To use these commands you will have to TELNET into your mail server on the appropriate port. These are POP3 port 110 and SMTP port 25. Click here for more information on telnet.. You will need to know your mail server names. This information can be obtained from your Internet Service Provider.
Here are the commands needed for a simple telnet session to your pop3 server. These first few commands need to be entered in this order.
USER......followed by your user name
PASS.......followed by your password
LIST........lists all messages in mailbox
TOP # n...where # is message number and n is the number of lines to display
DELE #....where # is the message number to delete (not all mail servers handle this command)
QUIT........ENSURE you do quit and not just close the connection or any instructions you have given are cancelled
STAT......to return status of server
RETR #....where # is the message number to retrieve
NOOP......no operation. just returns an OK to show connection to server is active
RSET......reset. cancel current operation
UIDL......returns unique id listing
There is very little need to telnet into an smtp server however here are the commands should you wish to. Once again the first block have to be used in this order.
MAIL FROM:......followed by sender address
RCPT TO:........followed by the email address of the recipient
DATA............followed by message to finish typing message type a . in a line of its own
QUIT............Please remember to quit and not just close connection
NOOP............no operation. returns an OK message to show server is active
SEND FROM:......followed by senders email address
SOML FROM:......as above either send or mail will send directly to a connected terminal
SAML FROM:......as above but send and mail
VRFY string.....verify existance of a user name string
EXPN string.....expand mailing list string to provide members names
HELP............self explanatory really
HELP string.....where string is a command you need more help on
An RFC can take one of two forms. Either a disscusion document or an internet standard description.Which ever they are, each one is an in depth technical description of the protocol and specifies exactly what should and should not be allowed as well as the appropriate commands associated with the protocol concerned.
Please note that whilst these links currently point to the latest documents concerned at some time in the future the standards may be ammended and then this information may not be entirely accurate. However should this be the case then any new standard will either be a totally seperate standard or will be backwardly compatable so that the above commands will continue to be operative for the appropriate servers.
POP3..RFC1725.TXT
SMTP..RFC821.TXT
These comands are provided solely for information purposes only. I hope you find them useful. However I cannot accept responsibility for the use of the instructions on this page or for any outcome that results from them, they are used at your own risk. However if there is any inacurate information and you are able to provide further information on correcting it then please click here and send me a..BUG REPORT