Registering a user into the TELL database for the MAIL system.
In order to update SYS:TELL.INI with a new user name the following steps should
be taken.
1) Get a reasonable name from the user and a PPN to be equated to it. It is
suggested that the form of name be initial and surname separated by a dot eg.
A.Brown In fact any alpha-numeric sequence starting with a letter and
excluding spaces and graphic characters other than '.' will do. It must
be unique in the first 12 characters but can be up to 25 characters long.
2) Do a "WHO A.Brown" to determine that the name is not already present in
SYS:TELL.INI. If it is then try adding other initials or expand the first
name eg. A.D.Brown or Arthur.Brown
3) When a unique name has been found, enter it into SYS:TELL.INI as a line
of the form eg.
/group(A.Brown=[16,17]) - in numeric order of PPNs for ease of searching.
NOTE:
Only one name per PPN is recommended as the user will always be identified
for outgoing mail, with the first match of the PPN in the file, but would be
able to receive mail on any of the given names. However it obviously makes
the file large to have aliases for individuals.
NB:
Lines containing wildcard characters in the PPN fields are ignored
by the mail programs.
It is also possible to have multiple PPNs assigned to the same name
eg. /group(A.Brown=[16,17]+[12,13])
doing so would cause incoming mail to be sent to each of these PPNs. This is
not usually desired and so is also not recommended.
NOTE WELL:
The post program will ignore all lines in SYS:TELL.INI which use account names
in the group line e.g.
tell/group:(fred=fred#a+john#b)
as the only reliable piece of information the program has when searching this
file is the user's ppn because the account name nay have been changed by LOGIN.