Scenario for using the Network Journal
A way to mail messages and files through the ARPANET and have them journalized.
North, J.B., "Scenario for using the Network Journal", RFC 629, DOI 10.17487/RFC0629, March 1974, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc629>.
@misc{rfc629,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 629,
howpublished = {RFC 629},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC0629},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc629},
author = {J.B. North},
title = {{Scenario for using the Network Journal}},
pagetotal = 3,
year = 1974,
month = mar,
} RFC text
Network Working Group Jeanne North
Request for Comment: 629 SRI-ARC
NIC 22383 March 27, 1974
SCENARIO FOR USING THE NETWORK JOURNAL
Network users may send mail to individuals and to groups, input as
messages or entire files, through the Network Journal, using SNDMSG or
their site's mail system. The mail is converted at NIC into NLS files,
Journalized, and sent to specified recipients. Short messages may be
received as messages, longer ones as citations to files which may be
retrieved immediately, and also later, by using FTP. Mail sent to NIC
with a "/" in the user-name field invokes the Net Journal.
SENDING THE MESSAGE OR FILE BY TELEX SNDMSG
Construct user field with slash and NIC idents:
[Users:] sender ident/addressee ident(s)@NIC
e.g. "JEW/DHC MAP@NIC". To send to a group, use group ident, e.g.
"JEW/NLG@NIC". To combine Journal SNDMSG with SNDMSG to others, add
others' Network addresses after commas, e.g. "JEW/DHC@NIC,PRATT@ISI".
See ARPANET Directory for NIC idents and Network addresses.
[@] SNDMSG <CR>
[Type ? for help]
[Users:] JEW/NGG <SP> DHC@NIC, PRATT@ISI <CR>
[Subject:] Title of Message <CR>
[Message (? for help):] Text of message ...
Note: ^B allows insertion of a sequential file as the message or
at any point in the test of the message:
^B [(Insert file:)] <directory>file <ALT> [ext ...EOF)]
<^Z>
[jew/ngg dhc@nic -- ok] (or [ -- queued -- timed-out])
[pratt@isi -- ok]
When using SNDMSG through TELNET, change TELNET escape character, to
^Q for example, allowing ^Z to be used for end-of-message.
RETRIEVING THE FILE FROM NETWORK JOURNAL
Substitute the citation received, for example "<GJOURNAL>21695", for
"<journal>number" and supply a filename in the following:
[@] FTP <CR>
[HOST FTP User process x.xx.x]
[*] CONN <SP> NIC <CR>
[ Connection opened]
[*< OFFICE-1 FTP Server x.xx.x - at DAY DATE TIME]
[*] LOG <SP> ANONYMOUS <SP> NIC <CR>
[*] GET <SP> <journal>number.NLS;xnls <CR>
[ to local file] filename <CR> [New file] <CR>
[< IMAGE retrieve of <journal>number.NLS; started]
[< transfer completed]
[*] DISC <CR>
[*] QUIT <CR>
[@] COP <ALT> [<File list>] file <ALT> [<TO>] LPT: <CR> [OK] <CR>
SENDING A MESSAGE BY TELNET, FTP, OR OTHER MAIL SYSTEM
TELNET by TENEX Users:
[@] TELNET <CR>
[User Telnet x.x DATE ...]
[#] NIC <SP> FTP <CR> [is complete.#]
[300 OFFICE-1 FTP Server x.xx.x - at DAY DATE TIME]
MAIL <SP> JEW/RWW <SP> DHC <CR> (pause)
[350 Type mail, ended by a line with only a "."]
Re: Title of Message <CR>
First line of message <CR>
second line of message <CR> ...etc.
. <CR> (pause)
[256 Mail completed successfully]
<^Z>
[#] DISC <CR>
[#] QUIT <CR>
FTP by TENEX Users:
[@] FTP <CR>
[HOST FTP User process x.xx.x]
[*] CONN <SP> NIC <CR>
[ Connection opened]
[*< OFFICE-1 FTP Server x.xx.x - at DAY DATE TIME]
[*] QUO <ALT> MAIL <SP> JEW/DHC RWW <CR>
[*] (pause) [Type mail, ended by a line with only a "."]
[*] QUO <ALT> Re: Title of Message <CR>
[*] QUO <ALT> First line of message <CR>
[*] QUO <ALT> second line of message <CR> ...etc.
[*] QUO <ALT> . <CR> (pause)
[*< Mail completed successfully]
[*] DISC <CR>
[*] QUIT <CR>
Using Other Mail Systems:
It is not possible to give a generalized scenario for use with all
local mail systems.
The general procedure, to be applied to the local mail system, is
to supply:
"NIC" as the host name, and
Sender's NIC ident / Addressee's NIC ident as user name
See RFC543, NIC 17777, for more detail on Network Journal.
[ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ]
[ into the online RFC archives by Alan Ford 12/99 ]
AI ELI5
On this page
§1Introduction
The Network Journal is a service offered by the Network Information Center that accepts mail messages and complete files from ARPANET users. The NIC converts these submissions into NLS files, assigns each a journal number, and distributes them to specified recipients. This RFC describes the procedure for sending messages and files through the Network Journal and retrieving them.
It is a mailbox system where you send a message to the NIC and it files and forwards it to others.
§2Sending Messages via SNDMSG
A user sends a message by using the SNDMSG command with a specially formatted address. The format is sender-ident/recipient-ident(s)@NIC, for example JEW/DHC@NIC. Multiple recipients can be specified, and the sender can also include regular ARPANET addresses after a comma to send the same message via normal mail. The message can include plain text or reference an entire file inserted with the ^B command.
You type a special mail command with the sender's name and recipients' names separated by a slash, and send it to the NIC.
§3Retrieving Files from the Network Journal
Recipients receive a citation such as <GJOURNAL>21695 that identifies their message in the NIC's journal. They retrieve the actual file by using FTP to connect to the NIC, logging in as ANONYMOUS with password NIC, and using the GET command with the citation reference. Alternative retrieval methods include TELNET with the MAIL command or direct FTP file transfer, each with similar steps for different system types.
You get back a number like 21695, then use FTP to download the actual message from the NIC by that number.