Carrying PostScript in X.400 and MIME
Two ways to carry PostScript through X.400 mail, and how each maps to MIME's application/postscript.
Alvestrand, H., "Carrying PostScript in X.400 and MIME", RFC 2160, DOI 10.17487/RFC2160, January 1998, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2160>.
@misc{rfc2160,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 2160,
howpublished = {RFC 2160},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC2160},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2160},
author = {H. Alvestrand},
title = {{Carrying PostScript in X.400 and MIME}},
pagetotal = 5,
year = 1998,
month = jan,
} RFC text
Contents
Network Working Group H. Alvestrand
Request for Comments: 2160 UNINETT
Category: Standards Track January 1998
Carrying PostScript in X.400 and MIME
Status of this Memo
This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998). All Rights Reserved.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction ............................................ 1
2 The PostScript body part ................................ 1
3 The PostScript FTBP ..................................... 2
4 The Application/PostScript content-type ................. 2
5 MIXER conversion ........................................ 2
6 MIXER conversion ........................................ 2
7 OID Assignments ......................................... 3
8 Security Issues ......................................... 3
9 Trademark Issues ........................................ 3
10 References ............................................. 3
11 Author's Address ....................................... 4
12 Full Copyright Statement ............................... 5
1. Introduction
This document describes methods for carrying PostScript information
in the two standard mail systems MIME and X.400, and the conversion
between them. It uses the notational conventions of [BODYMAP], and
the conversion is further described in [MIXER].
Two ways of carrying PostScript in X.400 are described. One is using
the FTAM Body Part, and one uses the Extended Body Part originally
described in RFC 1494.
The FTAM method is recommended.
2. The PostScript body part
Carrying PostScript in X.400 as an Extended Body Part was originally
defined in RFC 1494. This specification carries that work forward
now that RFC 1494 is obsoleted by [BODYMAP].
The following Extended Body Part is defined for PostScript data
streams. It has no parameters.
postscript-body-part EXTENDED-BODY-PART-TYPE
DATA OCTET STRING
::= mime-postscript-body
mime-postscript-body OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::=
{ mixer-bp-data 2 }
3. The PostScript FTBP
The PostScript FTBP is identified by having the
FileTransferParameters.environment.application-reference set to id-
mime-ftbp-postscript.
The definition is:
id-mime-ftbp-postscript OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::=
{ mixer-bp-data 6 }
4. The Application/PostScript content-type
In MIME, PostScript is carried in the body part
"application/PostScript", which is defined in RFC 1521.
5. MIXER conversion
X.400 Body Part: Extended Body Part, OID mime-postscript-body MIME
Content-Type: application/postscript Conversion Type: No conversion
The two representations of PostScript both contain a single stream of
octets. This stream of octets can be copied with no problems between
the representations. No other data needs to be converted.
6. MIXER conversion
X.400 Body Part: FTBP, OID mime-ftbp-postscript-body MIME Content-
Type: application/postscript Conversion Type: No conversion
The two representations of PostScript both contain a single stream of
octets. This stream of octets can be copied with no problems between
the representations. No other data needs to be converted.
7. OID Assignments
The first OID is also defined in [BODYMAP].
POSTSCRIPT-MAPPINGS DEFINITIONS ::= BEGIN
EXPORTS -- everything --;
IMPORTS
mixer-bp-data
FROM MIXER-MAPPINGS
id-mime-postscript-body OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::=
{ mixer-bp-data 2 };
id-mime-ftbp-postscript OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::=
{ mixer-bp-data 6 };
END
8. Security Issues
The issues concerning PostScript and security are well discussed in
RFC 2046. No additional security issues are identified by this memo.
9. Trademark Issues
PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.
10. References
[MIXER]
Kille, S., "MIXER: Mapping between X.400
and RFC 822/MIME", RFC 2156, January 1998.
[BODYMAP]
Alvestrand, H., "Mapping between X.400 and RFC 822/MIME
Message Bodies", RFC 2157, January 1998.
11. Author's Address
Harald Tveit Alvestrand
UNINETT
Postboks 6883 Elgeseter
N-7002 TRONDHEIM
Phone: +47 73 59 70 94
EMail: Harald.T.Alvestrand@uninett.no
12. Full Copyright Statement
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998). All Rights Reserved.
This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to
others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it
or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published
and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any
kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are
included on all such copies and derivative works. However, this
document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing
the copyright notice or references to the Internet Society or other
Internet organizations, except as needed for the purpose of
developing Internet standards in which case the procedures for
copyrights defined in the Internet Standards process must be
followed, or as required to translate it into languages other than
English.
The limited permissions granted above are perpetual and will not be
revoked by the Internet Society or its successors or assigns.
This document and the information contained herein is provided on an
"AS IS" basis and THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET ENGINEERING
TASK FORCE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION
HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
AI ELI5
On this page
§1Two Mail Systems, Two Carriers
This document describes how to carry PostScript in the two standard mail systems, MIME and X.400, and how to convert between them. It follows the notation of RFC 2157 and the conversion rules of RFC 2156.
Two X.400 methods exist: an Extended Body Part, originally described in RFC 1494, and the FTAM Body Part. The FTAM method is recommended.
There are two ways to put a page into the older mail system. One of them is the better choice.
§2The X.400 Body Parts
The Extended Body Part postscript-body-part has no parameters and holds an OCTET STRING. Its identifier is mime-postscript-body, defined as { mixer-bp-data 2 }. This carries forward the work of RFC 1494, now that it is obsoleted by RFC 2157.
The PostScript FTBP is identified by setting FileTransferParameters.environment.application-reference to id-mime-ftbp-postscript, defined as { mixer-bp-data 6 }.
Each carrier has its own numbered label, so the receiving system knows the contents are PostScript.
§3Mapping to MIME
In MIME, PostScript travels as the application/PostScript body part, defined in RFC 1521.
Both X.400 forms are mapped to application/postscript with conversion type "No conversion". Each representation holds one stream of octets, which can be copied between them with no problems, and no other data needs converting. The RFC also gives the ASN.1 module with both OID assignments.
The page is just a long string of bytes in both systems, so it is moved across exactly as it is.
§4Security and Trademark
The security issues of PostScript are discussed in RFC 2046, and this memo identifies no additional ones.
The RFC also notes that PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.
The note points to an older document for safety advice and adds nothing new.