Re: [Exim] Exim on a single-user system

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Author: dman
Date:  
To: exim-users
Subject: Re: [Exim] Exim on a single-user system
On Mon, Dec 31, 2001 at 02:47:09PM -0500, Dave C. wrote:
|
| Keep in mind you should be using an actual MUA to read/send email's, not
| exim directly.


Right, but my MUA needs to use exim.

| Exim is an MTA,m *NOT* an MUA (eg, its not comparable to Outlook Express
| or Netscape Communicator, its comparable to eg, MS Exchange Server )..
| it is a mailserver itself..


Right.

| Many (but not all) unix MUA's can be set to use SMTP to a remote host to
| send mail,


Here's the problem. A MUA should not be dealing with SMTP -- an MTA
should. mutt (and, AFAIK, elm and pine) do not do SMTP at all.
Instead they pipe the message to the system's MTA and let it take
responsibility for delivering it.

| With such a setup you would not even need to run any MTA at all on your
| single user system.


With such a setup (I use mutt) is it imperative that I have an MTA
(even it if it is just ssmtp) otherwise I can not send any mails at
all.

| To the list: Lots of new exim users seem to end up getting confused
| about the difference between an MTA and an MUA, and try to use exim as
| the latter. A good explanation as to the distinction would be a good
| addition to any 'newbie' documentation in existance.


I agree here.

-D

--

"...In the UNIX world, people tend to interpret `non-technical user' as
meaning someone who's only ever written one device driver."
    --Daniel Pead