sendmail truncating uucp mail messages

[Michel Lacroix]

It seems that on many 4.2 systems, sendmail is configured so as to
consider by default a line with a single dot as a end of message.

Since rmail calls sendmail without the -oi option, uucp messages with
lines containing a single dot get truncated,  whereas local messages
sent with ucbmail are NOT truncated.

A few months ago, we have modified this set-up on our site, and since
then, we do no longer experience mail truncations.

The default configuration where uucp mail messages get truncated seems
to be so widespread that we start wondering if it could be a feature
instead of a mere bug.  Any idea about the possible reason for such a
feature?

-- 
Michel Lacroix.
	{enea,hrc63,inria,mcvax,munnari,philabs,seismo,unido}!prlb2!ml