On 02-Dec-98 at 10:28:07 Igor Clark wrote:
>> I'd also make the point that whilst allowing a leading dot still allows
>> exim to be a 'drop-in' replacement for sendmail, do we want to follow it
>> to the extent of non-standard practices? Should it diverge from sendmail
>> in that it is 'correct'?
>
> What are we taking as "standard" in this case?
>
Surely ultimately the RFC's must dictate the standards allowed on the
Internet (but see below)?
> Presumably the reason for wanting to make exim function as a "drop-in"
> replacement for sendmail is that there are enough sendmail installations
> around the world for this to be valuable - which, I might *tentatively*
> suggest, pushes sendmail a little of the way towards being a de facto
> standard.
>
> Are we to be 100% strict in sticking to the RFC on the basis that there's
> no point in having de jura standards if no-one's going to stick to them?
> Or are we to allow ourselves to bend the rules just a tiny bit on the basis
> that so many people already have, we might as well? Or what other
> motivations might we have for respecting the RFC to every single letter
> (or not)?
>
In the absence of a BCP (best current practice) with respect to this I would
say that exim is not wrong in following the RFC. If so many other
users/sites are allowing local parts which violate RFC 821 at present, then
either we need to change the RFC (I gather this is actually in progress with
respect to 821?) or develop a BCP to reflect this (although I'm not sure if
that is 'allowed' - the RFC says 'do this', the BCP says 'you don't need to'.
Sort of contradictory).
I'm just not too happy with exim doing something sendmail does when it
doesn't seem to be in accordance with the RFC's or any BCP's currently
available, and when it was allowed by exim, the not, and now is again.
(Sorry Philip - not getting at you here :-) )
John.
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