Re: [exim] about Sender: and envelope reverse-path in today'…

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Author: Philip Hazel
Date:  
To: Marc Haber
CC: exim-users
Subject: Re: [exim] about Sender: and envelope reverse-path in today's systems
On Fri, 19 Nov 2004, Marc Haber wrote:

> In my opinion, Sender: should not be generated by default, and users
> should be able to define their own envelope sender. Anybody running an
> MTA in a classic UNIX multi-user environment should be free to
> configure the MTA to generate a Sender: header and to generate the
> envelope sender as well. Optionally.


I have been watching this discussion. Quite apart from any points that
have been raised on either side, there is one overwhelming reason for
not changing the base distribution of Exim: backwards compatibility.

If those who package up Exim for specific distributions, e.g. Debian,
want to make changes to the default configuration in their
distributions, that is their prerogative and they are of course entirely
free to do so. I believe that there are sufficient options in Exim to
configure it to handle Sender: header lines any way that anybody might
want. If not, I will always consider suggestions for change.

I am very reluctant ever to change default behaviour. It has sometimes
happened, at times when there has been a really strong, uncontroversial
reason (or when making a lot of big incompatible changes at once such as
the 3->4 transition). The addition of Sender: header lines is not one of
these cases.


-- 
Philip Hazel            University of Cambridge Computing Service,
ph10@???      Cambridge, England. Phone: +44 1223 334714.
Get the Exim 4 book:    http://www.uit.co.uk/exim-book