rfc1844.txt

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Network Working Group                                          E. Huizer
Request for Comments: 1844                                    SURFnet bv
Obsoletes: 1820                                              August 1995
Category: Informational


             Multimedia E-mail (MIME) User Agent checklist

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  This memo
   does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of
   this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

   This document presents a checklist to facilitate evaluation of MIME
   capable User Agents. Access to a MIME test-responder, that generates
   test-messages is described.

Introduction

   This document presents a checklist that facilitates evaluation of
   MIME capable E-mail User Agents. It is by no means a conformance or
   interoperability (both strictly defined and measurable quantities)
   checklist, but rather an interworking (practical perspective)
   checklist that is aimed at the users and system managers.

Usage and submission

   If you use this checklist against a specific product (regardless of
   whether you're a vendor, implementor or user) you can submit the
   result to [e-mail], make sure that the subject
   reflects the name and version of the product. This is an automated
   mailhandler, so PLEASE only submit filled-in checklists (in content-
   type text/plain or text/html) to this address. This information will
   be made available (at no cost) for other people to browse through at
   URL: http://www.nic.surfnet.nl/surfnet/projects/surf-ace/mime/

   Although SURFnet will attempt to verify the correctness of each
   submission, all submitted information is made available as is, with
   no guarantees (SURFnet does not take any responsibility for errors in
   the data that is made available, or for any damages resulting from
   usage of that data). Users who want to procure a UA are advised to
   use the data as an orientation, and to perform their own procurement
   tests (possibly using the checklist below as a guideline). Also it is
   noted that vendors and implementors are encouraged to use the results
   from the checklist to improve their products.



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RFC 1844               MIME User Agent Checklist             August 1995


Getting test messages

   For several tests in the checklist a test message is required. Test
   messages can be requested in the following way: Send mail to <mime-
   [e-mail]> with a subject field containing ONE of the
   following:

   text/plain
   text/enriched
   image/gif
   image/jpeg
   audio/basic
   video/mpeg
   application/octet-stream
   application/postscript
   message/rfc822
   message/partial
   message/external
   multipart/mixed
   multipart/parallel
   multipart/digest
   multipart/alternative
   multipart/appledouble
   application/wordperfect5.1
   application/msword
   application/rtf
   X-local      <to test how your UA deals with undefined content-types>
   nested    <returns a message that contains nested multipart contents>
   iso-8859-1    <returns a message with text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1>

   A message containing the requested content-type will be returned to
   the address contained in the from field.

References

   The reader is encouraged to also check out the following references:

   The MIME standards:

   -   Borenstein N. and N. Freed, "MIME (Multipurpose Internet
       Mail Extensions) Part One: Mechanisms for specifying and
       describing the format of Internet message bodies",  RFC 1521,
       Bellcore, Innosoft, September 1993.

   -   Moore K., "MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) Part
       Two: Message header extensions for non-Ascii text", RFC 1522,
       University of Tennessee, September 1993.




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RFC 1844               MIME User Agent Checklist             August 1995


   The registration procedure for content types:

   -   Postel J., "Media type registration procedure", RFC 1590,
       USC/Information Sciences Institute, March 1994.

   Some related informational documents:

   -   Borenstein N., "The text/enriched MIME content-type",
       RFC 1563, Bellcore, October 1994.

   -   Borenstein N., "A user agent configuration mechanism for
       multimedia mail format information", RFC 1524, Bellcore,
       September 1993.

   Registered MIME content-types can be found at the following URL:
   ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/iana/assignments/media-types/media-types

   The SUNet MIME project: http://www.nada.kth.se/sunet-mime/ This
   offers evaluation tests reports of MIME products, as well as tests
   and test-criteria for MIME implementors.

   From Stockholm University a list of user-interface requirments for a
   mail/news reader is available under: gopher://mars.dsv.su.se/11/dsv-
   reports/research-reports/messaging-research

Checklist for Mime UAs

   (note that for items with multiple choice options, it is possible
   that more than one option is applicable)

   1.  General information:
   1.1 The name and version of the product
   1.2 The name and addressing information of the manufacturer
   1.3 What are the platforms that are supported (Operating system,
       GUI and hardware requirements, if applicable: what APIs are
       supported (like MAPI etc.))?  [Note: Please use separate
       checklist forms for different platforms!!]
   1.4 What is the platform that was used for this checklist
       (Operating system, GUI and hardware)? [Note: Only one
       platform per checklist!!]
   1.5 Is the software available in source format or in binary
       format or both.
   1.6 Pricing information. Is the software available:
        - In the Public Domain, free of charge
        - As shareware (what is the price?)
        - PD for non-profit use, but not for commercial use
        - Commercially




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RFC 1844               MIME User Agent Checklist             August 1995


   2.  System installation, configuration and management
   2.1 How complex/easy is installation and configuration? Are
       there any pitfalls that need attention? Can you configure
       per set of users (i.e systemwide or LAN wide default
       configuration) and/or per user?
   2.2 Are there facilities for logging and/or accounting?
   2.3 Does the UA generate correct RFC-822 headers for outgoing
       messages:
       From:, (and if necessary) Sender:
       Date:
       Message-id:
   2.4 Is it possible for a non-priviledged user to change the
       "from" and/or "sender" field?
   2.5 Does the UA have any size restrictions (default or applied
       by system manager) for:
       - Message size
       - Number of messages
       - Number of folders
       - Number of messages per folder
   2.6 How secure is the users mailbox when using this UA? Can
       other non-privileged usets access the mailbox?
   2.7 What is the performance of the UA on this platform? (As this
       is difficult to measure, give your subjective impression:
       slow, reasonable or fast) E.g for:
       - Displaying a text message
       - Displaying a MIME message that contains an image
       - Complex actions like sorting etc.

   3.  General UA properties
   3.1 Does the UA have a graphical or a character based interface
       or both?
   3.2 Does the UA support native RFC-822/MIME or does it require a
       gateway?
   3.3 Which protocols are supported for message delivery:
        a. SMTP (MX records or static routing to Mailhost)
        b. ESMTP
        c. POP (which version)
        d. IMAP
        e. Co-location with specific MTA (which MTA)
        f. Other ...............
   3.4 Which protocols are supported for message submission:
        a. SMTP
        b. ESMTP
        c. Co-location with specific MTA (which MTA)
        d. Other ...............
   3.5 Does the UA support the following basic functionalities:
        - List messages
        - Read messages



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