Announcing VUNIC/VUnet

[Ok, here is the "announcement" of VUNIC/VUnet, which is my effort to provide information and resources to get folks connecting to each other via UUCP. It just seems natural that we should connect our vintage computers with vintage networking. I want to act as a facilitator to help make that happen. Am I an expert at UUCP? Certainly not. That's why I'm going to ask, as I get this project underway, for every little shred of help I can get from those of you who ARE experts. (I've set up UUCP clients and servers, mind you, but I'm by no means an expert like many of you.) Software, documentation, information, hints, tips, suggestions, configuration assistance and moral support are all welcome. I'll provide more information as things progress.] June 14, 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------- ANNOUNCING THE VINTAGE UUCP NETWORK INFORMATION CENTER ------------------------------------------------------------- TERMINOLOGY VUNIC - Vintage UUCP Network Information Center VUnet - Vintage UUCP Network PURPOSE [Some of this text is shamelessly copied from http://www.uucp.org, the original site for The UUCP Mapping Project.] VUNIC is being started as a means to facilitate the exchange of electronic mail, news and file transfers among vintage computer collectors, restorers and preservations using the UUCP store-and-forward transport mechanism. UUCP software, originally part of the UNIX operating system became available on a variety of operating systems and platforms, created to define the email format for these messages and made it possible to shorten and simplify addressing for UUCP-transported messages. VUNIC's mission is to recreate a single worldwide database of vintage systems connected to each other via UUCP and then using path building software (such as pathalias) to determine the optimal path from one system to another. Email addresses using this system incorporate the use of the path as part of the address. The UUCP Mapping Project, which concluded at the end of 2000, is the model upon which VUNIC will be built. In addition, VUNIC will provide a web site with software and documentation for building UUCP clients and servers on vintage computer platforms as well as modern systems to be used as Internet/VUnet gateways. RESOURCES VUNIC will operate a website and FTP server at http://vunic.retrocomputing.com (coming soon) for the purpose of distributing news, documentation and software of interest to VUNIC/VUnet users. VUnet will operate both dialup and Internet connected UUCP servers for the purpose of facilitating transport of mail, news and files for those who are unable to find another method by which to connect. INSTIGATOR(S) VUNIC is the product of the twisted brain of Anthony Clifton, retrocomputerist, unix system administrator and general weirdo. You can find Anthony on the web at http://www.iowanetworking.com or via email at clifton(a)iowanetworking.com.