HTML email has '!' characters and/or hard returns inserted at seemingly random points.

(Last modified: 10Mar2006)

This document (10100678) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

fact

Novell GroupWise 7

Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 7.0 (GWIA)

symptom

HTML email has '!' characters and/or hard returns inserted at seemingly random points.

HTML email is not wrapped properly through the GWIA.

HTML email corrupts while being sent through a List Server.

HTML MIME corruption.

change

Updated from GroupWise 6.5 to GroupWise 7.0

cause

7-bit encoding vs. default 8-bit encoding.
The 6.5 GWIA defaults to 7-bit encoding.  The 7.0 GWIA uses the more robust 8-bit encoding.
The problem is that 8-bit encoding does not wrap in the same way. 
Looking at the HTML portion of the MIME in a 7-bit wrapped email, there is a soft return '=' at the end of the default character number of 72.  In 8-bit, the HTML is allowed to move out to its natural length of roughly 2000 characters.  The natural returns come into play for HTML, and this HTML formatting is sent out successfully to most environments.  However, at least in some instances, if the mail moves through certain List Servers or is somehow routed through a Mail Proxy or relay, the HTML receives the '!' or hard return codes at the end of the natural HTML 2000 character line.
This causes the problem that some people have been seeing.

fix

In the GWIA properties | SMTP/MIME Tab | Settings -  Click the 'Use 7-bit encoding for all outbound messages' box.  This will force the 7.0 GWIA to use the Quoted Printable format with the soft return '='.

If this does not work, edit the gwia.cfg and add the following switch: /force7bit

note

In the GWIA properties | SMTP/MIME Tab | Message Formatting - Do not choose the following changes.
'Enable quoted printable text line wrapping' -or-
Don't change the default length of line wrapping ... which should be set at '72'

document

Document Title:	HTML email has '!' characters and/or hard returns inserted at seemingly random points.
Document ID:	10100678
Solution ID:	NOVL105377
Creation Date:	08Mar2006
Modified Date:	10Mar2006
Novell Product Class:	GroupWise Gateway

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