HTML Mail Gateway


Abstract

The major goal of this project was an email tool which enables the user to send mails, and above all, to read mails, which are stored on a pop server at any workstation which is connected to the internet, whithout any installation or configuration.

As HTML ist system independent and in most cases an internet browser is installed if a workstation is connected to the internet, HTML is used as user interface.

Because of the usage of HTML and for minimal response time a small HTTP server was implemented. The requests from the user are sent via HTML forms to this HTTP server, which then connects to the given POP or SMTP server. The responded data is then formatted into HTML and sent back to the internet browser.



To display most of the contents of a mail, such as formatted text or attachments, the MIME protocol was implemented.

The following MIME types are supported:

  • text/plain
  • text/html
  • text/enriched
  • text/x-vcard
  • multipart/alternative
  • multipart
  • message/rfc822
  • message
  • image/gif
  • image/jpeg
  • application/x-pkcs7-signature ... recognized but not verified

Decoders:

  • quoted-printable
  • base64
The tool is within reach at http://www.ssw.uni-linz.ac.at:2000.

Contact

Programmer: Christoph Ertl


Supervisor: Dipl.-Ing. Markus A. Hof
Email: hof@ssw.uni-linz.ac.at