[Exim] on the subject of autoreply/vacation mailers

Top Page
Delete this message
Reply to this message
Author: Nigel Metheringham
Date:  
To: exim-users
Subject: [Exim] on the subject of autoreply/vacation mailers
Even on an MTA focused list like this one we still suffer from
misconfigured vacation programs. Please make sure your autoreply
configuration is sane - searches in the archives will find you messages
on this subject before - coincidently they come out in droves at this
time of year :-)

to quote myself from last year...


Please can people make sure that if they are away and wish to set up a
vacation type message, that it:-

  1. Has a rate limiter of some sort - ie does not reply to every 
     message from the same sender


  2. Does not reply to mailing list mail - best rule is only to 
     autoreply to mail that is addressed to you in the header lines


  3. Makes *very* sure it doesn't loop - best thing is to send autoreply
     from envelope sender <> (ie an error reply) - the exim autoreply
     does this.


[BTW I unsubscribe people that send vacation messages to the list or
the list admin address]

There is a reasonably good example of how to do this in config sameple
C006 in the FAQ - see http://www.exim.org/config.samples/C006
My only gripe with it is that it *should* check that the recipient is
in the headers by my personal prejudices - that filters out autoreplies
where the recipient is on some form of list.

... and also a repeat from last year...
Anyhow, I'm off on vacation, and I haven't set a vacation message :-)

    Nigel.
-- 
[ - Opinions expressed are personal and may not be shared by VData - ]
[ Nigel Metheringham                  Nigel.Metheringham@??? ]
[ Phone: +44 1423 850000                         Fax +44 1423 858866 ]