UUCP (uuslave) question (init{a,b,c})

[William Swan]

In the uuslave.c code discussed recently in comp.mail.uucp (I believe)
there is a section of code I don't quite understand. In the uucp slave
startup sequence, just before the slave waits for a command from the
master, the slave outputs three "commands", INITA, INITB, and INITC,
awaiting the "proper" reply from the master for each before proceeding.

I don't see the purpose in this at all. Can anyone explain what these
commands are for and what the master is doing with them?

-- 
William Swan  {ihnp4,decvax,allegra,...}!uw-beaver!tikal!sigma!bill

"..When we look only for evidence of guilt and ignore all contradictory
evidence, these are the elements of a witch hunt."
	-Paul and Shirley Eberle, _The Politics of Child Abuse_