Author: Nico Erfurth Date: To: Boyle Owen CC: exim-users Subject: Re: [Exim] step by step guide
Boyle Owen wrote: > Just to chime in as a new and inexperienced exim user; I would be
> sympathetic to the original poster's request for a HOWTO. The various
> RTFM advices are all very nice but the one big problem with exim is
> that the documentation is really just reference material - it
> presumes already you understand a great deal about MTAs and even that
> you understand exim's internal jargon (such as you know what a
> "director" is).
See 3. especially 3.4 in the exim3 documentation.
> If you compare it with the documentation for apache, there you will
> find a reference section (which is just an alphabetical list of
> directives) but also serveral tutorials on how to set up various
> features - CGI, SSI, authentication and so on. As an experience
> apache admin, I spend most of my time in the reference section, but
> newbies certainly appreciate the tutorials... The exim documentation
> consists of reference only, I fear.
Yes mostly, but on the ftp is a file with many configuration examples.
> Further, the O'Reilly book for apache consists of one long tutorial
> about how to set up a site which becomes increasing complex as the
> book progresses - the exim book is a walk through all the directives
> in every section - a reference guide.
Can't comment on that, because i don't have the book.
> Exim is a great MTA and I appreciate it greatly, but it would be a
> shame if its uptake in the community was limited by the
> inaccessibility of its documentation.
The exim documentation is great, it just doesn't explain how mail in
general works. The docs show you the concept, but you need to think a
little bit to make useable stuff with it.
There are no "Do it this way or this way"-things in the docs, because
exim is more about "TMTOWTDI".
