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.
`
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`AT&T EXHIBIT 1020
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`

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`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:
`
` - 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 1820 MIME User Agent Checklist August 1995
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` 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.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
`
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`RFC 1820 MIME User Agent Checklist August 1995
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` 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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`RFC 1820 MIME User Agent Checklist August 1995
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` - Delete messages
` - Compose new messages
` - 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.....
`
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`RFC 1820 MIME User Agent Checklist August 1995
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` 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
`
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`RFC 1820 MIME User Agent Checklist August 1995
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` - application/octet-stream
` - application/postscript
` - message/rfc822
` - message/partial
` - message/external
` - multipart/mixed
` - multipart/parallel
` - multipart/digest
` - 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
`
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` 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
`
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