Please note: With version 4.0 offering the opportunity to use the "raw socket" module, which is installed by default in the most common Perl ports, DiscusWare no longer recommends using "BLAT" (or other Windows command line mailers) to send mail message. Although support for these mailers currently exists in the code, this may be dropped at some later time. This document is unmaintained and there is no support provided for these procedures.

FAQ Index

1. What is Blat and why would I want to use it?
2. Where can I get Blat?
3. How do I install Blat?
4. How do I configure Blat?
5. Whom should I contact if I have trouble installing Blat?
6. Does DiscusWare support the setup or configuration of Blat?
7. What additional software do I need to run Blat with Discus?
8. How do I configure Discus to use Blat?
9. Why do I get 'Mail program cannot contain metacharacters' message?
10. Why does Discus say the e-mail was sent but I never got it?
11. I give up on Blat. What are my other choices?

From its documentation: Blat is a Public Domain Windows 95/NT console utility that sends the contents of a file in an e-mail message using the SMTP protocol. Blat is useful for creating scripts where mail has to be sent automatically (CGI, backups, etc.), or just as a quick way to send a file or message quickly from the command line. It will store relevant configuration details in the registry for ease of use. Optionally, blat can also attach multiple binary files to your message. (Read entire page)

Windows servers do not have a mail server built-in to them (unix servers come with "sendmail" and other mail tools). Thus, the administrator needs to install a mail server in order to be able to send messages from CGI scripts running on the NT server. The "blat" program is a simple interface to an external SMTP server that runs from the Windows command line.

In short, the Blat program makes it (relatively) easy to adapt Perl scripts developed to send e-mail on unix systems to be able to send e-mail from your CGI scripts running on Windows servers.

We are making available version 1.8.4 from our site. You can also download from the official BLAT distribution site.

Extract the zip archive with your zip program (WinZip or similar) to a temporary file. Open and read the "readme.txt" file within the distribution. Follow those instructions.

Go to the previous Q&A and read the second step to tell blat what SMTP server to use.

For support, please read the information found on the Blat web site. DO NOT CONTACT DISCUSWARE - instead read the administration instructions for Options Manager about using the raw socket module in Discus 4.0 and higher.

DiscusWare does not provide support for the installation or configuration of Blat.

To be able to use Blat with Discus, you also need to make sure that your Perl distribution contains the Win32::Process module. All recent versions of ActivePerl contain this module by default.

Read the administration instructions for Options Manager. The e-mail configuration section contains a sample configuration using BLAT.

You need to use forward slashes when specifying the path to Blat. For example, you must use C:/Windows/System/Blat.exe and NOT c:\Windows\System\blat.exe. This was covered in the administration instructions -- please go back and read it again (or for the first time).

In Discus 3.10.b28 and higher, you can get more information by turning on the debugging option in your e-mail configurator and viewing the output from BLAT.

Use the Net::SMTP or raw socket module -- consult the administration instructions for Options Manager for details on setting these up. Discus 4.0 and higher have support for the "raw socket" module, which is installed by default with Perl distributions. If you have Discus 3.10 or before, you need to upgrade.