Bug#2318: Emacs makes it hard for MTAs to do the right thing

[Richard Kettlewell <richard@elmail.co.uk>]

Package: emacs
Version: 19.29-1

When Emacs calls /usr/lib/sendmail (should be /usr/sbin/sendmail for
Debian, as per mailers.txt, but let that pass) it does two things:

 * it invents a From: line

 * it passes `-f <login name>' to the MTA

While these may be necessary for some systems it makes it hard to
configure Smail to do non-obvious address lookups.  The behaviour
should be configurable, so that it's easy to get the right action
on all systems.

AFAICT one can prevent it inventing a From: line, but the -f appears
to be mandatory.  This is the code responsible:

			 ;; Always specify who from,
			 ;; since some systems have broken sendmails.
			 (list "-f" (user-login-name))

I think replacing it with

                         (cond ((null mail-inhibit-sender)
                                (list "-f" (user-login-name))))

might set us on the right track, but my elisp is Not Perfect.  I've
not tested it.

--
Richard Kettlewell
http://www.elmail.co.uk/staff/richard/                    richard@uk.geeks.org

Eat a live toad before breakfast and nothing worse will happen to you all day.