On Tue, 7 Apr 1998, Steve Curry wrote:
> Ok we have some clients that want to put in an M$ Exchange server for
> internal company mail. The workstations are Win95 machines that are running
> Micro$oft Outlook as the client. I suggested a Linux box with sendmail over
> Exchange because it would be less of an investment and it would run a lot
> more reliable than M$. I'm looking for some more suggestions and
> information that I can throw at them to help change their mind about the MS
> Exchange server and to consider Linux. Can anyone rattle off some great
> reasons WHY to use Linux Sendmail over MS Exchange?
Let me add to some of the reasons suggested for favoring a Linux-based
sendmail + pop/imap server over Exchange:
- Works with *any* pop (or imap if used) client versus proprietary clients
for Exchange. Including free versions of Eudora, Netscape, and Pegasus.
- More stable.
- Contrary to popular belief, configuring sendmail.cf is
easy via m4 (m4 is your friend).
- Commercial support is now available from sendmail.com if this is
important to management.
- You can opt for qmail or other sendmail replacements if
necessary/desired.
- You can use procmail filtering and other routines to set up auto
responders and filtering.
- Easy to implement mail lists.
Now, in the spirit of intellectual and professional honesty (and as I donn
my asbestos long johns), there may be situations where Exchange should be
considered:
- I **must** have one of several "groupware" or "workflow" applications
that require an Exchange backend.
- The planned system architecture intends to make use of the public
folders, sharing, and "groupware" (after a fashion) native to Exchange.
Note that samba can provide relatively equivalent sharable directories.
- Management has made a commitment to 100% MS servers and it's not worth
my job to fight it to the death.
- People plan to use mail server down time to accomplish real work.
- Everyone here is scared sh*tless of Unix.
- What's a shell? REAL software requires a mouse.
- I plan to completely upgrade my mail servers to the current (supported)
version of Exchange every 12-18 months for ever.
- All my 401k/IRA is invested in Microsoft stock.
Seriously, you should take a look at long term requirements (what will I
need to do 1-2 years from now or more). Transitioning a big email system
to a new platform is never fun.
Arguments that exchange is needed to support secure mail (S/MIME or PGP)
or web-access to mail are bunk. Exchange is not required (or in my
opinion even desirable) for a CA/PKI, and there are numerous free and
commercial programs that allow at least basic web browser access to email.
One concern I do have with a Linux-based email system is the relative
inability to do scanning for virii, trojan horses, etc... on the server.
While server-based scanning is not a replacement for protection at the
desktop, many companies now insist on it at the mail server as well.
While there are several products that claim to do this for Exchange, I'm
not aware of any for Linux. McAffee/Network Associates does have a unix
flavor of their virus scanner that runs on Linux, so with appropriate
programming (probably non trivial), it *might* be possible to cobble
together something that would open incoming mail, expand any attached
files, scan them, then forward mail that "passes" to the intended
recipient.
(anyone with real programming skills, here's an opportunity for fame and
maybe a little profit...)
Good luck.
Steve
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Stephan A. Greene [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Manager, IT Systems Engineering http://www.washsq.com
Washington Square Associates, Inc. "technology simplified" (TM)
202-544-0222(main)/1-800-759-8888 PIN 1030552# (pager)
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