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Subsections
BFMAIL
BFMAIL is a system for organising and maintaining email mailing lists which was developed for and is used by B A B A R and PEP-II. To be able to use BFMAIL effectively you must be known to
the PEP-II/B A B A R database (see below). Basically, you send mail to BFMAIL@slac.stanford.edu with the names of the lists (meeting codes) to which you would like the mail distributed.
This mail is received by BFMAIL and re-distributed to people associated with one or more meeting codes (lists). The meeting code list is housed in the Oracle database and primarily maintained by the B-Factory staff.
The first line(s) of your mail should contain commands (of the form ``command:'', see below for details) which determine the action taken by BFMAIL. The most common command is ``distribute: <list>''. BFMAIL then forwards the rest of the email to
the people registered on <list>.
Distribution to lists can also be achieved by ommitting the ``distribtion:'' command and mailing directly to Distribution listname <BFMAIL@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>, where listname is replaced by the name of the required distribution list. This format
allow users to ``reply'' to mail received from BFMAIL; their replies will autmatically be distributed to the relevant lists.
Most important information is distributed via BFMAIL. For example, notification of collaboration meetings and other general information will be distributed to the BBR_MEMBER list, details of software releases, problems and updates are distributed to
the SOFTWRNEWS list. The BFMAIL lists are the primary means of keeping up to date with developments in your chosen fields of interest and it is important that you register on the PEP-II database and subscribe relevant mailing lists. Other advantages to
using BFMAIL are:
- A central, up to date, list of email addresses manitained by B-Fatory administrative staff.
- Attachments can be sent through BFMAIL.
- People on multiple distribution lists only receive email once if the BFMAIL distribution: command is used to send to multiple lists (at the same time).
- The distribution list appears at the end of the email.
- Items sent using BFMAIL are archived and may be accessed via the web (for public lists).
The information in the following sections can be accessed on the WWW at http://www.slac.stanford.edu/accel/pepii/bfmail-help.html.
A more detailed write up is also available [3]. All communications to BFMAIL are done via e-mail, or, if you are on the SLAC VM computer then some commands may be accomplished via the Tell command.
Reminder: mail should be sent to BFMAIL@SLAC.Stanford.EDU.
To create a new BFMAIL code or to enter an e-mail address into the database, please contact Barbara Barerra (beej@slac.stanford.edu). For a new list, please include:
- The name of the new list (limited to 10 letters).
- The title of the new list.
- The coordinators of the list.
- The initial list of people to be included on the list.
A list of the current most active B A B A R mailing lists is given below. Most of these lists are open and users can subscribe themselves to them, provided that they are known to the
PEP-II/B A B A R database (i.e. they are members of B A B A R ). There are many other groups relating to PEP-II(A full
list can be obtained from BFMAIL as described below). The activity and usefulness of these lists changes with time. Rather than simply subscribing yourself to any that look interesting (which you can still do) you should consults colleagues about which
lists are the current ``ones to be on''.
2GAM - Detector Two-Gamma Physics
AEROGEL - BaBar Aerogel System
ASLUND - BaBar ASLUND Interest Group
BABAR-USA - BaBar Detector Collaboration - USA
BABAR_R&D - BaBar R&D Committee
BACKGROUND - Babar Detector Backgrounds
BBR_CMMNTY - BaBar Community
BBR_MEMBER - BaBar Collaboration Members
BBR_SAFETY - System Safety Working Group for BaBar
BPIP - Beam line, beam pipe, support tube
BUDGET - Budgeteers list
C++CLASS - BaBar C++ Class
CAL - Detector Calorimeter Group
CAL-SIM - BABAR Calorimeter Simulation distribution list.
CAL-SOFT - BABAR Calorimeter Software distribution list.
CAL-TEST - BaBar Calorimeter test beam
CC-USA - Detector Collaboration Council - USA Members
CHINAEMAIL - E-mail addresses of China BaBar collaborators
COMPUTING - General Detector Computing Group
COUNCHAIR - BaBar Council Chair
COUNCIL - Collaboration Council Membership
DAQ - Detector Data Acquisition
DAQDETAIL - BABAR Data Aquisition group list for detail discussions.
DETGEOM - Detector Geometry Group(not GEOM group)
DIRC - DIRC
DSCC - Detector System Computing Coordinators
ELECTRONIC - BABAR Electronics group distribution list.
