Re: [exim] Re: Debian exim

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Auteur: Steve Lamb
Datum:  
Aan: exim-users
Onderwerp: Re: [exim] Re: Debian exim
Adam Funk wrote:
> On Saturday 24 September 2005 21:45, Steve Lamb wrote:
>>    Quite frankly desktop machines shouldn't have SMTP servers on
>>them at all. 


> That depends on your definition of desktop.


    I'd be interested in any definition of a desktop where an SMTP server
would be a requirement and not a "nice thing to have" in lieu of some
alternative for bad behaving utilities that can't manage the failure of the
SMTP server be it local or remote.


> Cron and at require a working MTA on the local machine (I think
> nullmailer is probably sufficient).


    Never understood why that is the case.  What do they do when the local MTA
is unavailable?  Be that as it may how Debian works it:


Package: cron
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.3.2.ds1-4), libpam0g (>= 0.76), debianutils (>= 1.7), adduser
Recommends: exim4 | postfix | mail-transport-agent

Package: at
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.2.4-4), mail-transport-agent

Package: nullmailer
Replaces: mail-transport-agent
Provides: mail-transport-agent

    cron doesn't require mail-transport-agent but does recommend it.  At
requires it.  nullmailer fulfills that role.  So in theory Debian could move
away from Exim to nullmailer as a default install if the theory is that the
default install is "smart-host for a desktop" and anything more complex would
be specificly installed by the admin building the box.


    Hoestly, and speaking as a Debian user who welcomed the change to Exim as
the default mailer, that is a change I could live with and I think Debian
should seriously consider.  Looking at popularity contest stats...


705   exim4-base                      2615  2430    81   104     0 (Exim4
Maintainers)
714   postfix                         2600  2462    89    48     1 (Lamont Jones)


    There's a whole 9 places difference between Exim4 installs, which is by
default, and people who rip Exim4 out in favor of Postfix.  If moving to
nullmailer means it keeps the low-end functionality intact and makes it easier
for those who choose Exim on Debian to interact with the larger Exim community
at the nominal expense of having to do a quick [apt-get|aptitude] install
exim4-daemon[-light|-heavy] I'd say it's worth consideration.  :)



-- 
         Steve C. Lamb         | I'm your priest, I'm your shrink, I'm your
       PGP Key: 8B6E99C5       | main connection to the switchboard of souls.
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