Re: mail server question

[joost@topaz.mdcc.cx (Joost Kooij)]

On Sat, Jun 30, 2001 at 02:16:12PM -0500, Brad Cramer wrote:
[sendmail hassles]

Stick with exim, which is debian's default.  Much easier to configure,
larger debian userbase, so more likely that you get an answer on
debian-user.

BTW, for smtp to work, your dns must make sense too.  Figure that out
before you try to run down walls using your head.  Also, running on
a cablemodem usually means that at least half your dns sucks.  If you
want a cool mail address, set up dns and a mail relay on a box that has
a sensible network connection in more than just the physical sense, and
use hacks on that machine to deliver the mail to your cablemodem system.

This is a lot easier than hacking the rest of the internet to understand
why your ip changes a lot, port 25 is suddenly filtered, the ptr record
looks like arbitrary 8-bit data, more than half the packets are dropped
at the isp's (single point of failure) link to the rest of the internet,
and all the various other funnies you learn to live with, as a cablemodem
user.

At least try to have a couple of fallback mx hosts for your domain.

My best suggestion is to start here:

  http://www.rfc-editor.org/

Classics for smtp are rfc821 and rfc822.  If you read these first, all
the other documentation on mail systems will then make a lot more sense
to you.

Cheers,


Joost