Re: default MTA for sarge
Petty flamewars aside, I want to concur with all who have advocated
keeping exim (upgrading to exim4 that is) as the default MTA.
I think that as a developer, the concern for optimizing the features
available to end-users tends to overshadow the need to present end-users
with a consistent, reliable product.
This is wrong.
Barring the possibility that postfix is overwhelmingly superior to exim4
(spoiler: it's not), it would be irresponsible to change the default MTA
from what Debian's user base has come to expect in the name of a few
relatively trivial features. Consider the three main types of Debian user
that would be effected:
* Users that simply want an MTA--any MTA--for their system. This type of
user has already mastered the learning curve of exim to suit their needs
and is bound to be unimpressed by a few extra features if it means
learning a whole other system.
* Guru-class users who actually care. For them, it would be trivial to
tear exim4 out by the roots and slap in postfix or what-have-you. These
users would probably not mind that their favorite MTA was not included
by default; they would probably enjoy the chance to hack. ;-)
* Brand new Debian users. These users would only benefit from postfix
instead of exim4 if the former were _profoundly_ easier to use, which
AFAIK it is not. Being unfamiliar to Woody, they would not benefit from
the consistency, but the _would_ benefit from the already-established
knowledge base on "how to set up exim on your Debian box".
OK, I've exeeded my $0.02 limit. I hope this helps this debate, rather
than just help clog everyone's inbox with what I think is a bit of a bike
shed issue.
Cheers,
nate
On Tue, 15 Jul 2003, Craig Sanders wrote:
> Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 11:10:18 +1000
> From: Craig Sanders <cas@taz.net.au>
> To: debian-devel@lists.debian.org
> Subject: Re: default MTA for sarge
> Resent-Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2003 20:12:31 -0500 (CDT)
> Resent-From: debian-devel@lists.debian.org
>
> On Tue, Jul 15, 2003 at 02:32:36AM +0200, Andreas Barth wrote:
> > * Craig Sanders (cas@taz.net.au) [030715 01:35]:
> > > actually, it's trivially easy. i created my own transport ("vpop" to add
> > > X-Original-To headers to POP multidrop mailboxes...obsolete now, postfix can do
> > > this natively) within a week of first installing postfix several years ago.
> >
> > Wow, you're sooo cool. I'm sure most admins can create custom
> > transports for both exim4 and postfix a few hours after the first
> > installation.
>
> how remiss of me. i should have waffled on for a few paragraphs about the fact
> that i didn't need a custom transport at first, but that when i decided i
> wanted one, it only took a few hours to implement.
>
> > > i think your complaints are more telling about yourself than about postfix.
> >
> > More your answers.
>
> yes, my answers reveal that i actually know what i talk about....that i have
> had enough real-world experience on large production mail servers with many
> different MTAs that i am actually qualified to make a comparison between them,
> unlike most people who have only used the one MTA in the one dinky little toy
> setup.
>
>
> > > exim may work by weird voodoo, but postfix runs on science. the
> > > documentation is clear and concise, there are READMEs and FAQs covering
> > > common questions, the default config files and (empty) map files are full
> > > of commented documentation, and there are man pages for everything....no
> > > need for "sekr1t spells".
> >
> > I've never needed spells for exim4, and perhaps you should follow your own
> > advise and read the documentation. If you have arguments please tell them,
> > but stop slandering.
>
> you know, one thing that really annoys me is hypocrisy. it's OK for somebody
> in favour of exim to make ridiculous statements about "sekr1t spells", but it's
> not OK to throw stupid arguments like that back in their face? yeah, right.
>
> craig
>
>
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