Razzie_
asked on
SMTP: RCPT TO: always empty, instead DATA TO: ?
Hey guys,
While programming an application using SMTP, I found this very confusing thing.
Every article, manual, document, you name it, covering SMTP tells me that recipients are added using the RCPT TO: <address@domain.tld> command. However, when I manually send an email using telnet, when I look in my mail root directory (eg. inetpub/mailroot/queue), the email I just sent always lists the 'To:' field as empty, for example when I load the email in Outlook.
After much messing around with it and asking a friend of mine, it seems that the only way to get the 'To:' field to contain addresses, is by setting it in the DATA field. For example:
EHLO
MAIL FROM: me@mydomain.net
RCPT TO: you@yourdomain.net
DATA
Test email
.
If I load this email in Outlook (or edit in a texteditor) it clearly shows that the mail is from me@mydomain.net, with no subject, body 'Test email', but no recipient! However if I do this:
EHLO
MAIL FROM: me@mydomain.net
RCPT TO: you@yourdomain.net
DATA
TO: you@yourotherdomain.net
Test email 2
.
it will show the email to come from me@mydomain.net, no subject, body 'Test email 2' but with recipient you@yourotherdomain.net?!
This confuses me, especially since I can't seem to find an article covering this. Also, what is the point of the RCPT TO: field when somehow it won't accept this for me? Oh and I tried this on 2 different SMTP servers, using remote connections or local connections, so I don't think there can be the problem.
I hope someone can explain this to me! Thanks!
Razzie
While programming an application using SMTP, I found this very confusing thing.
Every article, manual, document, you name it, covering SMTP tells me that recipients are added using the RCPT TO: <address@domain.tld> command. However, when I manually send an email using telnet, when I look in my mail root directory (eg. inetpub/mailroot/queue), the email I just sent always lists the 'To:' field as empty, for example when I load the email in Outlook.
After much messing around with it and asking a friend of mine, it seems that the only way to get the 'To:' field to contain addresses, is by setting it in the DATA field. For example:
EHLO
MAIL FROM: me@mydomain.net
RCPT TO: you@yourdomain.net
DATA
Test email
.
If I load this email in Outlook (or edit in a texteditor) it clearly shows that the mail is from me@mydomain.net, with no subject, body 'Test email', but no recipient! However if I do this:
EHLO
MAIL FROM: me@mydomain.net
RCPT TO: you@yourdomain.net
DATA
TO: you@yourotherdomain.net
Test email 2
.
it will show the email to come from me@mydomain.net, no subject, body 'Test email 2' but with recipient you@yourotherdomain.net?!
This confuses me, especially since I can't seem to find an article covering this. Also, what is the point of the RCPT TO: field when somehow it won't accept this for me? Oh and I tried this on 2 different SMTP servers, using remote connections or local connections, so I don't think there can be the problem.
I hope someone can explain this to me! Thanks!
Razzie
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Fudge. Wrong Question. Ignore my last Comment.
ASKER
Ok thanks PsiCop!
ASKER
Btw, it's strange that all articles I read about SMTP do not cover this, I wonder why....
I dunno. I'll Ask Mr. Protocol if he can look into it.
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/21116293/Relay-mail-to-specific-addresses-ONLY-from-a-specific-domain.html