Tim wrote:
I would suspect that most people don't make use of sendmail, nor even
need to. They'll use a mail client, and configure it to use their ISP's
SMTP server while setting up the rest of the POP or IMAP settings.
Someone has to be on the receiving end.
Those keen on running a local server will need to customise theirs, and
know how to do. Just the same as running any other public server (HTTP,
FTP, or whatever else).
Yes, just the same. I'd be equally concerned if RH/fedora shipped
config files for httpd/ftpd/samba, etc/ that kept them from accepting
network connections in an obscure way.
> Sendmail does need to be tightly configured, by
default. Historically, mail servers are one of the most abused on the
internet, and one that causes the most problems for other people.
I've had an equal amount of problems from various versions of ftpd,
named, and sshd. They've been fixed too.
No, the access file controls the ability to relay and the default file
supplied prohibits it. It is not necessary to break normal network
access for that.
If you're suggesting that the client should accept all mail by default,
I don't think I'd go along with that. Perhaps if it was easy to
configure that behaviour. It'd certainly need to be configured to not
deliver externally, by default, at the same time.
The default configuration (after you've made it accept network
connections) will accept email from anywhere _to_ existing users on the
machine, and anyone on the local machine can send outbound mail. If you
want to permit relaying, you must put the network ranges (typically your
own LAN) in the access database with RELAY specified. If you don't
add anything to the access database, mail from the network to non
existent users or to other machines is rejected.
But, most people are going to need to do a variety of things to be able
to post mail. They'll need to configure their system securely. They'll
need to have a real domain name (own one, or have permission to use some
other one). And if they want to receive mail through it, they'll need
to configure external services to send to their SMTP server and/or
organise public DNS MX records.
Yes, those are all normal things to do for internet services. Fixing a
network service that has been obscurely configured not to use the
network isn't a normal thing to have to do.
--
Les Mikesell
lesmikesell@xxxxxxxxx
