Subject: Re: symlinks in distribution sets: absolute or relative?
To: None <tech-userlevel@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Alan Barrett <apb@iafrica.com>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 03/16/1997 11:31:48
Every UUCP rmail system I have dealt with has sent the unqualified name
"rmail" over the wire as the command to be executed.  So there is no UUCP
protocol reason for insisting on any particular path to rmail. 

On the system that receives (and wants to execute) that command, there's
usually a PATH to be searched for such commands, and/or an explicit list
mapping unqualified command named to complete file names.  For example, in
one of HDB UUCP's config files, you can set a variable called COMMANDS
(which can be different for each remote system that you talk to).  That
variable can be set to something like this: 

	COMMANDS=/bin/rmail:rnews

and that setting means

	The remote system is allowed to ask us to execute the "rmail" 
	or "rnews" commands.  If the remote asks us to execute "rmail" 
	then use /bin/rmail; if the remote asks us to execute "rnews" 
	then search for rnews in the default path (which is set
	elsewhere). 

Taylor UUCP understands this too, but the syntax is different unless you
are using HDB-compatible config files. 

--apb (Alan Barrett)