EXECBOARD - BaBar Executive Board
FITTERS - Track and Vertex Fitting
GEANT - Detector GEANT Group
GEOM - Detector Geometry Group
GMATRIX - Active GEANT developers
GODFATHERS - Godfathers assisting in the Preparation of the TDR
INP_EMAIL - INP, Novosibirsk BaBar Collaboration Members
INTEGRATE - Integration contact persons for the BaBar Collaboration
IR - PEP-II Interaction Region
ITALIAN_PI - BaBar PI's at Italian institutions
MUON - Detector Muon Group
MUON2 - Muon
ONLINE - BaBar Online Computing
PHYS - Detector Physics Study
PHYSTH - Detector Physics Theory Working Group
PID - Detector Particle Identification
PIL - BaBar Principle Investigator List
PILBABAR - Non-PIL Contacts for BaBar Notes Distribution
RASORG - Discussion group on organization of reconstr., analysis, & simulation
RCRC - Regional Computing Representative Committee
RF - PEP-II RF Group
RICH - Fast Rich
SITECON - Anouncements and information for remote computing site contacts
SOFTWRNEWS - Announcements of software status changes (new versions &
releases,etc)
SSVD - Silicon Vertex Detector
TASKGEO - Task Force Geometry
TECHBOARD - BaBar Technical Board
TRACKING - Detector Tracking Group
TRIGGER - BABAR Detector Trigger Systems
VERTEX - Detector Vertex Group
WGCOORD - Detector Working Group Coordinators
There are basically two types of commands.
- 1.
- A "Distribution:" command which request BFMAIL to re-distribute the following mail item to anyone registered to one or more of the list.
- 2.
- A variety of other commands which request information from BFMAIL or allow the user to perform some database functions with the subscribe and unsubscribe commands.
The commands that BFMAIL understands are:
The text following this command will be re-distributed to everyone subscribed to the code(s) listed. Note that the command must begin in column 1 and within the first 5 lines of body of the mail. Only one copy of the mail is distributed to
each person even if he/she appears on more than one mailing list (code).
Alternatively send your email directly to Distribution code <BFMAIL@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>
Will return a list of the current codes and code titles available. Some codes have restricted access.
Examples:
list
list test db
list comp-*
Will return a list of everyone who is currently subscribed to the code(s) listed.
Examples:
who test
who test, db
who comp-*
Will return a list of the codes which the person who owns the given address is associated with. If the address is not given then it will default to the requester address. The "address" may use standard SQL wild cards. The * has the same
meaning as the %.
Examples:
which
which achan@slacvm
which achan@*
which george crane
If 'name' is used then it can be of the form 'last, first' or 'first last'. Note that 'name' is assumed if the string does NOT have an @ within it, otherwise it is considered a network address. The wild card character will automatically be
added to the first name if given.
Will return a list of the people which match the given last name. The current home institution name and e-mail address(s) will be returned. The name given may use standard SQL wildcards. The * has the same meaning as % in this case. See
note above about names.
locate crane
locate zism*
Will return a list of everyone who is currently subscribed to the code(s) listed in a phone book form. The home institution, phone number, and e-mail address(s) will be included for each person in the codes given. The output is the same as
the LOCATE command.
Examples:
phonelist test
phonelist test, db
phonelist comp-*
Will return a mailstop distribution list for all people subscribed on the code(s) given.
Examples:
mailstop test
mailstop test, db
mailstop comp-*
Retrieve help message, explaining these commands. This file.
Used to subscribe yourself (or address, if specified) to code. Note that you must be a code leader to add someone else. See note above (under which) about 'name' option.
Examples:
subscribe test
subscribe test achan@slacvm
subscribe test george crane
Used to unsubscribe yourself (or address, if specified) to a code. Note that you must be a code leader to remove someone else. See note above (under which) about 'name' option.
Examples:
unsubscribe test
unsubscribe test achan@slacvm
unsubscribe test crane, g
Used to indicate the end of a command or series of commands. Helps to protect against automatic signature lines being processed as commands. Processing will also stop when it finds a null line or end of file.
   
Next: PEP-II/B A B A Up: Communications Tools
Previous: The World Wide Web
Neil I. Geddes
1998-11-18
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