configured for EchoMail groups. The 'uplink' (to) and 'localAddress' (from) portions of the config would be used to prepare and send packets.

* Question: Are Node Lists useful (in relation to NetMail) for anything other than allowing users to search/select addresses when sending?

* Phase 2: have a proper NetMail specific configuration for things that fall outside the scope of networks already configured for EchoMail. The basic configuration block I'm thinking below:

netMail: {
// defaults ...shown with their default values :)
fileCase: upper
packetType: 2+
encoding: utf8

routes: [
{
route: "21:*"
uplink: "21:1/999"

// defaults can be overriden per route, if necessary
packetType: 2+
encoding: utf8
fileCase: upper
}
{
//
// System will match all others here
//
// ...should existing network configs still be
// matched first?, e.g. if sending to 41:3/100.1 and we
// have a 41:3/100 network set up, use it before uplink
// provided here?
//
route: "*" // everything else
uplink: XXXXXX
}
]

aliases: {
// these are not case sensitive
sysop: NuSkooler
root: NuSkooler
"Bryan Ashby": NuSkooler
}
}

Does this make sense? Hopefully it's self explanitory.

Any help/feedback greatly appreciated!!!!



--- ENiGMA 1/2 v0.0.8-alpha (linux; x64; 6.11.3)
* Origin: Xibalba -+- xibalba.l33t.codes:44510 (21:1/121)

On 12/09/17, NuSkooler said the following...

* Question: Are Node Lists useful (in relation to NetMail) for anything other than allowing users to search/select addresses when sending?

The nodelist contains telephone numbers and internet addresses you would need if you wanted to crash direct netmail. Aside from that you don't actually
need to know if a node exists as long as there's a sane route to their uplink.

// ...should existing network configs still be
// matched first?, e.g. if sending to 41:3/100.1 and we
// have a 41:3/100 network set up, use it before uplink
// provided here?

You should probably default to the uplink and let the sysop set their own
route overrides. Points are less of an issue but things could get messy if
you try to netmail someone in one net, and unbeknown to you they're getting their feed from a different net.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A36 2017/12/03 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Subcarrier BBS (21:2/140)

On Sunday, December 10th Static was heard saying...

The nodelist contains telephone numbers and internet addresses you would need if you wanted to crash direct netmail. Aside from that you don't actually need to know if a node exists as long as there's a sane route to their uplink.

Ah, so if I'm reading this right: Even if the sytsem has *no* configuration for
a destination, if a user for example direct mails 55:110/100.2 and I can find a 55:110/100 node in the list, I can attempt to crash the NetMail to it, correct?


On Sunday, December 10th Static was heard saying...

You should probably default to the uplink and let the sysop set their own route overrides. Points are less of an issue but things could get messy if you try to netmail someone in one net, and unbeknown to you they're getting their feed from a different net.

You're saying to use the configured uplinks (e.g. where explicit networks such as fsxNet, FidoNet, ...) are configured -- and only if I *don't* get a match there, utilize the more generalized '55:*'->uplink type routing rules? This makes sense in my mind, but want to confirm.

Thanks for your feedback!!!


--- ENiGMA 1/2 v0.0.8-alpha (linux; x64; 6.11.3)
* Origin: Xibalba -+- xibalba.l33t.codes:44510 (21:1/121)

Ah, so if I'm reading this right: Even if the sytsem has *no* configuration for a destination, if a user for example direct mails 55:110/100.2 and I can find a 55:110/100 node in the list, I can attempt to crash the NetMail to it, correct?

Yes, if the node is listed with an internet address and is flagged as having internet mailer capability you can use that information to try polling them directly. eg: ,121,Xibalba_BBS,Salt_Lake_City_USA,Bryan_Ashby,-Unpublished-,300,CM,INA:xibalb a.l33t.codes,IBN:54554,ITN:44510
This tells me that if I have netmail for 21:1/121.2 I could try sending it directly to xiabalba.l33t.codes:54554 using binkp protocol.

You're saying to use the configured uplinks (e.g. where explicit
networks such as fsxNet, FidoNet, ...) are configured -- and only if I *don't* get a match there, utilize the more generalized '55:*'->uplink type routing rules? This makes sense in my mind, but want to confirm.

I think we're on the same page.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A36 2017/12/03 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Subcarrier BBS (21:2/140)

On Sunday, December 10th Static was heard saying...

I think we're on the same page.

Great, thank you again! Time to do some coding :)



--- ENiGMA 1/2 v0.0.8-alpha (linux; x64; 6.11.3)
* Origin: Xibalba -+- xibalba.l33t.codes:44510 (21:1/121)

On 12/10/17, NuSkooler said the following...

Ah, so if I'm reading this right: Even if the sytsem has *no* configuration for a destination, if a user for example direct mails 55:110/100.2 and I can find a 55:110/100 node in the list, I can attempt to crash the NetMail to it, correct?

As long as you have a nodelist readable for zone 55, and your system
configured to send and receive netmail from said zone, yes.

I would assume you have zone 55 setup in your configuration. If not, this
won't (and probably shouldn't) happen.

However, best example, if you're in Fidonet (zone 1), and you want to send a direct netmail to someone in zone 3 (Australia/New Zealand/Oceania whatever), but don't have them configured in your node config, parsing the Fidonet nodelist should make this possible.

Regards,
Nick

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A37 2017/12/09 (Linux/64)
* Origin: _thePharcyde telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin) (21:1/200)