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HI Folks,
I'm trying to track down where a spurious "!" is being injected into a number of lines in a text/plain message that is being wrapped at about 990 chars.
The "!" doesn't appear in the copy in the archive, just the email that is sent out. I've been lookin in the code in pythonlib/email and pythonlib/smtplib but can't see anything glaring. The only mention of RFC3676 is in Handler/Scrubber which appears to be the relevant RFC.
Anythoughts?
Cheers
Steve
For example (all chars converted to 'a' due to sensitivity of original):
aa aaa aaaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaa, aaa aaaaaaaa aa aaaa aa aaaaaaaa aaaa aaaa aaa aaaa aaaa aa 2007/08 aa aaa aaaaaaa aaaaaaaaa, aa aaaaa aaa aaaa aaa. aaa aaaa aaaaaaaaa aa aaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aa aaaa aaaaaaaa, aaaaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaa aaaaaaaa aa aaaaaaaa aaaaaa (aaa), a.a. aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa a aaaaaa aa aaa aaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaaa aaaa aa aa aaaaa aa-aaaa. aa aaa aaaaa aa aaa aaaa aaaa, a aaa aaaaaa aa aaaaaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaa; aaaa aa aaaaaaaaaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaa aaaa. aaaa aaaaaaa aaa aaaaaaaa aa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaa aaa aa 'aaaaaaa aaaaaaaa', aa aaa aaa aaa aaaa aaaaaaaaa, aaa aa aaaaaaa a aaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaa aaaaa aaaa aaaaaaaaa aaa aaaaaa aaaaa aa aaaaaaaa aa aaaa aaaaa aaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaa aaaaaa aaaaaaaaa aaa aaaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaa aaaa - aaaa aaaaa aaaa aaaaaa aaaa aa aaa aaaaa aaaaaaa 5-aaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaa aa aaaa aaaaaaaa aaa aaa aaaaaaa aaaaa, aaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa (aaa). aa aaa aaaaaa, aa was aaaa aaaaa aaaa aaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa aaa 'aaa' aa aaaaaaaa (aaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaa aa aaa) aaaaa aaaa aa aa aaaaaaa aa aaaaaaaaa aaaa aaaaa aa aaaaaaaaaa aaa aaaaaaa. aaaa aaaaa aaaa aaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa aaaaa aaa aaa aaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaa aaaa, aaa aa aaa aaaa aa aaaaa, aaaa aaaa aa aaa aaaaaa-aaaa aaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa.
becomes
aa aaa aaaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaa, aaa aaaaaaaa aa aaaa aa aaaaaaaa aaaa aaaa aaa aaaa aaaa aa 2007/08 aa aaa aaaaaaa aaaaaaaaa, aa aaaaa aaa aaaa aaa. aaa aaaa aaaaaaaaa aa aaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaaaaaa aa aaaa aaaaaaaa, aaaaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaa aaaaaaaa aa aaaaaaaa aaaaaa (aaa), a.a. aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa a aaaaaa aa aaa aaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaaa aaaa aa aa aaaaa aa-aaaa. aa aaa aaaaa aa aaa aaaa aaaa, a aaa aaaaaa aa aaaaaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaa; aaaa aa aaaaaaaaaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaa aaaa. aaaa aaaaaaa aaa aaaaaaaa aa aaaa aaaa aaaa aaa aaa aa 'aaaaaaa aaaaaaaa', aa aaa aaa aaa aaaa aaaaaaaaa, aaa aa aaaaaaa a aaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaa aaaaa aaaa aaaaaaaaa aaa aaaaaa aaaaa aa aaaaaaaa aa aaaa aaaaa aaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaa aaaaaa aaaaaaaaa aaa aaaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaa aaaa - aaaa aaaaa aaaa aaaaaa aaaa aa aaa aaaaa aaaaaaa 5-aaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaa aa aaaa aaaaaaaa aaa aaa aaaaaaa aaaaa, aaaaa aa aaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa (aaa). aa aaa aaaaaa, aa wa! s aaaa aaaaa aaaa aaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa aaa 'aaa' aa aaaaaaaa (aaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaa aa aaa) aaaaa aaaa aa aa aaaaaaa aa aaaaaaaaa aaaa aaaaa aa aaaaaaaaaa aaa aaaaaaa. aaaa aaaaa aaaa aaa aaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa aaaaa aaa aaa aaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaa aaaa, aaa aa aaa aaaa aa aaaaa, aaaa aaaa aa aaa aaaaaa-aaaa aaaaaaaaa aaaaaaa.
-- Steve Foster Email: s.p.foster@leeds.ac.uk
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- Steve Foster <s.p.foster@leeds.ac.uk>:
Sounds like an MTA issue. Have you checked that? Should be easy using tcpdump or something along these lines.
-- Ralf Hildebrandt Geschäftsbereich IT | Abteilung Netzwerk Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin Hindenburgdamm 30 | D-12203 Berlin Tel. +49 30 450 570 155 | Fax: +49 30 450 570 962 ralf.hildebrandt@charite.de | http://www.charite.de
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On Tue, 30 Nov 2010, Ralf Hildebrandt wrote:
Sounds like an MTA issue. Have you checked that? Should be easy using tcpdump or something along these lines.
