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rfc:rfc1820

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

           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 mime-check@relay.surfnet.nl and this information will be
 made available (at no cost) through WWW (to be announced) for other
 people to browse through.
 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.

Huizer Informational [Page 1] RFC 1820 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-
 test@relay.surfnet.nl> 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
 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:
  1. 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.
  1. Moore K., "MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) Part

Two: Message header extensions for non-Ascii text", RFC 1522,

     University of Tennessee, September 1993.

Huizer Informational [Page 2] RFC 1820 MIME User Agent Checklist August 1995

 The registration procedure for content types:
  1. Postel J., "Media type registration procedure", RFC 1590,

USC/Information Sciences Institute, March 1994.

 Some related informational documents:
  1. Borenstein N., "The text/enriched MIME content-type",

RFC 1563, Bellcore, October 1994.

  1. 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.chalmers.se/SUNET/Mac-E.html 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

Huizer Informational [Page 3] RFC 1820 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

Huizer Informational [Page 4] RFC 1820 MIME User Agent Checklist August 1995

  1. Delete messages
  2. Compose new messages
  3. Reply to messages (Inclusion of original message-text in

reply, reply to originator or to any or all recipients

        etc.)
      - Forward message
        o using MIME
        o using RFC 934 encapsulation; i.e.  message is
          encapsulated in between:
          ------- Forwarded Message  and
          ------- End of Forwarded Message
        o Other .......
      - Distribute message (the from field does not change)
 3.6 Does the UA support the following header fields and can they
     be supplied by the user:
       Generated correctly        Can be supplied by user
     - To:
     - Cc:
     - Bcc:
     - From:
     - Reply-to:
     - Subject:
     - Comments:
 3.7 Does the UA support filing mail into folders? Are there any
     restrictions?
 3.8 Does the UA support a filtering mechanism that allows the
     user to configure automatic processing of incoming mail
     (e.g. automatic filing into specific folders)? If so, how
     simple is the configuration of these filters?
 3.9 Does the UA support a sorting mechanism that allows the user
     to sort mail on date and/or subject and/or from field etc?
     If so describe the possibilities and restrictions.
 3.10 Does the UA support address lists and/or directory services?
      - Local (local address list, local aliases, local distribution
               lists etc.)
      - Whois++
      - Ph (to CCSO server)
      - LDAP or SOLO or other access protocols to a directory
        service
      - Other .....
 3.11 What other non-multimedia facilities does the UA support?
 3.12 What secure mail protocols does the UA support (in-line):
     - PEM (Privacy Enhanced Mail)
     - PGP (Pretty Good Privacy)
     - Other.....

Huizer Informational [Page 5] RFC 1820 MIME User Agent Checklist August 1995

 4.  MIME support
 4.1 Does the UA support:
     - viewing a MIME content (either in-line or through launching
       an external viewer)?
     - saving a MIME content in a file?
     - saving one part of a multipart message in a file?
     - printing a MIME content?
 4.2 Does the UA support receipt of the following basic MIME
     content types? Does it display them in-line and does it
     support printing of such a content type? If an external
     viewer is needed, is a viewer pre-configured? Is the viewer
     included in the software distribution?
     In-line Printing External Preconfig Included
     - text/plain
     - text/enriched
     - image/gif
     - image/jpeg
     - audio/basic
     - video/mpeg
     - application/octet-stream
     - application/postscript
     - message/rfc822
     - message/partial
     Does the UA support ftp and/or mail access for:
     - message/external
     Describe how the UA supports the basic multipart types:
     - multipart/mixed
     - multipart/parallel
     - multipart/digest
     - multipart/alternative
     How does the UA handle:
     - X-<bilateraly defined>
     - unknown/unconfigured content-types
 4.3 Does the UA allow configuration for receipt of additional
     content-types? If so describe the configuration procedure
     and possibilities. (Is it complex/easy, give example
     configuration, can you add external viewers etc.). E.g.
     - application/wordperfect5.1
     - application/msword
 4.4 Does the UA support composition of the following basic MIME
     content types? Describe how easy/complex composition of a
     message with a MIME content-type is.
     - text/plain
     - text/enriched
     - image/gif
     - image/jpeg
     - audio/basic
     - video/mpeg

Huizer Informational [Page 6] RFC 1820 MIME User Agent Checklist August 1995

  1. application/octet-stream
  2. application/postscript
  3. message/rfc822
  4. message/partial
  5. message/external
  6. multipart/mixed
  7. multipart/parallel
  8. multipart/digest
  9. multipart/alternative

Does the UA generate X-<bilaterally defined> content-types

     (when and why)
 4.5 Does the UA support compostion of additional content-types?
     If so describe how to do this (configuration and/or
     compostion), e.g.:
     - application/wordperfect5.1
     - application/msword
 4.6 What content-encodings does the UA support:
     - 7bit
     - quoted printable
     - base64
     - binary
     - 8bit
     - X-<bilateraly defined> (when and why)
 4.7 What encoding is used for the following content-types:
       7bit QP   B64   Binary 8-bit Other
     - 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
 4.8 Does the UA generate the correct Mime version header:
     Mime-Version: 1.0
 4.9 In multipart messages, give an example of the sort of
     boundary string generated.
 4.10 Does the UA support the use of non-ascii characters in the
      headers (in subject, free form part of address etc.)?
 4.11 With the content type text/plain it is possible to have a charset
      parameter, indicating that a specific character set is used in

Huizer Informational [Page 7] RFC 1820 MIME User Agent Checklist August 1995

      the content type text plain. What character sets (like
      iso-8859-1) does the UA support (standard or configurable)?

Security Considerations

 Testing a MIME UA against this checklist involves the security risks
 that are described in the MIME specification (RFC 1521). Most notably
 the automatic execution of general-purpose PostScript interpreters
 entails serious security risks. The reader is encouraged to read RFC
 1521 for more detail on these security risks.

Author's Address

 Erik Huizer
 SURFnet bv
 P.O. Box 19035
 3501 DA  Utrecht
 The Netherlands
 Phone: +31 30 305305
 Fax: +31 30 305329
 EMail: Erik.Huizer@SURFnet.nl

Huizer Informational [Page 8]

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