Re: Bug#275685: ITP: msmtp -- smtp client which can be used as a smtp plugin with mutt
On Mon, Oct 11, 2004 at 09:00:35PM +0300, George Danchev wrote:
> MTA is a software talking at least one Mail Transfer Protocol (like SMTP,
> UUCP, X.400 ...)
My example, delivering mail via 'ssh mailhub /usr/sbin/sendmail', is
an example of transporting mail.
> These Mail Transfer Agents are responsible for properly
> routing messages to their destination. See RFC 974 for routing messages.
> Obviously MTA provides /usr/sbin/sendmail, as required by the policy.
uucp doesn't do routing either, who says the MTA must do routing? Exim
too can be configured to not do routing, simply drop off the mail at
some other host.
> Such a package must talk at least one Mail Trasfer Protocol to be called MTA.
You're repeating... proof by repetition? Still no backup to your
statement.
> But you want it provides /usr/sbin/sendmail, to call it MTA, which is seriosly
> broken logic Care to explain that to its authors ?
Simple: The Debian way for sending mail is by having a package providing
'mail-transport-agent' taking care of it. In stead of requiring users to
hand-configure their MUA and all other packages sending mail, the Debian
way is to have the system administrator install the preferred package
providing mail-transport-agent that will get the job done, so only ONE
package needs to be configured.
msmtp is such a package that gets the job (making sure mail is deliverd)
done.
> > > Such a package will require a dependency of ssh (at least) on the remote
> > > machine and you will be in a little trouble hacking your control file to
> > > satisfy things like that ;-)
> >
> > That is up to the system administrator to arrange. If it provides a
>
> Satifying package's Depends: is in the domain of packaging system handlers.
> Ever seen a debian/control file & friends ? You have dependencies to resolv
> on a remote machine...
Err, any webbrowser has generally a remote dependency on a http server,
just like any m-t-a has (possibly indirectly). But those remote
dependencies don't need to be Debian, nor is the task of Debian's
package management system to care for it, this is a system administration task.
> > /usr/sbin/sendmail, then it is an MTA. It does not make it any less an
>
> Providing /usr/sbin/sendmail is required, but not enough to call it MTA.
Hm, I've read that before somewhere.
> > > I think ssmtp is incorretly described as a MTA
> >
> > That must be because you don't understand what an MTA is.
>
> beats me ;-)
Mail Transport Agent is English for Software Transporting Mail, ssmtp,
nullmailer, msmtp all fall in that category. If you want to narrow this
definition to have additional requirements, please backup those claims
with policy/whatever.
--Jeroen
--
Jeroen van Wolffelaar
Jeroen@wolffelaar.nl (also for Jabber & MSN; ICQ: 33944357)
http://Jeroen.A-Eskwadraat.nl
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