Already tested that one, put the message through a server with identical setup MTA (except no Mailman) and the message was flowed correctly without the '!'.
Cheers
Steve
-- Steve Foster Email: s.p.foster@leeds.ac.uk Unix team Phone: 0113 343 7225 Information Systems Services Fax: 0113 343 5411 University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/267565c6ab7816fe29beedf9a9cbcd44.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
- Steve Foster <s.p.foster@leeds.ac.uk>:
Because 990 Characters is usually the line length limit of an MTA, so I guessed some MAT would truncate (truncate or just insert the "!"?) the message...
-- Ralf Hildebrandt Geschäftsbereich IT | Abteilung Netzwerk Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin Hindenburgdamm 30 | D-12203 Berlin Tel. +49 30 450 570 155 | Fax: +49 30 450 570 962 ralf.hildebrandt@charite.de | http://www.charite.de
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On 11/30/2010 7:44 AM, Ralf Hildebrandt wrote:
It could be an MTA issue, but it seems to me more likely to be an MUA issue. The reason I think it is not as likely to be an MTA is if the original is Format="flowed", it would have no long lines so there would be no reason for an MTA to do anything to the message in transmission.
It is clearly not a Mailman/Python issue, at least with the versions in use by this list, since the OP as delivered to me from the list and viewed with Thunderbird did not show any spurious "!" or line break in the "before" example text.
-- Mark Sapiro <mark@msapiro.net> The highway is for gamblers, San Francisco Bay Area, California better use your sense - B. Dylan
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On Tue, 30 Nov 2010, Mark Sapiro wrote:
Just been looking at this in more detail, the message is being sent with the headers:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
The encoding is maintained through the Mailman queues and handlers. At some point between it leaving Mailman and coming out the other end of the MTA (sendmail) the encoding gets mangled.
I'll dig a bit more deeply in the MTA and see if its playing silly beggers.
Cheers
Steve
-- Steve Foster Email: s.p.foster@leeds.ac.uk Unix team Phone: 0113 343 7225 Information Systems Services Fax: 0113 343 5411 University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/267565c6ab7816fe29beedf9a9cbcd44.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
- Steve Foster <s.p.foster@leeds.ac.uk>:
Sounds like an MTA issue. Have you checked that? Should be easy using tcpdump or something along these lines.
-- Ralf Hildebrandt Geschäftsbereich IT | Abteilung Netzwerk Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin Hindenburgdamm 30 | D-12203 Berlin Tel. +49 30 450 570 155 | Fax: +49 30 450 570 962 ralf.hildebrandt@charite.de | http://www.charite.de
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f01ce86938f0336db1fcf739297b8965.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
On Tue, 30 Nov 2010, Ralf Hildebrandt wrote:
Sounds like an MTA issue. Have you checked that? Should be easy using tcpdump or something along these lines.
Already tested that one, put the message through a server with identical setup MTA (except no Mailman) and the message was flowed correctly without the '!'.
Cheers
Steve
-- Steve Foster Email: s.p.foster@leeds.ac.uk Unix team Phone: 0113 343 7225 Information Systems Services Fax: 0113 343 5411 University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/267565c6ab7816fe29beedf9a9cbcd44.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
- Steve Foster <s.p.foster@leeds.ac.uk>:
Because 990 Characters is usually the line length limit of an MTA, so I guessed some MAT would truncate (truncate or just insert the "!"?) the message...
-- Ralf Hildebrandt Geschäftsbereich IT | Abteilung Netzwerk Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin Hindenburgdamm 30 | D-12203 Berlin Tel. +49 30 450 570 155 | Fax: +49 30 450 570 962 ralf.hildebrandt@charite.de | http://www.charite.de
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/56f108518d7ee2544412cc80978e3182.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
On 11/30/2010 7:44 AM, Ralf Hildebrandt wrote:
It could be an MTA issue, but it seems to me more likely to be an MUA issue. The reason I think it is not as likely to be an MTA is if the original is Format="flowed", it would have no long lines so there would be no reason for an MTA to do anything to the message in transmission.
It is clearly not a Mailman/Python issue, at least with the versions in use by this list, since the OP as delivered to me from the list and viewed with Thunderbird did not show any spurious "!" or line break in the "before" example text.
-- Mark Sapiro <mark@msapiro.net> The highway is for gamblers, San Francisco Bay Area, California better use your sense - B. Dylan
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f01ce86938f0336db1fcf739297b8965.jpg?s=120&d=mm&r=g)
On Tue, 30 Nov 2010, Mark Sapiro wrote:
Just been looking at this in more detail, the message is being sent with the headers:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
The encoding is maintained through the Mailman queues and handlers. At some point between it leaving Mailman and coming out the other end of the MTA (sendmail) the encoding gets mangled.
I'll dig a bit more deeply in the MTA and see if its playing silly beggers.
Cheers
Steve
-- Steve Foster Email: s.p.foster@leeds.ac.uk Unix team Phone: 0113 343 7225 Information Systems Services Fax: 0113 343 5411 University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT
participants (3)
-
Mark Sapiro
-
Ralf Hildebrandt
-
Steve Foster