This would assume that the local machine has an MTA, and that it's
called 'sendmail' and that it's prepared to perform non-local delivery
of messages. On some boxes I used, this isn't the case; I have nmh
open a TCP connection to another host's MTA that listens on port 25.
You don't have to have a local SMTP server listening on port 25; you
can use another one with SMTP delivery.
I think that if you change the default, then this can no longer be
done simply by changing mts.conf. I run FreeBSD and use the nmh port,
and I think this proposed change would cause a worse "bug."
louie
> From: Scott Blachowicz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 15:17:09 PST
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Should FreeBSD "port" for nmh use local pipe delivery, not SMTP?
>
> Hi-
>
> I maintain the nmh "port" for FreeBSD (which basically just defines a
> Makefile, a few patch files and some package system control files...from
> which the software is ftp'd from its master site, extracted, patched,
> configured and installed).
>
> I just got this request from a user:
>
> > >Synopsis: [PATCH] mail/nmh should use local pipe delivery, not SMTP
> >
> > >Description:
> >
> > Currently the mail/nmh port configures nmh to use SMTP as the
> > delivery method for outgoing mail. This is not ideal, since
> > many machines will not accept SMTP connections from localhost,
> > either because they run no listening daemon, or because they're
> > wrapped up anally.
> >
> > >Fix:
> >
> > By compiling nmh to open a pipe to the mta instead of connecting
> > to port 25 on localhost, we improve the odds that the software
> > will work out of the box on any given box.
> > [...add --with-mts=sendmail to configure args...]
>
> But I haven't had wide enough experience to judge which would be
> better to do by default. Any comments on whether or not it'd be
> better to have this do "sendmail" or "smtp" by default?
>
> --
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Louis A. Mamakos [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Director, Global Strategic Technology
UUNET, an MCI WorldCom Company Voice: +1 703 206 5823
3060 Williams Drive Fax: +1 703 206 5601
Fairfax, VA 22031-4648
