🚀 go-pugleaf

>                         is it possible to get unix fixed so that it
> understands addresses of the form '"provan don"@lll-mfe.arpa', or
> should we just flush this syntax?  as long as my syntax is legal, i find
> it real hard to justify going to the lengths i'd have to go to make it
> some address without any blanks in it.

First of all, UNIX* doesn't know what mail is.  UNIX is an operating system,
not a mailer.  On 4.2BSD, the standard mailer is sendmail.  This mailer
understands spaces in names (you must quote the name, of course, like your
example shows).  Another mailer which runs on 4.2, MMDF, also understands
spaces in names.

If there are any sites out there running out-of-date and incorrect software,
mail them.  They should want to know their mailer doesn't conform to the
RFC 822/823 standards.  You say some sites buy their software (Unix sites
without source?  Who *are* these people?), have they notified the manufacturer
of the problem?  Maybe a solution here is to post the name of the manufacturer
to the net, after giving them a chance to remedy the problem.  This should
cause prompt attention to the problem.

*UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories
-- 
Dave Cohrs @ wisconsin
...!{allegra,heurikon,ihnp4,seismo,ucbvax,uwm-evax}!uwvax!dave
dave@wisc-rsch.arpa