I'd like to hear a valid reason you actually want these messages. And a serious example of when you might, not just quoting RFCs again.
While I agree with you completely, Matt, and I believe that we are within the
bounds of the RFC's to refuse zero-byte messages, I have decided that I agree this doesn't belong in the core. In my mind, the "required headers" in RFC-2822 trumps the "SHOULD NOT" in RFC-2821; there is no point in having a requirement if you cannot enforce it. I believe the prohibition in RFC-2821 is referring to blocking based on the /content/ of the headers (like too old a date or date in the future), not the /lack of the headers completely/.
As I pointed out in my previous e-mail:
However, I just checked and at least ezmlm _will_ accept a completely null message to the special moderate addresses, so I withdraw my proposal to add this to the core.
[emphasis added]. It would conceivably be useful for qmail-inject messages to be missing body, when the target address is a special mailbox (like a list moderate address).
I just committed Jim Winstead's check_basicheaders plugin which enforces the RFC-2822 requirements. I can tell you that I plan on adding that to my own configuration after modifying it to permit accept/reject-VERP addresses just to be on the safe side.
John
