Re: Sendmail?

[Jeff Bachtel <jeff_(_at_)_cepheid_(_dot_)_org>]

> Is a newer sendmail compatible with "historical" sendmail?

Yes.

> Also, I am not sure if the need for being able to use standard sendmail
> .cf files applies.

Yes, it does. (According to what Theo has stated in the past).

> > All of this talk of creating better mailers is fine, but it really
> > does have to be a sendmail clone (otherwise Exim or Postfix would have
> > gotten in by now)
> 
> Does every BSD box need a mail server that can listen to port 25 and relay
> mail from other hosts?
> 
> (Of course, some operating systems also include httpd by default :)

Yes. Or rather, if it were to replace sendmail in OpenBSD it would
have to accept the -bd flag to go into daemon mode, and would have to
follow .cf directives instructing it to be an open relay, if that was
desired.

> 
> > > But I agree with this point. At first, all we need is a simple MTA that
> > > will simply "send mail".
> 
> My idea is not to replace sendmail from src/gnu/usr.sbin/sendmail/, but to
> provide a better-licensed (more free) simple mail sending alternative. I
> am not talking about a better mailer. (But, I do believe a more free
> MTA is also needed for those who run a mail server.)

Ok, that explains it. You jumped in on a thread regarding possible
license problems with Sendmail, that drifted into a "why don't we
replace Sendmail in the tree" thread.

The Sendmail license seems good enough for it to remain in the tree,
therefore for it to be replaced a completely compatible alternative
would have to be created. And accepted by the mail community at large
(no mean feat, that).

As for creating your own mailer... go ahead. Diversity is good, and it
is very likely that it will be added to OpenBSD in the form of a port.

> 
>    Jeremy C. Reed
>    http://www.reedmedia.net/
> 

-- 
Jeff Bachtel  (root_(_at_)_ISC,TAMU)    http://www.cepheid.org/~jeff
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