5.8.3 External body parts failing?

5.8.3 External body parts failing?

[Chris Shenton]

I use gnus-5.8.3 and am trying to create a MIME message with an
external body part, like one on a remote FTP server. I use
mml-attach-external and specify a file like
"/ftp@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/foo.bar". I send and when it arrives in my
inbox, gnus renders it like:


    From: Chris Shenton <cshenton@uucom.com>
    Subject: 3 ext
    To: cshenton
    Date: 27 Mar 2000 14:16:15 -0500

    It appears to have invoked ANGE FTP to get this file oddly.

    [2. message/external-body; README.TXT]...


I use "b" to save the file to /tmp but it only contains:

    Content-Type: text/plain
    Content-ID: <lfr9cww7eo.fsf@Samizdat.uucom.com>
    Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary



The inbox file looks like the following:

    X-From-Line: cshenton@uucom.com  Mon Mar 27 14:16:15 2000
    Received: (from cshenton@localhost)
            by Samizdat.uucom.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) id OAA29610;
            Mon, 27 Mar 2000 14:16:15 -0500 (EST)
    To: cshenton
    Subject: 3 ext
    From: Chris Shenton <cshenton@uucom.com>
    Date: 27 Mar 2000 14:16:15 -0500
    X-Gnus-Mail-Source: directory:/export/home/cshenton/ProcMail/
    Message-ID: <lfsnxcw7eo.fsf@Samizdat.uucom.com>
    MIME-Version: 1.0
    Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="=-=-="
    Lines: 18
    Xref: Samizdat.uucom.com in.cshenton:16233

    --=-=-=

    It appears to have invoked ANGE FTP to get this file oddly.


    --=-=-=
    Content-Type: message/external-body;
      name="/ftp@ftp.freebsd.org:/pub/FreeBSD/README.TXT";
      access-type=local-file

    Content-Type: text/plain
    Content-ID: <lfr9cww7eo.fsf@Samizdat.uucom.com>
    Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary



    --=-=-=--

Note that it indicates access-type=local-file, which seems odd. Am I
doing something wrong?

Re: 5.8.3 External body parts failing?

[Kai Großjohann]

I'm not sure, but since the MIME spec doesn't know about ange-ftp, I'd
guess that you have to specify a URL rather than an ange-ftp file name.
kai
-- 
~/.signature: No such file or directory

Re: 5.8.3 External body parts failing?

[Yair Friedman (Jerusalem)]

Chris Shenton <chris@shenton.org> writes:

> I use gnus-5.8.3 and am trying to create a MIME message with an
> external body part, like one on a remote FTP server. I use
> mml-attach-external and specify a file like
> "/ftp@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/foo.bar". 

If you just want to attach files from remote FTP server you can use
ange-ftp syntax, and gnus will fetch the file for you before sending the
message.  For true external mime part I think you have to use URL
syntax as it depends on the receiving mail reading client.

Hope this helps,
--
Yair Friedman.

Re: 5.8.3 External body parts failing?

[Chris Shenton]

"Yair Friedman (Jerusalem)" <YAIRFR@Amdocs.com> writes:

> If you just want to attach files from remote FTP server you can use
> ange-ftp syntax, and gnus will fetch the file for you before sending the
> message.

I tried this and saw Ange-FTP connect, but it didn't slurp the file
into the message (and it should not for *external* body part). 

> For true external mime part I think you have to use URL
> syntax as it depends on the receiving mail reading client.

Any suggestions on how to enter that? I tried that (e.g.,
ftp://ftp.gnus.org/foo.txt) but mml-attach-external said "no such
file". It appears to only want a Ange-FTP:

    (mml-attach-external FILE &optional TYPE DESCRIPTION)
    Attach an external file into the buffer.
    FILE is an ange-ftp/efs specification of the part location.

What's an "efs" specification? Any suggestion on how to specify a URL
to attach?

Thanks.

Re: 5.8.3 External body parts failing?

[Kai Großjohann]

Chris Shenton <chris@shenton.org> writes:

> "Yair Friedman (Jerusalem)" <YAIRFR@Amdocs.com> writes:
> 
> > For true external mime part I think you have to use URL
> > syntax as it depends on the receiving mail reading client.
> 
> Any suggestions on how to enter that? I tried that (e.g.,
> ftp://ftp.gnus.org/foo.txt) but mml-attach-external said "no such
> file".

I think there's a bug in the code.  mml-attach-external seems to want
file names only, whereas other parts in the file seem to expect either
strings (which they interpret as local files) or non-strings (dunno
what data structure that is).

Hm.

kai
-- 
~/.signature: No such file or directory

Re: 5.8.3 External body parts failing?

[Yair Friedman (Jerusalem)]

Chris Shenton <chris@shenton.org> writes:

> "Yair Friedman (Jerusalem)" <YAIRFR@Amdocs.com> writes:
> 
> > If you just want to attach files from remote FTP server you can use
> > ange-ftp syntax, and gnus will fetch the file for you before sending the
> > message.
> 
> I tried this and saw Ange-FTP connect, but it didn't slurp the file
> into the message (and it should not for *external* body part). 

It will when you send the message, although you might need to try
re-sending several times if the FTP connection closes in the time between
adding the attachment and sending the message.  As you say the attachment
is just a regular one.
--
Yair Friedman.

Re: 5.8.3 External body parts failing?

[Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen]

Chris Shenton <chris@shenton.org> writes:

>     [2. message/external-body; README.TXT]...
> 
> I use "b" to save the file to /tmp but it only contains:
> 
>     Content-Type: text/plain
>     Content-ID: <lfr9cww7eo.fsf@Samizdat.uucom.com>
>     Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary

Hm, yes.  I don't think Gnus does external-body at all, really...  It
should, though.  Is it used much?

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   larsi@gnus.org * Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen

Re: 5.8.3 External body parts failing?

[Chris Shenton]

Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org> writes:

> Hm, yes.  I don't think Gnus does external-body at all, really...  It
> should, though.  Is it used much?

Perhaps not, as this was the first time I've tried to use it. It could
be very helpful though for referencing docs that "permanently" reside
somewhere else, like various RFC repositories. 

Re: 5.8.3 External body parts failing?

[Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen]

Chris Shenton <chris@shenton.org> writes:

> Perhaps not, as this was the first time I've tried to use it. It could
> be very helpful though for referencing docs that "permanently" reside
> somewhere else, like various RFC repositories. 

Yup.  I've put this on the todo list.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   larsi@gnus.org * Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen