Re: [exim] Return reciept on forward

Top Page
Delete this message
Reply to this message
Author: Giuliano Gavazzi
Date:  
To: exim-users
Subject: Re: [exim] Return reciept on forward

On 24 Dec 2005, at 16:29, Marc Sherman wrote:

> Коваленко Иван wrote:
>>
>> So the question is how to configure exim not to return reciept of
>> failed forwards to another hosts after accepting it for delivery.
>
> You mis-read the spamcop page you linked to. Once a message is
> accepted
> for delivery, you are required to bounce it if it cannot be delivered,
> according to RFC822. The proper thing to do is to avoid accepting the
> bogus message in the first place:
> http://www.spamcop.net/fom-serve/cache/329.html#bounceexplain


from that page what you mention as to avoid accepting the bogus
message really applies to autoresponders. Spamcop seems to say that
bounces should be always avoided:

"Q: Why not allow bounces? They are required by RFC822!
A: Originally, SpamCop made attempts to forgive misdirected bounce
messages - to reject them as evidence of spam. However, there are two
factors conspiring to force us to rescind this policy. First of
course, is that these misdirected messages *are* spam as we define it
(Unsolicited Bulk Mail).

[...]

Although bounces are required, it is possible to avoid the situation
under which they are required (see above). So they aren't really
required unless you have already 'painted yourself into a corner.'"



and the "see above" refers to:

"Problem: Misdirected bounces
Description: When a mail server accepts a message and later decides
that it can't deliver the message, it is required to send back a
bounce email to the sender of the original message. These bounce
emails are often misdirected.
Solution: Upgrade and/or configure your mail server software so that
this situation is never encountered. Configure your software to
either reject messages during delivery or accept them permanently. Do
not let your software make choices about delivery after it has
accepted a message. If you must accept delivery before you know the
status of a message, then file it internally - do not send, forward
or bounce it outside your organization. The errant message can be
placed in a special folder or routed to your postmaster."


so, either you check recipient by attempting the delivery while still
at SMTP phase (a nightmare with timeouts) or you forbid forwarding
(an approach not totally without sense) or you send errors to
postmaster (a nightmare on busy sites).

Giuliano