[9fans] vf is a neat idea but

["ron minnich" <rminnich@gmail.com>]

Image you are on a mac os system which uses a plan 9 machine -- e.g.
mine -- as a mailer. You attach some pictures to the mail message you
are writing using the macos mailer and send the message out from the
mac mailer.

In return, you get back this message (I am not making this up)(names
removed to protect innocent):
error+  from 'xxx@xxx.org'
error+ to 'abc@gmail.com'
error+ failed with error 'error creating temporary file:
'/tmp/vf.00000037245' permission denied
error+ rc: note: mail refused: we don't accept executable attachments
error+ '.
error+ The mailer `/mail/lib/qmail 'x!y 'net!$smtp'' returned error status 72.
error+
error+


OK, this does indeed beg some questions for an average person, who has
just received this  bounce. As in , uh, w.t.f is all this. So I
translate what I can.

This is not from gmail.com. This is from the Plan 9 machine.
The failure to create the tmp file does not mean that you are out of
space, or that there is some other file system error. It means that
some piece of software does not like you.
rc is not refusing the mail.
It is a 4 attachment note, but we're not about to tell you which
attachment failed; that's your problem buddy!
And no, we're not going to tell you which particular attachment *type*
we decided was executable -- again, in spite of the fact that you may
not be able to see that at your end,
you're just going to have to bring another rock.
And, in spite of the fact that we are Plan 9, and we have errstr,
we're going to return error 72. Good luck.

So, I am going to start digging at this vf thing, because (at least to
me) this is poor etiquette.

Anyone who is faster than me at figuring this stuff out (which seems
to be most of you :-) let me know when you fix it.

thanks

ron