OK, one more question about sending email TO an old VAX

[Paul Koning]

> On Feb 23, 2016, at 1:46 PM, william degnan <billdegnan at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Assuming I want to send an email message to an older VAX server (Process
> Software MultiNet V4.1 Rev A, MicroVAX 3100, VAX/VMS V5.5-2 ) that requires
> one to format their OUTBOUND emails like this:
> 
> To: SMTP%"bill at myemail.net"
> 
> How does one send mail INBOUND to this kind of VAX mail from a modern email
> like gmail?  Is it possible to format the header somehow to get the message
> through?  You can't simply send a message to
> 
> system at microvax3100.vintagecomputer.net
> 
> how would I format the email address?  I could write a PHP program to
> format the header "wrong" for normal purposes but "right" for the VAX
> inbound I suppose.  Any tips that don't involve creating a gateway nor
> changing the target VAX itself?

I don't remember the details of what email addresses looked like in the days when DEC was first connected to the Internet (or ARPAnet).  There was a bunch of magic at the WRL gateway (gatekeeper.dec.com -- also one of the first firewalls).  A lot of this can be done by suitable magic in sendmail.cf.  At some later time I believe that the mapping from SMTP addresses to DECmail addresses was pretty much transparent, so you could indeed send that simple address  you mentioned.  Earlier on it was something like "ark::[1,211]"@decwrl.dec.com or perhaps kremvax!decwrl!ark!1,211 ...

	paul