Converting VMS mail messages to UNIX format

1. On the FNALD VMS cluster, one needs to modify the file

   SYS$LOGIN:.RHOSTS

   to include the line:

   cdfsga.fnal.gov username

   This needs be done only once, (and username should be replaced with your username, and cdfsga should be replaced by the name of the UNIX machine you will be using to store mail).

2. If everything goes well, one types just three commands on the UNIX machine to copy all of your VMS mail to UNIX:
   

   > setup mh

   > setup mailtools

   > fvms2mh -vms fnalda

In case there was a failure in the commands above, here are some of the problems which may have occurred:

• A common problem occurs when the SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.COM file on FNALD fails to execute under rcp. If this occurs, adding the line:

  $ If F$MODE().Eqs."OTHER" Then Exit

  at the top of SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.COM will usually help.

• Another problem occurs when the protections of the SYS$LOGIN:.RHOSTS file are not set as restricted as rcp would like. This can be fixed on FNALD with the command:

  $ Set File/Protection=(Group,World) SYS$LOGIN:.RHOSTS

• A less common problem can occur when the username on FNALD is not the same username as on the UNIX machine. An example of such a mismatch in usernames is OWENL on FNALD and owen on cdfsga. In this case, please contact the FNALD system managers and ask for the mapping between the two different usernames to be added to the MULTINET tables on FNALD.

• For fvms2mh, be sure you are using mailtools v2_2 or later. Earlier mailtools versions do not support the fvms2mh command name described here, and may have quota and cleanup problems. To see the current version of mailtools on your UNIX machine, type:

  > ups list mailtools

fvms2mh is supported by Lauri Loebel Carpenter, (lauri@fnal.gov) of the Fermilab Computing Division.

This file is /cdf/run1/documents/development/vms_mail_to_unix.html

Last updated and validated January 21st, 2000